Your Voice is My Favorite Sound

Although my professor Dr. Amy Chivington taught me many things in my time at Otterbein College (now University) in Westerville, OH, one piece of advice has stuck with me all these years later:

Teachers are the best thieves.

Yes---it sounds so wrong, but she had it so right. Why reinvent the wheel? Why not learn from each other?

Last year, it was my goal to stop just being the "thief" who took from others....even though I still do that ALL THE TIME...but also contribute my own teacher voice out into the world. I started small by creating a professional account on both Twitter and Instagram. I shared small ideas and projects I was working on in my own room.  I also responded to another music educator who was looking for teachers to write short articles regarding music and technology. Very quickly these two small efforts connected me with other educators, companies and opportunities to continue sharing my voice.


1. You are amazing.

You can do it too! 

It might not always feel that way, but you rock your classroom on a daily basis. Your classroom is something to celebrate and share with others.

2. People are listening.

Educators can feel so alone but your tribe is out there. Sharing your story allows you to find other educators who can relate, help and even push you to continue to better your own craft.

3. Who doesn't like swag?

So many education and technology companies are responsive on social media. They love to see how you are using their product, how it can be improved and always have cool swag to share.

A note from Brian Yearling, the Instructional Tech Coordinator lucky enough to work with Katie in her Journey to Modification:

Katie has shared her voice in many places over the past year. She accomplished her goal of sharing in big ways. You can follow her on Twitter at @K8TMiller to connect with her in social media. Additionally, she has guest blogged on the Midnight Music blog on her use of Class Dojo and tips for managing one-to-one iPads.  She was also recently interviewed for the Midnight Music podcast on a project in GarageBand with book reviews that Katie did with teacher Jennifer Guckenberger.