Music Ed Mentor Podcast #69: What Admin Wants from Their Music Teachers

This week’s episode addresses the relationships we all have with administrators. As music educators, we have a responsibility to demonstrate the value of the arts and what music does for the greater school community. This can sometimes feel like an uphill battle when trying to gain admin support. What is it exactly that they want from us?

We all want our admin to love us, yet so many of the same questions keep coming up for music educators. Why aren’t they supportive when they know the importance of music education for our students? How can we bring up difficult conversations with them? How do we approach them without feeling super stressed out?

I spoke with Todd Nelsoney, Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA), on behalf of all music educators to help us better understand how to work with our administrators, and also, perhaps, help us feel more validated in the process.