Music in the Middle with Mr D

I have been teaching middle school choral music for over 25 years. I have taught in North Carolina, New Jersey, and I am currently teaching in the state of Georgia. I have developed a Sight Singing method called S-Cubed that works very well for choral students from 4th grade to 8th grade. I have used the method with my own students for many years. I have taught workshops on S-Cubed for several years now. I am thrilled when I get messages from teachers all over the world who are having great success using the techniques I have shared in S-Cubed! Teaching Middle School is not for the faint of heart! In the early days, I felt like a miserable failure. Now, I want to share some of the lessons I learned along the way to help other middle school teachers and music teachers!

*I want the children to laugh every single day. *I reward children when they do the right thing. The students in my room often have to dodge flying Starburst candy. *I hold children accountable when they don't do the right thing, and I always strive to do it while maintaining 100% of the their dignity. *I also hold the parents accountable! It isn't always easy to navigate, but it's worth the effort. *Respect is a continuous circle. *My least favorite quote as a child was "Wait until you get into the real world.....". Well....ever since that day, I've done my best to avoid it. It sounds like a horrible place to live. :)

2018 Grammy Music Educator Top 25 Semi-Finalist 2013 National Life Changer of the Year (National Life Group) http://www.11alive.com/news/article/280432/3/DeKalb-teacher-gets-a-surprise-honor 2011 Presenter at Georgia Music Educator's Association State Convention presenting "S-Cubed: Successful Sight Singing" 2009 Class Act Teacher awarded by 11 Alive Atlanta News Station 2009 Exceptional Teacher of the Year 2006 Teacher of the Year 1991 Young Educator's Award Choral Groups under my direction have consistently received Superior Ratings at State Festivals in both performance and in Sight Singing for over 25 years in three states.

Master of Music University of North Carolina at Greensboro Bachelor of Music University of North Carolina at Greensboro

*I am a former US National Aerobic Gymnastics Champion. I love fitness and teach group fitness classes on the side. *Certified by the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG) as an International Judge for Aerobic Gymnastics. I have judged the sport all over the world. The countries include France, Austria, Czech Republic, Canada, Japan, and Korea. *I lived in Switzerland for one year 2009-2010. While there, I traveled to 10 European countries. Amazing Experience! *I absolutely love animals. It's definitely my Mom's fault. :) I have a cat named Odie (acts like a dog), a Morkie named Beaux, and for almost 30 years, I had a cockatiel named "Bertie" (original, I know). She has been with me since I started teaching in 1989 (she literally few up on my porch), and she passed away in 2017. She'll always be a part of our family!