Welcome to our vibrant community
We’re dedicated to elementary music education! Our mission is to create a welcoming space where music educators can share experiences, seek advice, find resources, and enjoy a bit of humor and inspiration. Navigating the challenges of elementary music education can be joyfully rewarding and like most things, will carry its unique challenges too. Whether you are a seasoned teacher or new to the field, this space is here to answer your questions and offer practical advice based on real-world experiences.
Meet Jennifer Shaw, Our Educator with over 20 years of experience!
Hi! I’m Jennifer Shaw and I’ll be writing to you most often from Warsaw, Poland where I teach music PreK-5 at the American School of Warsaw. I’m a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and taught at an independent school there for nearly 20 years. I have the 3 levels of Orff Certification, one of Kodaly, and the Orff Curriculum masterclass. I’ve had a few things published and was a Spotlight recipient from the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement.
Life has been a little adventurous lately! I’m a single, proud Mom of a 22-year-old son who will soon graduate from Ohio State University. I grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania and went to school at Temple University, Philadelphia. I’ve lived in South Carolina, Arizona, Ohio, Guangzhou, China, and Warsaw, Poland! Cleveland, I’m pretty sure, will always be home to me.
Teaching abroad, by far, has been the biggest adventure of my life. There’s been lots of joy, wonderment, and bumps on this particular journey. I am really grateful for the never-ending shift in my perception of the world and my simple accomplishments of figuring out the most common things, like where and how to grocery shop, or operate an appliance written in a foreign language.
Through it all, I am so happy to say I still love teaching in the classroom. My students fascinate me, and most have given me great joy (keyword, most, LOL!). They have kept me afloat during some of the most challenging times and I’m grateful for their musical spirit.
Fascinating, yes, yet kids are kids, it seems, everywhere I go. Children love to create independently. Whether that’s through exploration, improvisation, or play, I do believe kids have an innate sense of beauty and they know it when they see and/or hear it!! They will stop mid-play and look at me wondering if I picked up on the magic they just experienced. Students have taught me that there is great beauty in simplicity. Beauty in simplicity…it’s what sold me on teaching elementary music.
So let’s go! Let’s talk! I’m not an expert on ALL things elementary music, but I’ve been around the block (or globe!) and it would make me happy to help you the best I can.
Stay Current with new, events, specials and articles!
Framework of Choice Sub-Plan Ideas, Part II Whether it’s you or your sub, having a list of possibilities to use for your music class is reassuring and helpful to everyone. Create a framework to work within. Maybe begin with a video, followed by quiet background...
When The Cat’s Away, The Mice Need To Play! Sub-Plan Ideas There are times when I would rather go to school and push through feeling lousy than make sub-plans. Our subs are typically not musicians or music teachers. And on top of it all, our students need us to be...
Hi Again! Here is Part II of DRUE BULLINGTON's fantastic article, as originally seen at Teaching With Orff, discussing all things storage and organization! Thanks again, Drue! The Active Music and Movement Classroom: So Much Fun “in Store!” Drue M. Bullington...