Episode 206: Building Enduring Classroom Culture with Dr. Kari Adams

Choralosophy

As teachers, we often try to build culture and foster a sense of belonging by seeking out the “right checklist” of games, ice breakers, fun warm-ups, and even classroom wall art. However, these are just the frosting, not the cake.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Kari Adams from the University of Missouri to discuss the essential ingredients for creating a genuine classroom culture.

Dr. Adams joined me in my home studio, allowing for an excellently paced discussion. In our conversation, we discuss why “ice breakers are not enough,” the concept of vulnerability for teachers and how it is often misunderstood or misused, effective teacher verbiage and word choices, action-oriented feedback, and brainstorming stories and ideas that illustrate how teachers can build developmentally appropriate, authentic, and individualized relationships with students, even in a group setting.

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Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com.

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Kari Adams is Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education and conductor of Concert Chorale at the University of Missouri. She holds a PhD in music education from the University of North Texas as well as degrees from the University of Central Missouri and Freed-Hardeman University. Prior to her appointment at Mizzou, Adams served as Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education and director of Levana at Florida State University. In 2023, she received the Outstanding Teaching in the Major (Undergraduate) award from FSU. Before working in higher education, she taught middle school choral and general music in Knob Noster, Missouri, where she was named Teacher of the Year in 2015. She is a passionate educator, conductor, and researcher.

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Adams engages in guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator opportunities regularly. She has conducted All State and regional honor choirs in Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia. She has also presented at state practitioner conferences in Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Florida, Missouri, and Texas as well as at national ACDA and NAfME conventions. Her articles focused on research-based strategies for practitioners have been published in Music Educators Journal, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Florida Music Director, and Choral Journal.

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Adams’s research has been published in leading journals in the field including Journal of Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, and International Journal of Research in Choral Singing. Her research interests include music teacher education, teacher identity construction, aesthetic response to music performance, and implicit theories of musical ability. In addition to her publications, she has presented on these topics at regional, national, and international conferences.

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