The Band Director's Lounge

#4: Rachel Pletke – LeSueur-Henderson, MN

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Today I am talking with Rachel Pletke who teaches LeSueur, MN. Rachel is a battle-hardened veteran teacher who has been part of a program that has waxed and waned over the years. The program today is strong due to Rachel’s perseverance and leadership. In our conversation, Rachel talks about time management and how she creates lesson environments for middle school students, her approach to 6-12 literature programming, learning non-primary instruments, and how she dealt with and recovered from a bout of burnout. We cover a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time but I think you will find it worth it!

Episode Overview

  • Music Background (1:00)
  • LeSueuer-Henderson School District (5:28)
  • Time Management (10:04)
  • One-Band Director Programming (13:35)
  • Learning Secondary Instruments (17:37)
  • Burnout (25:51)
  • Advice for New Directors (31:37)
  • What Makes a Great Band Program? (34:01)

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