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A lengthy video but recommended viewing if you have ever worked with DACA students.

This is a pretty informative video that is fairly devoid of opinions from the presenter. One criticism of the video was that the presenter used the term "illegal aliens." If you're inclined to investigate this more, he explains his reasoning in the comments.

Has anyone here experienced anyone in this situation? It goes without saying to not give too much information out, but this is an annual situation for us. We often have students that do not know they are undocumented until it comes time for them to apply for college, etc.

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If you have students or families looking for advice or resources, check with your school guidance counselors first. If the counselors and community do not have resources, the Immigrant Legal Resource page is a good start. Information on immigration and citizenship are available, including practice tests for citizenship, legal resources, and books and trainings.

This site is typically the most up to date site with information regarding DACA.

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Despite the Supreme Court decision to reinstate the DACA program, on July 28, 2020, the Trump administration issued a memo indicating USCIS will (1) reject all initial DACA applications; (2) reject all Advance Parole applications from DACA recipients unless there are exceptional circumstances; and (3) shorten the DACA renewal period from 2 years to 1 year. This means that the USCIS will not accept any new DACA initial applications and plans to reject and return all initial applications submitted to date, with filing fee.

Current DACA recipients should continue to renew their cases although their protection under deferred action and work permit will be valid for only one year instead of two. If you have questions about how you or someone you know may be impacted by this announcement, please visit the Ready CA Legal Directory or Immigration Advocates Network Legal Directory.

This is a deeply troubling development as President Trump again outrageously demonstrates his belief that he and his administration are above the law and shows the president's complete disregard for the individuals and communities who are affected by this announcement. Aspects of the memo will likely be subject to legal challenges. Further analysis and updates will be provided as soon as possible. The fight against Trump's anti-immigration agenda continues.

This practice alert provides a brief summary of temporary changes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made in response to COVID-19. Changes include plans for reopening USCIS facilities after suspending all in-person services, including interviews and biometrics appointments, from March 18 to June 3, 2020; automatic extensions for Requests for Evidence (RFEs), Notices of Intent...

On July 28, 2020 the Department of Homeland Security issued a memorandum severely restricting the DACA program. Despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision fully reinstating the program, the Trump administration has issued another attack on the program. This community alert gives a brief summary of memorandum and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Implementing Guidance issued on...

On July 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a memorandum instructing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to: 1) reject all initial Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) requests from applicants who have not received DACA in the past; 2) reject all advance parole applications from DACA recipients except where there are "exceptional circumstances...

While the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on June 18, 2020 should have restored the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in its entirety, a recent announcement by the Trump administration has once again thrown the program and DACA recipients into limbo. This resource goes over frequently asked questions to help orient the community of this new change with DACA program.

In this quick practice update, we alert practitioners to USCIS' publication of its fee schedule final rule, which proposes to drastically increase most fees, eliminate fee waivers for most applicants, and narrow fee waiver criteria, effective October 2, 2020.

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Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA/DAPA) | ILRC

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Despite the Supreme Court decision to reinstate the DACA program, on July 28, 2020, the Trump administration issued a memo indicating USCIS will (1) reject all initial DACA applications; (2) reject all Advance Parole applications from DACA recipients unless there are exceptional circumstances; and (3) shorten the DACA renewal period from 2 years to 1 year.

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Although teen pregnancy is on a decline, students raising students are still in need of resources, care, and guidance. If you teach in an area where this occurs, consider checking out the resource below. Of course, with most of my recommendations, I suggest speaking to the school guidance counselors and social workers to see what is already in place.

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Expectant and Parenting Young Families | Youth.gov

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In 2016, nearly 210,000 babies were born to women between ages 15 and 19. This represented an eight percent decrease in birth rates for this age group from 2015.1 The needs and wellbeing of expectant and parenting young people are an ongoing priority for local and federal programming and service pro…

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Scenario: A Scheduling Error in an Ensemble Class

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Scenario: A Scheduling Error in an Ensemble Class

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A student is placed in your ensemble class by mistake. You offer the student the chance to learn to sing or play an instrument, but the student is not interested. You let the guidance counselors know.

