6 Questions to Help You
Pass the Baton
Six planning prompts to help music teachers create more opportunities for student voice, choice, creativity, and ownership.
Empowering students doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your teaching; it often begins with small, intentional decisions during the planning process. This simple reflection tool invites music teachers to consider how student voice, choice, creativity, inquiry, connection, and ownership can become part of everyday learning experiences. Use these six questions as a quick planning check to identify opportunities to pass the baton and help students become active participants in their musical growth.
A few tips for success:
- Choose one question, not all six – The goal isn’t to redesign your entire lesson. Select one question as your focus and look for a small, meaningful way to incorporate it into your planning.
- Start with what feels manageable – Student empowerment can begin with something as simple as offering a choice, inviting student input, or creating a brief opportunity for reflection. Small shifts can have a big impact over time.
- Revisit the questions regularly – Different questions may be more relevant at different points in the school year. Use this resource as an ongoing planning tool rather than a one-time exercise.
- Look for balance, not perfection – Not every lesson needs to include every element of student-centered learning. Over the course of a unit or semester, aim to create a variety of opportunities for students to contribute, create, inquire, collaborate, and lead.
- Reflect on student responses – After trying a new approach, consider how students responded. What increased engagement? What generated deeper thinking? Let student feedback guide your next steps.
