You may have seen the word TeachMeet used in association with Drake Music at conferences and events and be wondering what it means.
Here is a quick overview:
A TeachMeet is a democratic event where the content of the meeting is informed by attendees, followed by a facilitated discussion. It is often used in education settings for teachers to share good practice, practical innovations and personal insights in teaching with technology.
Background:
Since 2013, Drake Music have pioneered the use of the ‘TeachMeet’ format around special educational needs and/ or disabilities (SEN/D) and music education.
In that time we have held numerous TeachMeet events across the country, both in schools and at conferences involving hundreds of people: disabled musicians, music teachers, hub leaders, community musicians and more.
What happens at a TeachMeet event?
At a TeachMeet, interested participants typically say in advance what they’d like to present about and this then forms the first part of the session. A presentation normally lasts between 5 – 10 minutes.
Common topics include:
- An outline of a strategic approach to improving SEN/D provision
- An experience someone has had in SEN/D and music education
- An approach to working in a particular setting
- A piece of assistive music technology or software they are using
- Assessment and accreditation in SEN/D and music education
The audience can then ask questions. Once the presentations are finished, a general discussion or debate could be had around a given topic; or participants can have refreshments and network/ chat informally amongst themselves.
In our experience the TeachMeet format is effective because:
- It is less formal and more democratic than traditional meetings or training events.
- It enables many ideas, approaches or equipment to be shared within a group in a short amount of time.
- There are opportunities for the audience to then catch up with individual presenters to find out more.
- There are opportunities for informal networking.
