Teacher Feature: Erika Meeker

• Erika Meeker
• Posted 8/1/20
• 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 human too. Just like our readers – our authors are actively teaching in schools across the United States.

Erika Meeker teaches K-8 Music at Ross School in Ross, CA. Her program includes general music, band, choir, and guitar and it has been her honor to work at my school site for the past eleven years. She has completed all three levels of training in Orff Schulwerk, and this past year was honored as the Marin County Teacher of the Year and a California State Teacher of the Year finalist. She completed her National Board Certification requirements this past spring while teaching both synchronous and asynchronous music classes to all of her K-8 students, and after teaching virtually for twelve weeks. 

Some other interesting facts we learned about Erika…  

What inspired you to share your experiences with other teachers? 

I have gained so much both personally and professionally from my own professional development experiences in music education, and have felt so fortunate to learn and experience music lessons from exceptional teachers in the Orff Schulwerk and band worlds.  When the landscape of music education took a huge shift in the spring of 2020 there was no playbook and few experienced virtual music teachers to lead the way.  I learned a lot by experimenting and adapting on the fly, but I knew from my conversations with other educators that different schools and districts hadn’t jumped into live virtual lessons like mine had.  I thought I had some insights to share that could be helpful as others planned for this new medium for music education.  

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

I think the biggest surprise for me was the incredible world of general music and elementary music education that I didn’t even know existed when I began my post-graduate music education program! My district did not have elementary music when I was growing up, and I jumped right into a middle school band armed with basic musical knowledge from piano lessons, a desire to learn trombone, and no understanding of what I had missed out on.  After being fully immersed in the band world, discovering Orff and Kodaly and the playful way that elementary teachers bring music to life through games and dance and singing and xylophone ensembles was a revelation to me.  I thought I was going to be a high school band director, but I’m thrilled that I was able to pivot and now teach at a K-8 school where I get to work with both general music and elementary and middle school bands.  

How do you deal with stress?   

I’m still working on this one! When I’m able I love yoga, walking the dog, hiking, or going for a run.  But I still struggle with making the time to do those things to take care of myself!  

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

Very much a coffee drinker, and probably too much of a coffee drinker!   

We hope you enjoyed getting to know Erika as much as we have.  Check out her other articles.