Hey there, internet friends!

I feel like I am working on lots of projects to share with you guys right now! I just LOVE being a helper – I truly hope that you are finding useful tips and information here. If you are not, PLEASE ask me your questions!!

One of my upcoming projects is a clinic at TMEA here in a few weeks. I had the privilege of presenting a clinic at TMEA last year and am honored to be invited to come back. If you will be in San Antonio for the convention I would LOVE to meet you – my clinic will be at 11:30 in CC212 on Thursday – if there is interest, I would also love to set up a meet and greet so comment below or send me a message!

As I’m preparing what I hope will be a fun and useful clinic for YOU guys, I have been thinking about my most frequently asked questions and confusions about what I do. You won’t find my information here credible if you don’t know a little more about me, so here’s some behind the scenes top secret information about the real That Flipping Band Director – Marianne!

So, here’s what I DON’T do 🙂

1. I do not just let the internet teach my children
   • I don’t ONLY teach them things using online resources – we learn a lot of things in class!
   • I DO use the internet to streamline my lessons and introduce students to new concepts there so that it is not completely foreign to them when they get to class
2. Along the same lines, I do not teach every lesson on the internet
   • Just KEY concepts, things that I want taught perfectly and that I want students to be able to go back to and revisit if needed.
3. I do not spend all of my free time creating online content
   • This is a process! Over the years, I have compiled an arsenal of resources to use and reuse with students – the longer I do it, the LESS time it takes!
4. I do not have a weird space age band hall
   • my students still have class and rehearsal like yours do – I just use technology to enhance their learning journey
   • you won’t see a bunch of computers or iPads all over the wall, but you will see students who are learning to be independent, life-long learners
5. I do not use technology just to say that I did
   • meaningful technology is very important to me
   • the trust that my students have in me is even more important
     • if I make them do things with technology “just because,” then they won’t trust me anymore!
   • I refuse to just go through the motions with some technology to get a check mark from my administrator
     • I want to use technology to be more efficient, not to waste time! No one has time to waste time!
6. I do not shun kids who can’t access the internet at home
   • duh 😉
   • I give them the opportunity to view things/turn in assignments in the band hall on a band hall computer or iPad
   • I do foster and develop an environment of communication where students must communicate a problem to me if I am going to help them fix it
     • I stress to them the importance of having open communication and at appropriate times (i.e. not in the middle of class when I am assessing whether or not students completed an assignment)
     • I also stress to them that if they need help, I WILL HELP THEM! I want them to be successful and if they need to use my computer even if the only time is in the first 5 minutes of class, I will let them do it.

Did I debunk any myths? Any surprises? Any questions? Comment below! I can’t wait to hear from you and hopefully MEET you – my internet BFF’s – at TMEA soon!!