2025 Maine Music Educators Association Conference

So little time and so much to do! Music teachers often struggle to create assessments that are both rigorous and feasible in the context of a busy music classroom and schedule. In order to ensure that students, parents, and administrators recognize the impact that our classes have on our students and the credibility of our grades, we need to be able to clearly show what students are learning – and using outstanding assessments can help! In this session, we will discuss basic principles of assessment to help teachers recognize the building blocks of high-quality assessment tools, explore examples of assessment strategies that can be effectively used in the music classroom, and build individualized assessments that work for each attendee’s specific situation. Come and learn both strategies that you can put into practice tomorrow AND ideas that will help you to create new assessment approaches for years to come.

Music teachers are the heart and soul of this incredible profession. The ins and outs of everyday life in the classroom and rehearsal hall coupled with the multitude of details that are our responsibility can sometimes overshadow the big picture of the collective purpose of music teaching. In this session, we will take a good look at the power of school music education because of YOU. YOU MATTER! Let’s get together for a little shot of “feel good” and remember all the reasons why.

Music teachers embody incredible work ethic, discipline, a love for music and an inspired passion like no other. These characteristics are at the heart of what we do on a daily basis and, for most, it is the reason why we chose to enter this profession in the first place. Why then are teachers more exhausted, stressed and burnt out than ever? Thomas Edison said it best. “A good intention, with a bad approach, often leads to a poor result.” In this session, we will explore the negative consequences of an all consuming job mentality and the often debilitating work ethic that goes hand in hand with a decline in health and wellness. We will explore ways to shift how we define hard work, productivity, effective & efficient teaching and examine self care techniques we all can use to foster an environment where work and life co-exist with more balance. Topics will include hobby homework, intention, self care and stress management.

Copyright is a complex topic, and one that is constantly shifting as laws and interpretations change. Without a clear understanding of what is and is not allowed under copyright law, music educators may unknowingly find themselves in violation – sometimes with significant consequences. In this session, we will cover the basic principles of copyright law along with specific activities that are allowed or not allowed. Although not all situations are clear-cut, attendees will leave this session with a better understanding of how the law may apply to their individual circumstances.