A week passes, and the student is still in the class. You contact the guidance counselors. You are told that there was a scheduling error with the new software and that many students were placed in the wrong course. They have moved students to appropriate classes with priority given to students needing courses for graduation requirements. The student in your class is unable to be moved, but will not miss graduation requirements. All other classes are full, or the student does not meet the prerequisites to take the course. The powers that be tell you that the student must remain in your class.

The student refuses to participate in any capacity in the class. Furthermore, the student has started to disrupt the classroom daily. You call home multiple times, but you never receive any phone calls back. Other students begin to become upset with the student and you due to the behavior.

How do you handle this situation?

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Book Recommendation: Practicing Successfully, Elizabeth A.H. Green

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Book Recommendation: Practicing Successfully, Elizabeth A.H. Green

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Chances are you've experienced Elizabeth Green's book on conducting. A lesser known one is her book on practicing. I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone looking for efficiency and effectiveness regarding technical passages, rehearsal and teaching strategies, and overall theory and philosophy on practice. This is a very practical book with some philosophy peppered in.

The largest take away I have from this book: Practicing is a mature, adult activity.

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Practicing Successfully-A Masterclass in Musical Art-Green, Elizabeth-

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Practicing Successfully-A Masterclass in Musical Art-Green, Elizabeth- [Green, Elizabeth] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Practicing Successfully-A Masterclass in Musical Art-Green, Elizabeth-

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Required Discussion: How Much Time on One Unit or Piece?

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Required Discussion: How Much Time on One Unit or Piece?

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How much time is too much time to prepare a piece or unit? Do we want to play a wide variety of music at the classes level or slightly above, or should we let our students go after a really difficult piece or unit over an extended period of time?

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Have you ever had to advocate for a student in need? If so, please tell us what the specific issue was and how the process went. No situations are too big or small; consider items such as helping families negotiate for a new instrument, providing a job reference, college recommendations, living situation recommendations, and legal situations.

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The process of applying for and obtaining financial aid for college can be daunting. If you are not already familiar with today's FAFSA process, consider brushing up in order to help college or trade-school bound students. Additionally, becoming aware of area scholarships and having this information readily available can be helpful to your students and your program.

studentaid.gov is of course a good place to start, but some other sites do a good job of organizing the FAQs. Link to Nerdwallet's recently published FAFSA information.

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Filling out and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or , is the key to getting financial aid to help pay for college if you or your family can't foot the entire bill.

The Education Department provides over $125 billion in aid to students each year. While the supply of cash isn't infinite, all eligible financial aid applicants can expect to get a piece of the pie.

The process - and the application itself - can be confusing, so here is a FAFSA faq that provides answers to questions you may have.

Yes. The FAFSA is free to fill out and submit. Be wary of companies that charge you to fill out the form.

The Education Department estimates it takes applicants less than an hour to fill out and submit the FAFSA. But it will take you longer if you're not prepared for the process with all required documentation and tax information.

You can use the FAFSA4caster tool to estimate the type and amount of aid you may be eligible to receive. Once you submit the FAFSA, you will get your Federal Student Aid report. It contains all the answers you provided on the FAFSA and the amount your family is expected to pay, known as your expected family contribution. If you don't have an EFC, your FAFSA likely contains an error that you need to correct. Colleges use the information in your report to determine the aid you qualify for.

After submitting your application

About the author: Anna Helhoski is a writer and NerdWallet's authority on student loans. Her work has appeared in The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today. Read more

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Your FAFSA Questions Answered - NerdWallet

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Filling out and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or , is the key to getting financial aid to help pay for college if you or your family can't foot the entire bill. The Education Department provides over $125 billion in aid to students each year.

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Watch/Read/Discuss: Making Students Work a Second Shift

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Watch/Read/Discuss: Making Students Work a Second Shift

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I first experienced Alfie Kohn back in 2012. He came to speak at my rural school's in-service and ticked half of the faculty off by telling us that grades and homework don't matter and can be damaging. He had math teachers yelling at him that homework was necessary for skill building. He responded by saying "there is no research anywhere that proves homework is beneficial." This made them even angrier.

I've certainly adopted some of his suggestions. Alfie is not a fan of the school dictating everyone's  life. However, this has been difficult to balance, especially in a low-income area where so many of my students and families depend on the school.

