Teacher, leader, advocate for all things amazing. Determined to shape public policy to improve access to free, high-quality education for all children.
07/16/2024
It's Prime Day! I'll be at three schools again next year, teaching music to kids grades PreK-5. I'm also learning how to navigate teaching with a physical disability. Can you help me clear my Amazon list?
08/16/2021
Are you feeling generous? Check out my classroom wish list!
04/16/2018
This makes me unbelievably happy
The Associated Press on Twitter “Kendrick Lamar has won the Pulitzer Prize for music for "DAMN" the first non-classical or jazz artist to win the award. https://t.co/LJMRYy9B1v”
11/10/2017
Thank you to the NJROTC Color Guard for taking part in our Veterans Day observation at . https://t.co/IKebaZbBMw
Ellen Z Norris, NBCT on Twitter “Thank you to the NJROTC Color Guard for taking part in our Veterans Day observation at . ”
10/31/2017
Taking the candy theme and running with it! https://t.co/lp65xs5cNb
Ellen Z Norris, NBCT on Twitter “Taking the candy theme and running with it! ”
10/05/2017
Zappos will match all donations up to $1 mil. Help locals. Send real support.
Support Vegas Victims
Support for Las Vegas Victims Donate to Victims of the Las Vegas Tragedy & Zappos Will Match Up to $1 Million Via CrowdRise donation page Donate Now Help Spread the Word Facebook Twitter Las Vegas is our home. We are deeply saddened by the events that happened on Sunday night and are working to ensure our community is supported…
10/04/2017
Ready to rock our roles as equity liaisons this year! https://t.co/1BSSrIpm4D
Ellen Z Norris, NBCT on Twitter “Ready to rock our roles as equity liaisons this year! ”
Retweeted Neil deGrasse Tyson ():
In school, rarely do we learn how data become facts, how facts become knowledge, and how knowledge becomes wisdom.
05/16/2017
Keep moving forward. Make it an awesome day! https://t.co/jJWZ5I9ezv
Ellen Z Norris, NBCT (@ellenznorris) posted a photo on Twitter Get the whole picture - and other photos from Ellen Z Norris, NBCT
05/11/2017
Ms. Johnson isn't afraid to get dirty for our students at https://t.co/xip5mjLVtb
Ellen Z Norris, NBCT (@ellenznorris) posted a photo on Twitter Get the whole picture - and other photos from Ellen Z Norris, NBCT
04/19/2017
Ellen Z Norris, NBCT (@ellenznorris) posted a photo on Twitter Get the whole picture - and other photos from Ellen Z Norris, NBCT
...And I'm back! I've spent the last few months developing my leadership skills and exploring how the arts can impact student achievement in other curricular areas. One area that is frequently under attack is elementary music pull-out programs (band, strings, and chorus). We are fortunate in my school district that these programs are never on the chopping block in terms of budget cuts, however parents, teachers, and administrators frequently voice concerns over the amount of instructional time that students miss due to their participation in these programs.
Multiple studies have shown that students who participate in extracurricular music programs are not negatively impacted in their general education settings. Some studies have shown that students who study music have higher math test scores than their peers, however it is impossible to know whether studying music causes higher math skills, or if students with greater mathematical aptitude are drawn to music. Either way, there is no empirical evidence showing that missing a half hour of classroom instruction twice a week will cause a drop in grades.
What is your opinion of music pull-out programs? Do you believe they should be protected by school districts?