Teacher Feature: Calyanne Crouch

• Calyanne Crouch
• Posted 10/19/20
• 0 comments

Get to know our authors.  In our “Teacher Feature,” you will not only learn about our contributors’ professional endeavors but also get to know them as humans too.  Just like our readers – our authors are actively teaching in schools across the United States. 

Calyanne Crouch teaches 3-5th grade General Music and leads the Visual and Performing Arts team at the American School of Tegucigalpa, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She also coordinates the Houses system and directs the extracurricular Honor Choir program.  
 

Her percussion performance background with Bachelor of Music and teaching certificate from the University of Iowa influenced her love of the general music classroom and Orff Ensemble, completing levels I, II, and III of Orff-Schulwerk, as well as specialized study in Orff Curriculum and Design at VanderCook College of Music. She furthered her study completing action research in the use of small group instruction in recorder playing while completing her Masters of Science at SUNY Buffalo State in the international graduate program for educators. 
 
In her free time, she enjoys traveling throughout Central America and trying out new recipes with her husband. 

Some other interesting facts we learned about Calyanne…  

How did you end up becoming a music teacher?  

When I was a kid, I wanted to be Weird Al Yankovic because I loved his silly parodies. As it turns out, that’s not really a job a person can have. I had always been drawn to teaching and to music for altruistic reasons, but when I started discovering general music at the elementary level, something just clicked. Orff instruments matched perfectly with my percussion ensemble background, but I was really enlightened by the space given for students just to be silly! The freedom to create in a low-pressure environment builds successes for students who may not be seen the same way in their core classes. I’m no Chuck E. Cheese, but I feel like my classroom is a place where a kid can be a kid!  

What inspired you to share your experiences with other teachers?  

Right now, Pandemic-land can feel super isolating. This was especially true over the summer! Over the last several years I’ve been taking summer Orff courses at VanderCook College in Chicago and I definitely missed the invigoration that came from sharing and learning from a wonderful group of peers and experts!  

What has been the biggest surprise/revelation about being a music teacher? 

One of my biggest surprises about virtual teaching has been not how much is out there, but how little of it we actually get to use! I spend a lot of time sifting through ideas, content, and resources while carefully considering desired student outcomes vs. time intensity and accessibility to make my online lessons as waterproof and airtight as possible.  

How do you deal with stress?  

Not well, necessarily! Past years I’ve let myself ride the waves of stress and they come and go with concert seasons, but this year I’m focusing on making time for self-care. I’m doing a book club of Tina H. Boogren’s 180 Days of Self-Care for Busy Educators and it’s a wonderful support as we go through the practical themes for each week and quarter.  

What is your favorite food?  

As an American living abroad, I hate to admit that I miss some of our fast food the most! There are plenty of options where I live but sometimes you really just want Taco Bell or Arby’s. I also miss being able to get good Indian food. 

What is your favorite school appropriate beverage – are you a cola or coffee drinker?  

I love English style hot tea! I really got into it when I was in Australia and teachers had a mid-morning tea break. I even have a small electric kettle that I keep in my classroom!  

We hope you enjoyed getting to know Caly as much as we have.  Make sure to check out her article – Super Star Standards; Finding extra time and clarity in the pandemic landscape.