Alfie Kohn has also posted a lot about this on his website. Please visit this link to view his article in the National Association of Elementary School Principals journal. He urges principals to rethink homework. Spoiler: I don't they listened. https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/rethinking-homework/

There's a lot more to Alfie's thoughts on homework, but what initial thoughts come to your mind about assigning work outside of class and the school's role outside of the school's hours? Consider the role in the lives of low-income families.

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Alfie Kohn:  "Making students work a 'second shift'"

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Video: Alfie Kohn on Education and Music;

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Video: Alfie Kohn on Education and Music;

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If you want a little more of Alfie Kohn, he speaks about music education here.

My favorite quote:  "I'm certainly interested in having a doctor around if I'm having a heart attack, instead of having a violinist around, but we're not always having heart attacks and life is about more than building bridges or performing surgery."

Discussion not required, but welcome.

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Many of you have posted in the literature posts that you have rewritten parts or make some arrangements. Have no fear, the copyright document is here. This is just posted for your reference. A distance learning section is available as well.

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Week 1 Padlet: https://lowincomemusic.padlet.org/donstinson831/k4oae3g96ypvek7y

Week 2 Padlet: https://lowincomemusic.padlet.org/donstinson831/g3iu84n78g8n3agc

Week 2 Video Wrap Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCjFSQ-n_s4

Week 3 Padlet: https://lowincomemusic.padlet.org/donstinson831/boy3pbfp48ofopzz

Week 3 Video Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_djSoxCMC2c&list=PL7fjDvPTKRHohxY_QaDAV0ood5HuFEqms

Week 4 Padlet: https://lowincomemusic.padlet.org/donstinson831/jkjuakpn98hjcczf

Week 4 RIF Scenario Video Response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrJYguY7mBs

Week 4 Budget Tips Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a--JYXS2GE

Week 5 Padlet: https://lowincomemusic.padlet.org/donstinson831/4hjk95lm3s12qopp

Week 5: Roosevelt Griffin Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWmCSzM-RNc

Week 6 Padlet: https://lowincomemusic.padlet.org/donstinson831/m94tlbp3ka2bpkps

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The Creative Director: Alternative Rehearsal Techniques by Edward Lisk. I love this book and cannot recommend it enough. It truly changed the way I plan and run a rehearsal. We moved towards actually playing less music in rehearsal and doing more units on techniques and musical elements, and the group got better overall. This was a tough sell for me, as I was a person that said we needed as much time on the music as possible in class, but these techniques helped me to shift to a different approach.

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The Creative Director: Alternative Rehearsal Techniques

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(Meredith Music Resource). A new dimension in band performance! Improve rehearsal efficiency through a more effective learning environment with access to the students' fullest musical potential. Emphasis is placed upon auditory and visual imagery techniques. Thinking skills and internal pulse are...

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A class-member in last summer's session taught in Austin, MN. This is the home of the Hormel Factory. A famous labor strike occurred in the mid-80s, and the town drastically changed following this time period.

You may be pro- or anti-union, but the message and relation I got from this was how a town can change when a changes occur to that location's major industry. In Joliet, we had steel mills. Those closed, and the town depressed. Later on, more medical facilities and an Amazon Warehouse opens up. Things get a little better. Most of our workers in my town, however, are concentrated in these areas. Many of us have a concern if Amazon decides to leave for another location due to taxes, etc. If you've been in an area where an industry closes, you know the effects this can have on the entire town, including the schools.

Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eZMfQqcjmM

Legal Watching Options: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099028/

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Book Awareness (maybe a recommendation?): Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family in Culture and Crisis by J.D. Vance.

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Book Awareness (maybe a recommendation?): Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family in Culture and Crisis by J.D. Vance.

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The book examines one person's experience growing up in rural poverty.  His family moves from Kentucky to Ohio to escape their situation.  The author grows up to attend Yale Law but reflects on members of his family that are unable to escape their situations.

This is a polarizing books among my circle of friends.  Some us related to it, while others thought that the author was on a bit of an ego trip (although I suppose it's hard to avoid this when writing a semi-autobiography/case study of your family).  I've had friends that lived in rural areas both praise the book and also speak out against it due to generalizations.

