Happy New Year to my SongWorks Colleagues!
The beginning of a new year can be full of promise and opportunity, and it can also feel like a slog as we transition from winter break to winter weather. To navigate the ups and downs of the season, I turn to gratitude as a guide. Practicing gratitude grounds me in the present and keeps me focused on the positive (even on those difficult teaching days when the positives feel few and far between). Our SongWorks Educators Association occupies a top spot on my thankfulness list because of the support and inspiration it gives me as a music educator and as a professional. Our organization’s stated purpose is to:
- Promote playful teaching and vibrant learning through the use of SongWorks principles and practices.
- Inspire the inherent playfulness, responsiveness, and musicality in teachers and learners.
- Embrace a community of life-long learners who grow together with care, respect, and grace.
Since serving on the Presidential Team, I have had a front row seat to the incredible effort that goes into bringing each of these statements to life. Currently our Conference Planning Team is busy at work putting together an outstanding conference in Boston on March 17-18. Presenters will lead us through playful and vibrant lessons to inspire our teaching and the learning of our students. Our SongWorks Certification Faculty are already preparing for our upcoming summer courses to support the continuing education of those who desire SongWorks certification. Furthermore, our social media, website, and newsletter teams are constantly cultivating new content to engage our membership. These examples are just a sample of all the work that’s going on. This extraordinary volunteer effort happens because these leaders believe in SWEA’s purpose to promote our principles and practices, inspire playfulness and responsiveness, and embrace each other with care, respect and grace.
If you too, find yourself grateful for the SongWorks Educators Association this season, I invite you to contemplate how you might contribute to the success of SWEA in the coming year. Will you register for the conference? (Registration is open now!) Might you invite a colleague to come along to Boston? Have you considered attending a SongWorks summer course? Will you complete the Presidential Team application? What will you post about SongWorks on your social media? However active a member you decide to be, please know that as a SongWorks colleague, I am cheering you on, this and every season.
-Nan Fitzpatrick
2022-23 SWEA President
