Aligning Music Classes To Common Core

posted on November 29, 2013 A friend of mine is a has been teaching music for more than 25 years. She’s an excellent teacher, and she knows her subject well. The problem? Her school asked her to show how her lessons are aligned to Common Core State Standards. She knew that I’d been working with CCSS, so she asked me for assistance. First, I showed her the CCSS app on my phone. There is an iPhone version and an Android version. Then I recommended that she familiarize herself with the standards for each grade level she teaches, then pick the standards that match with each lesson. With music, there are elements of math, language, science and history. I suggested that she makes sure she shows that her music classes already align with multiple aspects of the CCSS. While refreshing my memory on this topic, I found the following document that I thought might help other music teachers who need to align their lessons to the new standards: Vocal and Instrumental Common Core Michelle WatersI am a secondary English Language Arts teacher, a University of Oklahoma student working on my Master’s of Education in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum with an concentration in English Education, and a NBPTS candidate. I am constantly seeking ways to amplify my students’ voices and choices.