I read this book when it was released five summers ago.  Disclaimer: it appears that the marketing of this book has changed since I first read it.  There's some promises that reading this will help people understand current political situations.  It's been four years since I've read the book; I'm not sure if this holds true, or if this is just timely marketing.

A movie based on the book was recently released. I have not watched the movie as of yet.

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Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

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Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis [Vance, J. D.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

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Book recommendation: iGen by Dr. Jean Twenge

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Book recommendation: iGen by Dr. Jean Twenge

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I read iGen when it was first published in 2017.  The full title is iGen:

Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us.  Check your local library if you're interested.  I found this book to be extremely helpful when understanding behavior; not always negative, but just the day to day behavior, thoughts, and reactions of today's student.

It's not doom and gloom, but it's pretty insightful.  We used to rely on older students driving younger kids to rehearsal; now, the stats are showing that kids are waiting until they're nearly 20 to get their license.  They also like hanging out with their parents and would rather stay home than go to a movie.

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iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us

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Amazon.com: iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us: 9781501152016: Twenge PhD, Jean M.: Books

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Book recommendation: Grit by Angela Duckworth

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Book recommendation: Grit by Angela Duckworth

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This book changed that way I approached my students and my own children, and reinforced some other beliefs and actions. In short, it's an interesting view on courage, passion, and fear. Claims are made that talent doesn't necessarily lead to success, but rather, grit.

Also included: a TED talk from Angela Duckworth regarding Grit. Click here for the link.

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Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

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Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - Kindle edition by Duckworth, Angela. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.

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The First Days of Schools: Harry Wong and Rosemary T. Wong

If you're a new teacher or a music teacher like me that needs to continually study up on the whole classroom education thing, this is a great book. Some tried and true methods without being too authoritarian/eliminating the student voice. I own the previous version and refer to it each summer.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Good purchase but check the fine print.
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2019

Came in great condition with disc and all but there were penciled lines on several pages that I could not erase without damaging the book. To my knowledge this was not mentioned prior to purchase.

Reviews with images

Top reviews from the United States

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Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2021

This book is overrated, outdated garbage. I bought it after many teachers in an online group recommended it. There are a few useful things in this book about procedures, but that's about it. The majority of the book is just "fluff"--words to take up space and give acronyms without saying much of anything. The authors (who live lavishly selling books, programs, etc. and haven't been actual classroom teachers for many decades) go on and on throughout the book about negative, "'I' teachers."
Basically, they state that selfish, failing teachers do the following:
--want "peace and quiet"
--enjoy weekends
--need to go home after contracted time is done to "feed the dog," "pick up the kids," "prepare dinner," etc.
They suggest teachers need to attend games, funerals, and other events outside of school hours and should not be individuals who do things like wear "trendy clothes." They also insinuate early in the book that class sizes do not matter. Good to know that in order to be a great teacher you should have no personal life, family, pets, or self-care time; those teachers are selfish and only care about the paycheck, according to the Wongs.
They also have photos of signs that are troubling about dress code. For example, one sign they include as a prime example of a morning routine lists the first priority on the list as "conform to dress code." Pretty sure that's not the #1 thing a teacher should be worried about.
Save yourself the money (and frustration) and read books from newer educators or get advice from people who are actual classroom teachers in 2021.

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2019

Want to have a great classroom and students ready to learn? Read--no, STUDY--this book. It served me well through my teaching career. I always had one of the best classrooms in my school and the best-behaved students. I was known as the teacher who could teach anyone, and I give Wong and Wong full credit...and my professor who required us to read and use this in our final education course. I don't know where I'd have been without it!

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2019

This book was given loaned to me when I started substitute teaching ( i am a retired engineer). the teacher that loaned it to me allowed me to observe her class - WOW. Even though it was elementary school, those kids came in each morning, sat down and either read a book or started some other study - there was no talking or unruly behavior. When it was time to take up money and fill out forms for lunch, the kids took care of it. They were responsible, disciplined and learned what they were supposed to. I even ended up helping one boy who spoke mostly Spanish - my HS and College Spanish came back pretty easily.
The next day I went to a different class to observe - what a difference, complete chaos the entire day. Same age kids, just a different teacher.

