Priding itself of being on the cutting edge of education, St. Vrain Valley’s music program joins the fray in pushing social boundaries to become more inclusive.
At Westview Middle School, Carrie Proctor builds a sense of community in her music classroom. During her three years as a music teacher within SVVSD, Proctor has helped students understand that they are all connected.
“Carrie has the ability to create really strong relationships with students and families. She has been able to create a band classroom where kids are having fun and love to be there, and she’s creating musical excellence,” said Westview Middle School’s Principal Mark Spencer.
"In our classroom, there is an understanding that we are a community and a team. What one person does impacts everyone. As students progress through their time with me, they really start to buy into that,” Proctor said.
Proctor’s work in the classroom earned her the Outstanding Young Educator Award from the Colorado Music Educator’s Association, or CMEA. She was presented with the award last weekend during CMEA’s annual conference.
The CMEA conference is the biggest music conference in Colorado that recognizes all areas of music education across the state.
“Many of our teachers are deserving and do these things too, but Carrie stands out because of the impact that she has both musically on her students and just on a personal level. She connects with her students, she really knows how to light the passion within them and they feel welcome and safe within her classroom,” stated Janay Bird, SVVSD fine arts coordinator.
“We hold each other accountable, we encourage and help each other, we celebrate each other's successes, and we support one another through the struggles. I don't think it is necessarily my teaching that students react to, but the family that we build together with music," Proctor said.
Proctor isn’t the only music teacher in SVVSD who is changing the sense of community within the classroom.
Amy Abbott from Red Hawk Elementary and Connie Dewlen from Coal Ridge Middle schools were invited to speak at the CMEA conference.
Abbott’s talks include work on gender-neutrality in the classroom while Dewlen presented ways to incorporate social-emotional learning, or SEL, into classrooms.
"The key points of my presentation are around education and awareness, building the SEL toolbox, creating opportunities for daily integration and practice, and giving teachers resources and activities that they can use right away. Whether it is incorporated in daily warm ups, repertoire selection, or team building, my presentation is full of ways to make it a part of everything that we do," Dewlen said.
“We are really lucky to be in a district where the arts are supported by our district leadership and administration. That gives teachers a lot of support to do things that give our students unique opportunities,” Bird said.
SVVSD strives to give students the best opportunities in music. Across the district, Bird says teachers are encouraged to bring their own experience and expertise to the classroom while incorporating student interests into lesson plans and opportunities.
“Our vision is that every kid has an opportunity to be a part of music,” Bird said, adding “It (the music program) teaches them empathy. It teaches teamwork … it’s not just about learning the notes and the rhythm, it is about learning how to be a great human.”
Community building is a big part of CR5’s success. CR5 is Erie High School mixed choir. The group was invited to the CMEA conference as one of the top groups in the state of Colorado, according to Bird. CR5 also has received high ratings at MSU’s Choral Celebration and Festival Disney.
Beyond the doors of the choir room, the program collaborates with the Erie High School band and orchestra. The group also works with students at the middle and elementary school levels.
“CR5 students strive for the highest level of musical excellence while creating a sense of family within the group,” according to the CMEA program.
Students aren’t the only ones receiving an education in diversity within the music program. Bird said teachers across the district are doing their own work on the topic. During district work days, teachers share their knowledge amongst their peers, teaching each other different approaches to building a better community through music.
