Music Educator Spotlight
John Inzetta is currently the music teacher at Clay County Schools in Fort Gaines, GA, where he teaches general music and chorus to students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade. He has over 12 years of experience as a public school music educator, and has taught band, chorus, orchestra, guitar, keyboard and general music classes at the elementary and secondary school levels in both Georgia and Florida.
John received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Columbus State University and his master’s degree in music education from the University of South Florida.
Originally born in New Jersey, John grew up in Conyers, where he graduated from Salem High School. He currently resides with his wife Sarah and son Matthew in Ellaville, GA.
What do you love about teaching elementary music?
To me, elementary music is all about inclusivity. Instead of a select group of students that I have to prepare for concerts, LGPE, or other special events, I have the privilege of teaching all students in the school, kindergarten through eighth grade. This can pose a challenge, particularly for those kids who aren’t as musically inclined or who simply don’t appreciate it as much, but it is also a humbling experience for me to truly fulfill the mantra of “music for all.”
If someone is considering a switch from band or orchestra to elementary
- what advice do you have for them?
It can be a formidable learning curve to move from teaching only instrumental music education, whether it be band or orchestra, into general music where there is a heavy emphasis on both singing and movement. As an introvert myself, it was especially difficult to essentially become a musical cheerleader. However, the best advice I can give to anyone making the switch is to embrace the inner child and the inherent sense of wonder that comes from learning a new song or instrument for the first time. At the end of the day, you come to realize you are getting paid to sing, dance, play instruments and games with kids every day!
How do you handle classroom management with your youngest students?
With middle school students?
For the youngest students, the importance of establishing norms and routines in the first days and weeks of school is paramount. Positive behavior reinforcement and tangible rewards are extremely effective with my primary grades, but they do work for the older students as well, including middle schoolers. For middle school students in particular, I find that giving them, as individuals, an identity and a role in the classroom is essential to mitigating most disciplinary issues.
What is your favorite lesson or unit to teach to your students?
I have two favorite units/concepts that I like to teach my students, and they happen to take place at the beginning and the end of the year respectively. Rhythm is the first unit, and I cover it in depth for the first 9 weeks of school for elementary students, and during the first couple weeks of middle school (middle schoolers have a different rotation), and of course the kids enjoy playing various drums, buckets, Boomwhackers and other instruments. I also enjoy teaching form, because I have a lesson where I use various snack cookies (Oreos, Nutterbutters, etc) to denote the different parts of either classical or popular music. The kids of course love to eat in class at the end!
How do you continue to develop as a teacher?
I make a point of always attending In-Service Conference every January, which I believe is invaluable to “restocking my toolbox.” Specifically, I try to attend sessions that pertain to areas of music education that I am either new to or am struggling with in my teaching position. Even while teaching in Florida, I frequently attended guitar sessions. In addition to these, I also attempt to listen, read and watch as much as I can to learn more, be it articles, books, or videos.
Do you recommend teaching an array of music subjects?
While I personally don’t believe that everyone needs to follow the same path I did to be a well-rounded music teacher, I do feel that it is imperative to learn as much as possible from all areas of music education. There is a transferability of skills in whatever your primary focus may be. Never limit yourself! In all honesty, you may have to step outside of your comfort zone simply in order to get a job, which was the case with most of my teaching positions.
Do you have any specific advice for college students pursuing elementary music teaching?
Do not be afraid to make mistakes! Always remember that you are teaching people; young people. They are not robots, and they will not all respond in the same way to your teaching or your personality. The most important thing to remember is to be flexible and be willing to adapt and/or change in order to best serve your students, your school and community.
Who inspired you to become a music teacher?
I have two individuals who inspired me to be a teacher: my junior year U.S. History teacher Mrs. Fifield and my high school band director Mr. Jeffrey Rowser. I also had a great start from our very own executive director, D. Alan Fowler, who was my fifth grade band director!
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