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2018

This book was a required text for a class I am currently taking. I am a junior in college and I'm pursuing an education degree. This book has so much great information in it that I have found so useful. It is also actually an entertaining read unlike so many books on the same topic. I ended up finishing the whole thing way before I needed to for class. I definitely plan on keeping this for when I graduate because it is something I will return to again and again.

Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2019

I bought this book as a resource to use in preparation for my first year teaching Kindergarten. It's packed full of tips and tricks, resources, and ideas. It's truly been a great resource for me starting out, and I would recommend it to others to help stock their teacher toolbox. :)

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2019

I honestly can't believe this text isn't a part of every single teacher education program across the nation - it has revitalized not only my passion for teaching, but also my desire to be the best teacher I can be by organizing age appropriate routines within my classroom. Such a wealth of ideas, I'll definitely be rereading as I prep for the start of the school year over the next two weeks!

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2021

First Days Of School: How To Be An Effective... this book came in perfect condition. Exactly what I needed to complete my class.

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2019

As a first time teacher, this book has helped me plan and execute what I need in my classroom. I would recommend this to anyone considering teaching.

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Super helpful!

Reviewed in Canada on May 8, 2021

A fantastic guidebook for any first-year teacher. Pick and choose what you want to gain out of this book. It is absolutely great at laying out foundations such as classroom management. Highly recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great startup guide or refresher for teachers

Reviewed in Canada on October 19, 2018

Very helpful insights and structures that help set up a framework for effective classroom teaching.

1.0 out of 5 stars Damaged - Chronic Amazon Problem

Reviewed in Canada on August 26, 2020

The book is great but Amazon's packaging has deteriorated badly - this is the fifth book from Amazon I have received damaged.

1.0 out of 5 stars Could not watch DVD

Reviewed in Australia on December 3, 2019

The book arrived, but I cannot seem to play the DVD. I would have liked to do this. I wonder if it is a zone issue. So sad.

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THE First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher, 5th Edition (Book & DVD)

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THE First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher, 5th Edition (Book & DVD) [Harry K. Wong;Rosemary T. Wong] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. THE First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher, 5th Edition (Book & DVD)

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Book Recommendation: Urban Music Education: A Practical Guide for Teachers

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Book Recommendation: Urban Music Education: A Practical Guide for Teachers

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I'd recommend this book for both urban and non-urban teachers. You'll find quite a bit of practical advice balanced with philosophy, and a chapter specifically against the "one size fits all" mentality of music education.

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Some new discussions this week in addition to a continuation of a few popular topics. Two weeks to go! Please feel free to continue sending on your final projects for feedback. I will provide responses within 24 hours.

We'll have a discussion with two administrators from my school on Friday, July 30, 10am CST. As with all sessions, this is optional. I'll put out a Zoom link next week for this

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Required: Project 2/Final Project Information

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Required: Project 2/Final Project Information

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(Copied from Previous Week) Based on school report card submissions and classroom discussion, I've replaced project two with a proposal for your final projects.  The original second project would have been redundant and low-level for where we are at. (Please take that as a compliment.)  Furthermore, the final project may take more time than I originally anticipated.

Project two is now replaced with a final project proposal that is due Thursday, July 1.  This will segue directly into the final project.

I have linked this as both a Powerpoint and PDF, just in case you do not have access to Powerpoint.

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For anyone that is unable to access PowerPoint.

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How are your final projects going? If you need help or need me to look anything over, please feel free to email me at dstinson@vandercook.edu.

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Course Calendar (Updated 6/20 to reflect assignment 2 change)

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Course Calendar (Updated 6/20 to reflect assignment 2 change)

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Here is the course calendar. It's available in the Schoology site under Course Information, but it's probably easier if it's just posted here. It is uploaded in Excel format - if you cannot view, please let me know and I can make a PDF of it for you.

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Don Stinson
dstinson@vandercook.edu
Cell: 815-919-8980

Please don't hesitate to reach out. You are free to contact me at any time for course related issues, such as content, questions, tech related issues, or ideas. If I don't reply right away, I will do my best to get back to you within 24 hours.

I will keep Fridays open for phone calls/Zoom appointments for groups or individuals. If you'd like to schedule a meeting with me on Friday to talk about any issues with your program, or even just to brag about a success with your students, please reach out!