Professional Development

This session deals with the WHO, WHY, HOW, and WHAT of engaging students in instruction. We will address staff collaboration and synergy, vertical and horizontal alignment in approach to instruction, rehearsal structure and style, and pacing...all with the goal of encouraging student ownership and musical decision-making in the rehearsals.

This session is for first year fine arts teachers, or for those preparing to enter the field. The focus is on priorities when starting the new job, and includes practical information relative to relationships with the campus, district, parents, and the community.

Let's use the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, as well as National Dance Standards, to build a quality curriculum for your Dance classes at every level.  With the many state-approved Dance courses now available, vertical (and horizontal) alignment of curriculum is crucial.

This session is all about building relationships and tactful strategies for promoting your programs at the campus, district, community, and state levels.  This is needed now, more than ever!

This session for Band and Orchestra directors deals with best practices in communication with potential beginners and their parents, instrument selection, pacing for the first year of instruction, and creative techniques for maximizing student learning and retention. We also reinforce the importance of, and strategies for, every beginner instrumentalist being "set up" for success with correct fundamentals, positive attitudes, music reading skills, technique, tonal concepts, and musicianship. Tips and tools for inspiring and motivating the students are included, as well as month by month objectives for maximum learning during that all-important first year.    

This interactive session addresses the need for, and strategies for, integrating Science, Math, Social Studies, and ELA into Music, Art, Theatre, and Dance. Sample lessons are provided. 

We observe the effectiveness of turning assessment back over to the students by fostering reflective thinking. Students become more engaged in the production of ensemble music by taking on the responsibility of self and peer assessment.

  This session provides tips and tools for developing formative and summative assessments, and utilization of critical thinking skills in the process, for Music, Art, Theatre, and Dance. 

  This session provides crucial safety and compliance training for art teachers in efficient use of kilns. The instructor can also guide the audience in developing a kiln usage handbook.  

This session provides helpful information to string specialists who may have limited experience with wind instruments. The clinic will address collaboration with band directors, scheduling, warm-up and tuning procedures, intonation tendencies of the instruments (and remedies), tips for addressing articulation and note lengths, and suggestions for maximizing that “all too limited” rehearsal time!! 

From Do, Re, Mi, and Sound to Symbol, musical literacy is the foundation of all musicianship. We explore histories of techniques for developing musical literacy. We also probe how to teach musical literacy holistically during each ensemble rehearsal.

Beyond the techniques and beyond the elements, the roots of true artistry reside in the capacity for gratefulness. We explore techniques for fostering gratitude in the Arts classroom.  Lifelong awareness of the true, the good, and the beautiful enhance the power of personal gratefulness and increases the capacity of creativity.

This session will help both dance education teachers and team directors assign duties, talk a common language, and basically be the best version of themselves possible.

As a Dance Student Teacher Supervisor for both Texas State University and The University of Texas, Denise Cochran can help prepare educators to welcome a student teacher.

This session includes not only vertical and horizontal alignment of instruction, but also addresses the Who, the Why, the What, and the How in terms of mindfulness, collaboration, student buy-in, and "edge of your seat" engagement.

This session explores the current reality of art education in Texas and common concerns for educators. This course will help you set priorities, advocate for your art programs, and create an action plan.

This session addresses "Inspired Teaching," Effective Rehearsal Technique, S.M.A.R.T. Goals, Effective Score Study, Vocal Technique, Effective Repertoire Selection, Musicianship, and More, to ensure happy and competent choristers!

This presentation is all about taking care of ourselves as we take care of our students during (and hopefully after) COVID-19.

This session helps art educators craft a plan to advocate for their programs by building a toolbox of ideas. This program will help you to become a leader in arts education and to take concrete action towards it.

Relationships matter!  This session addresses our challenge of teaching and building relationships from behind a screen with kids we may have never met.

This session is all about using both TEKS-based singing and playing to excite and engage kids as they develop melodic and rhythmic literacy.  This is especially crucial with so little seat time in most elementary music classrooms.

SEL has never been more important, and it is embedded in Fine Arts.  This session addresses this crucial topic, and how we can impact the whole child through our programs!

This session provides expert advice on maximizing relationships and effectiveness of dance boosters. They always mean well, but sometimes just need direction!"

In this session, we emphasize the importance of social-emotional learning through arts education. We will show the basics of SEL and how you can collaborate with fellow educators to impact students.

This is an interactive session on building student-centered band and orchestra programs.  The presenter will discuss critical fundamental beliefs for recruiting, building relationships, team synergy, vertical alignment with pedagogy, effective teaching, setting up a “team philosophy,” retention, and more.

Expand your Theatre lessons to challenge students to demonstrate content mastery

through creative, analytic and practical focus that translate students'

theatre skills on and off the stage.

Expand student ownership of the rehearsal process in Theatre to develop believable characters and support collaborative production skills.

Learn a systematic approach to Theatre production design and execution to involve students in the total process of planning, rehearsal and successful

performance.

Tailoring your program and season to maximize opportunities for students, improve performance, and create a district-wide culture of theatre

appreciation.

While this session was originally designed for Music, it is adaptable for ALL fine arts disciplines.  Our programs in secondary schools should be “continuous and sequential 7-year experiences” for all of the students who enter our programs in sixth grade! This session focuses on developing synergy within the staff K-12, development of a vertically aligned and collaborative approach by all instructors, common vocabulary, and seamless transitions from elementary school to middle and high school music programs. 

  This presentation is for university music majors or music directors seeking a new job.  We provide helpful hints for the job search, cover letters, successful interviews, and what to do when you have landed the job!