Asking for Help, Talking to Parents, and Having Difficult Conversations - Jessica Grant
I’m excited to share this conversation with Jessica Grant! Jessica brings wisdom and encouragement to educators as they face everyday challenges of teaching music.
So often, the challenges of music pedagogy are not the things that weigh on teachers at the end of the day. Communication with colleagues, feeling overwhelmed by the workload, managing difficult student behaviors, and initiating conversations with parents or guardians can feel more overwhelming.
Jessica’s perspective is grounded both in the reality of teaching, and in optimistic encouragement for music teachers.
In This Conversation:
03:03 - It’s Jessica Grant!
03:12 - Jessica’s teaching situation
04:54 - Teaching upper elementary and middle school general music
05:52 - Music is for everyone
08:33 - Self-care and teachers as people
16:58 - Asking for help
20:39 - Organizing volunteers
30:49 - Asking for help with a team mindset
36:59 - Initiating difficult conversations with parents
42:27 - Building bridges
47:24 - The first parent phone call
54:45 - The mindset before the call
01:00:06 - Information without interpretation
01:00:50 - Practice with the positive
01:03:08 - Start small. Start with understanding
01:04:30 - Quick Questions: Why should we write?
01:05:45 - Quick Questions: What was a recent win in your classroom?
01:07:00 - Quick Questions: What is the next teaching project you’re excited about?
01:08:58 - Where to learn more
01:13:19 - Where to find Jessica
About Jessica Grant
Email: contact@jessicagrant.org
I’m Jessica Grant – a middle school general music educator who enjoys sharing music education ideas for you to use in your classroom. I believe that supporting teachers helps make life better, builds connection and allows us to remain in the education field longer because we’re doing it together. I also believe that teachers have identities outside of the classroom that need to be fostered and encouraged. We get so wrapped up in who we are as teachers that it’s easy to put our own needs as humans (roles of mom, wife, friend, etc…) to the side. So I’m here to help with that too.
Interested in working with me? Check out The Confident Music Educator Course at www.theconfidentmusiceducator.podia.com. Danielle Larrick and I joined together to create this course for middle school general music and upper elementary teachers of grades 5-8.
I'd love to connect with you. Follow me on Instagram @highafternoonti. Head to my website at www.jessicagrant.org where you can get my free newsletter, read the blog, and access teaching and goal setting ideas. Listen to the Afternoon Ti Podcast where you'll hear guests and I share music education topics to help you in your classroom.
