by Drew Villaca (Kansas Collegiate NAfME President)
Kansas NAfME Collegiate just concluded its 2021 KCOMTEPS workshop, and first in-person event since February 2020! The workshop this year was a day filled with learning and inspiration, and it would not have been possible without the dedication of the members of C-NAfME, and the incredible hosting by Senseney Music.
This year’s workshop appropriately brought us back to the basics of our profession, with a throughline of three keynote sessions by Dr. Peter Boonshaft, who offered profound and touching insights into what it means to be a music teacher day-to-day. Returning sessions included Interview Preparation and the First Year Teacher Panel.
The workshop was rounded out by sessions on Kodaly in both the elementary and secondary classrooms, the KMEA Mentoring Network, Socio-Emotional Learning, Special Needs in the Music Classroom, and more.
The KS C-NAfME Board is already gathering feedback and planning out what we can do to make next year’s workshop even better. This year was the first workshop to switch to a one-day format, as opposed to the two-day format it has been in the past. As of right now, the vast majority of attendees have indicated that they prefer the new, one-day format.
Thank you to all those who made this year’s KCOMTEPS possible!
