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5 Teacher Tools that Will Maximize Your Efficiency
By Don Stinson
This blog is sponsored by NAfME Corporate Member Yamaha Corporation of America.
Feeling overwhelmed by endless to-do lists and the demanding role you play in your students’ lives? I once thought technology would solve everything and that using more apps would make my life easier. However, as I strived for focus, I found that only extremely useful tech tools make the cut. In fact, minimizing screen time and notifications has been remarkably beneficial. This guide introduces tools, both tech-based and ones that are refreshingly simple, that have proven invaluable in managing the complexities of teaching.
1. Paper and a To-Do App
My to-do list used to be comprised of emailing myself, Post-Its, lists, whiteboard lists, to-do apps and my memory. I was spending four times as much time managing these lists as I was doing actual work. I’ve written about prioritizing tasks using the “Getting Things Done” system, as well as developing Atomic Habits. By moving to two inputs—a notebook and one to-do app, Todoist—I removed a significant amount of stress from my life.
My notebook goes with me to the podium, and I can write down any notes, such as “Order more reeds” or “John has a conflict with the football game.” I then take time in the afternoon to either complete or insert these tasks into my app. Rinse and repeat.
Your method may vary. If Post-Its work for you, stick with them, but consider that too many lists create more work. There is also the chance for more items to slip through the cracks.
Replaces: Post-Its, multiple apps, a full email inbox and precious mental bandwidth.
2. Yamaha Harmony Director
I was a little late to the game with the Harmony Director, but this is my go-to tool in the classroom. It saves time, is somewhat portable, and is very easy to use. I used separate apps and devices for metronomes and tuners, and I spent a long time attempting to teach pitch matching and justified intonation. This tool cuts that time down significantly. There is a bit of a learning curve, but by now, so many people are using the HD-300, and resources are plentiful. I saw a younger director post online about ways to teach intonation with the Harmony Director. An older director made this snide remark: “How about good old-fashioned listening?”
I believe the Harmony Director is something that speaks to both the newer generation of educators as well as the more experienced ones. There are no fancy screens or wires to hook up. The teacher gets the job done by using this tool to demonstrate, and the kids have to listen and adjust. Truly an invaluable teaching tool in the right hands.
Replaces: Multiple apps, metronomes, tuners, and simple recording devices.
3. AI Textbots
While AI has been recently grabbing headlines, the first successful AI program was actually written in 1951! It may be controversial, but AI generators, when used for the right reasons, can be helpful. I have yet to be convinced that the current generation of AI can replace everything a human can do, but ChatGPT and Google Bard are invaluable for spelling and grammar and even for checking tone.
If I have a particularly tough email to send, I will write it out and then ask an AI to see if my email looks aggressive or has any conflicting statements. About half the time, I accept the suggested changes and send the email. With the other half, I realize that if I have to revise as much as the AI suggests, then it’s better to pick up the phone and speak to the other party directly.
AI works well for simple coding. I often have Excel lists of students that I need to organize in various ways. Asking an AI bot to provide a formula to sort all junior woodwind players by last name but listed in first and last name format, so I can easily copy to a concert program, has been a huge time-saver.
Replaces: Time spent on YouTube trying to figure out pivot tables and the organization of data in Excel sheets and annoying your colleagues with “Does this email sound OK?” requests.
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About the author:
Don Stinson is the Band Director at Joliet Central High School in Illinois, founder of Legacy Fine Arts Inc. NFP, the co-author of “Harmonizing Ethics and Education,” and the author of “High Needs, Monumental Successes: Teaching Music to Low-Income and Underserved Students.” He was recognized as a 2021 Yamaha “40 Under 40” music educator.
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Published Date
October 10, 2024
Category
- Classroom Management
- Technology
Copyright
October 10, 2024. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)