Introduction

Good evening!  My name is Jana Hallberg.  I am a music teacher in the Syracuse City School District.  I graduated from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam in 1997 with a Bachelor's in Music Education, have taught in public and parochial schools in several states from nursery through grade 12, strings, band, chorus, theatre, general music, and have and continue to perform in a variety of ensembles.  I started a homeschool band and orchestra with friends in Viriginia Beach which is still going strong, and am the front ensemble caption head for The Pride of SCSD Marching Band.  I love to teach students of all ages and lead them through performances, but I also desire to obtain further experience in leadership roles within my school district and community.  The arts are an integral part of every student's education, and bringing the arts to the community helps students to engage with others outside of school in a positive way.  

I have had varying responsibilities while teaching, from utilizing curriculum specific to my specialty while incorporating the general classroom curricula to having to create my own from scratch while trying to teach at the same time.  Curriculum and instruction are in constant need of evaluation for implementation, and teachers need to be flexible and adaptive to their demographic and particular circumstances.  Teaching to the best of my ability and resources is essential for my students, and I feel that this programme will guide me toward continuing to use best practises as society and information evolve. 

I have three children and one granddaughter (4 months old) who are my delight!  My daughter is currently at home with her infant, my older son is working, and my younger son is a thespian and All-State bass vocalist.  As a family we are still learning how many of us are on the autistic spectrum and to navigate life as we encounter more information.  As for hobbies, I like to sing and play as many instruments as possible, read, crochet, cross-stitch and embroider, bake, and study ancient as well as current religions and philosophies. 

When it comes to social media, I am not well equipped to understand it all that well.  I can barely navigate Facebook, and still remember using rotary phones!  However, my students and my own children use a plethora of social media platforms, and I feel that I need to learn more and participate more in order to understand and further engage my students.  I'm excited to share what I learn with my students while they take turns laughing at me!  It is also important to know how and what students are learning from social media, how to help safeguard my students, how to help them to utilize it for better learning and how to incorporate it into my classroom.  Newer musicians are making a name for themselves on social media and obtaining recording contracts, or simply releasing music for streaming.  Social media has changed the world not only for my students, but for the world of musicians. 

Lastly, this meme tickles me pink!




 


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