PIXEL is the pen name of composer and educator Evan Combs. This playfully academic newsletter offers a behind-the-scenes look at designing and shaping learning experiences and culture. Supported by practical insights and actionable strategies, it’s perfect for teachers, leaders, and anyone curious about the art and science of learning through the lens of music.
Day 0: Designing Classroom Culture
|
A year ago, I wrote an issue about building classroom culture from Day 1 (Start as You Mean to Go On - as a refresher). A year later... I'd change one thing. Culture doesn't start on Day 1, it starts before Day 1. It starts with: The agreements you’ve chosen to surface. The routines you’ve chosen to establish. The invisible curriculum you’ve chosen to value. Over the last year, I’ve written about:
They’re all about shaping the learner’s experience. And the easiest time to plan and implement those ideas is NOW. The Culture You’re Actually Teaching When learners enter your space, they don’t just learn content. They learn...
Guess what? (You say, “What, Evan?”) NONE OF THOSE ARE BUILT INTO YOUR STANDARDS. Culture must be intentionally planned and built alongside your instruction. Just like your invisible curriculum. 😉 Your first class is an evaluation of YOUR learning culture. If someone observed your first class, what would they assume you value? If the answer is: "Getting the right answer." | You might unintentionally be discouraging risk-taking. If it's: "Finishing first." | You might be rewarding speed over thinking. If it's: "Keeping quiet." | You may be suppressing active learning. Another power statement… you ready? (You say, “I guess…?”) Learners don’t read or hear most of your expectations. They infer them through context. 2 Preplanned Strategies for Culture #1. Your Reward System 🏆 Your stated values don’t matter as much as the system you use to recognize and reinforce them. And rewards don’t have to mean prizes. It could be:
The important part is deciding beforehand what your system is designed to recognize. Do you want to reinforce:
Because here’s the catch… If every meaningful reward in your classroom is tied to grades, points, chair rankings, or being “the best,” learners will believe those are the things that actually matter. You can say you value collaboration all day… but... #2. Words Matter 🗣️ The language you use repeatedly becomes the framework of your culture. Some examples “That’s wrong.” ✅Try: “Interesting. What led you there?” | A culture of understanding ⛔Instead of: “You’re really good at this.” ✅Try: “You’ve gotten much stronger at this.” | A culture of growth ⛔Instead of: “This should be easy.” ✅Try: “What part of this feels challenging?” | A culture of curiosity ⛔Instead of: “We made a mistake at the end there.” ✅Try: “What did that mistake at the end tell us?” | A culture of iterative learning You have to pre-plan some of this. Because when you’re 27 minutes into a chaotic Tuesday, someone just knocked over a water bottle, and the percussion section apparently discovered a new species of noise... ...you’re probably going to default to whatever language is already familiar. So write down the phrases you want to reflect your culture. Sticky notes, bro. TL;DR Before Day 1, ask yourself: What do I want my learners to believe about learning in this space? Then build the systems, language, routines, and experiences that make that belief observable. Updates from the Music Room NEW free concert band piece, Grade 2: Ribbit. It features two separate frog guiro parts that sound even better when you put more percussionists on them. I also provide free 3D-printing templates for frog guiros, which cost less than 50 cents of filament each to make. There are plenty of teachable moments:
Also... #I_Survived_BandCAMP2026. One of the most difficult in my career, but proud of the ensemble's accomplishments. Over 70% of our band was made up of rookies. That’s a lot of culture-building. Your Thoughts What are some routines you establish early that help build the culture that makes your learning environment successful? Get Inspired, |
PIXEL
PIXEL is the pen name of composer and educator Evan Combs. This playfully academic newsletter offers a behind-the-scenes look at designing and shaping learning experiences and culture. Supported by practical insights and actionable strategies, it’s perfect for teachers, leaders, and anyone curious about the art and science of learning through the lens of music.
Hey everyone, Imagine every learner left your classroom with perfect scores and flawless performances. They demonstrated every objective you slapped down. BUT, they still… Struggle to collaborate. Panic when plans change. Can't communicate ideas clearly. Don't know how to learn something new without you. Did you succeed? According to "the book," yes! However, it begs a much bigger question: What the heck is education for?! (pause for your passionate response) If you answered, “To learn about...
Hey everyone, ⚠️ Warning: This issue leans heavily into music education. BUT, I promise the learning design underneath applies to any educational experience. ⚠️ Musical performances go like this: Lights dim Audience quiets Conductor steps on the podium like they’re summoning ancient magic (Fig. 1A) The learners (our performers) think: If I crack that note, civilization collapses. Figure 1A: Nézet-Séguin summoning demons conducting. All that pressure makes sense. Performances, final exams,...
Hey everyone, I’m celebrating 1 year 🎉 of writing these newsletters by revisiting one of the very first topics I covered: AI in education. A year ago, most conversations sounded like this: “AI is cheating.”“AI will replace teachers.”“AI is a terrible amalgamation of human history and now society is collapsing.” Well, the sky is still here, and AI hasn’t gone anywhere. So, I don’t want to talk about whether AI belongs in education anymore. It’s here. Your learners are using it. The better...