APPENDIX A: TEACHER INVITATION
Email/Social Media Post to Teachers, Inviting Them to Join the Study Group
Dear Music Teacher(s):
I invite you to become part of a study group I am forming in which we will meet regularly over the course of several months to discuss topics related to issues of equity, social justice, and culturally responsive pedagogies in music education. If you are a P/K-12 music educator, including general music, vocal music, instrumental music, choir, band, orchestra, popular music ensembles, musical theater, music theory, composition and songwriting, music technology, or a related content area, this group might be for you!
I am a practicing music teacher working toward my doctoral degree in educational leadership (Ed. D.), and this project is the centerpiece of my dissertation. I am an advocate for students and for teachers, and believe strongly in providing healthy and nurturing learning environments to all children. I tend to support self-directed, collaborative, autonomous, emancipatory, and community-based teaching and learning strategies, for both teachers and learners. I believe there is a wealth of information available to and discoverable by music teachers regarding the many topics, issues, and questions that concern us and our students today, and that there is value in studying these important topics together with other music educators.
My research asks: What would happen if a group of devoted, engaged, concerned music teachers came together for a period of time to “self-educate” about topics important to them and their students, by engaging in collaborative inquiry, reading, and discussion? What ideas, dilemmas, and possibilities might we discover, toss around, take up, wrestle with, and challenge? What questions might arise, and how might we answer them?
The study group will provide us a space with several opportunities, including the chance to:
- Read and discuss new (potentially profound, provocative, or puzzling) texts
- Ask questions about present issues, concerns, and dilemmas of teaching and learning in a supportive environment
- Think about equity, social justice, and culturally responsive pedagogies in our classrooms and schools
- Develop relationships with other music educators and professionals
- Engage in an intellectual community (a “community of inquiry”)
- Take up topics of interest to us
- Potentially improve or even transform some element of our teaching
- Present our findings or discoveries at a professional conference (optional)
Please reply (email or social media private message) me if you are interested in or have any questions about participating in this opportunity. I will provide more details.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Dennis Frayne