Hickey Elementary School 2026

Lauren Blacketer

Hickey Elementary School - Elementary Music Teacher
E-mail congrats

Teaching Philosophy

The joy and fulfillment I find as an elementary music teacher is captured perfectly by Zoltán Kodály: "With music, one's whole future life is brightened. This is such a treasure in life that it helps us overcome many troubles and difficulties. Music multiplies all that is beautiful and of value in life." I teach music so that people can find joy, connection, and resilience in a fast-paced, ever-evolving world.

An elementary music classroom should be an environment where music lives within the child and stays with them when they leave the class. My goal is to empower students to become independent musicians: playing music games on the playground, singing and composing songs in their home, and entering middle school equipped to learn an instrument. I believe every child is inherently musical and that music nurtures social-emotional growth, self-control, and a sense of belonging.

I am an excellent educator because I hold high standards for myself and my students. I teach them what it feels like to work hard, even when you don't feel like working hard, and I never ask students to do anything I am not willing to do myself. Music taught me discipline and a detail-oriented work ethic that opened doors I never imagined—All-State, scholarships, travel, and professional connections—and I strive to instill that same balance of hard work and fun in my students. I use a behavior system where every task can earn class points (stars), and after each task, students self-reflect to determine if we reached our goal or not and why. After ten weeks of meeting our goals, students can earn a ‘choice day' where they choose the music activities that day; students work extremely hard for this! The students' hard-work culminates in showcasing musical accomplishments during nine-week assemblies, grade-level program performances, after-school recorder club or choir concerts, and end-of-year celebration events. Performances bring joy, energy, and life to the culture of our school and community.

Excellence is intentional. The performances that the school and community witness happen because of thousands of steps I carefully devise in advance to get us there. My lessons are always planned thoroughly on multiple levels: a yearly scope-and-sequence from the district curriculum, a nine-week plan of the timeline needed to achieve those goals, and detailed weekly lesson plans for how the concepts will be prepared, presented, and practiced. I customize lesson plans for each grade-level that each include an introduction, high concentration activity, change of pace, moderate concentration activity, and closing. All portions of lessons are intentionally linked with planned transitions to never waste a moment of learning or focus. A colleague shared that my room is a "masterclass of transitions!" But the true magic happens when the planning can carefully lead a child to discover new learning for themselves, when a lightbulb goes off and you hear the beautiful sound of understanding: "Ah!"

My world of ‘students' is expanding far beyond the walls of my classroom as I teach, equip, and empower other adults in this field. At Hickey Elementary, I am part of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team, which is responsible for standardizing behavior expectations campus-wide and modeling what great behavior-management looks like. At the district level, I am in my third year as a co-leader of all elementary music teachers. In this role, I plan and lead professional development multiple times per year, support teachers by being a point of contact for all questions and concerns, and host new-to-district teachers to exemplify positive teaching tactics. I am also entering my fourth year as the pedagogy instructor for East Texas Baptist University's Kodály teacher-training program, where I equip teachers with best-practice lessons for all music concepts, lesson-planning tools, and behavior strategies. In addition to all of this, I continually serve as a mentor to college students in their student teaching placements to invest in the future of music education. One teacher I mentored described me as "a bundle of light, joy, and fun. Disciplined and light-hearted. Down-to-business yet whimsical. You embody the disposition I strive to have as a teacher and human."

As I mentor teachers, I see a consistent need for strategies that foster student independence. Stations are one of the most effective tools to accomplish this, yet many music teachers struggle with the logistics of station-implementation. I have presented on this topic to Plano ISD teachers and helped coordinate a make-and-take session of basic music station supplies. As a result, 18% of PISD music teachers have made stations and student independence their T-TESS goal for this school year. But there are so many music teachers in the state of Texas who have not received this specialized training, so I am presenting at this year's Texas Music Educators Convention in February, in a session titled "Stop, Clean, Point, Rotate! Incorporating Music Stations." Helping one teacher impacts hundreds of students; helping many teachers multiplies that impact exponentially!

I find deep joy and satisfaction in giving to others because much was given to and invested in me. I want to pass it on, pay it forward, and help, just as my mentors did. I realized early in life that "among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be a servant" (Matthew 20:26, NLT). In leadership roles, I choose servant-leadership by prioritizing empowering others first. Teaching is a rewarding but difficult profession, and if I can give an adult or child a tool to make life easier or more joyful, then I am succeeding!

---

Principal's Recommendation

To the Teacher of the Year Selection Committee:

It is a distinct honor to recommend Nikki Blacketer for the District Teacher of the Year award. As the music educator at Hickey Elementary, Nikki does far more than teach notes on a page; she orchestrates an environment of belonging, excellence, and contagious joy that resonates throughout our entire community.

She is a master of Pedagogy and Engagement. Nikki's classroom is a soundstage of high-speed, high- impact learning. She possesses a rare gift for breaking down complex rhythmic and melodic concepts into digestible, dynamic, hands-on discovery. Whether she is utilizing voice, instrumentation, or kinesthetic movement, she ensures music is accessible to every learner.

Her instructional stamina is legendary. In a typical lesson, Nikki engages students with new ideas or transitions every 5–7 minutes, maintaining a pace so seamless that student disengagement is non- existent. It is a common joke among staff that Nikki hits 20,000 steps before lunch, a testament to her physical and mental presence in every single second of her instruction.

She builds the whole child through connection. Nikki's philosophy is rooted in the idea of the whole child as she is a firm believer that academic or artistic success cannot happen without a foundation of safety and love. She is a leader in our Positive Office Referral initiative, consistently recognizing student growth and character.

Her classroom management is a masterclass in joyful accountability. She utilizes a sophisticated reward system that promotes collaboration among grade level subgroups, but she also takes the initiative to craft individualized incentives for our most high-need students. Nikki doesn't just teach music; she teaches resilience, kindness, and self-worth.

She is a leader beyond the classroom. Nikki's influence extends well past the walls of her music room:

Campus Leadership: A dedicated member of the PBIS team and a constant volunteer for any staff member in need.

Community Impact: She coordinates the Veteran's Day Program, Kindergarten Celebration, 5th Grade Farewell, various grade level performances, choir, and the recorder club, providing our students with professional-level platforms to showcase their talents.

District Mentorship: She serves as a model for music teachers across the district, leading the way in implementing station-based learning and mentoring new educators with grace and patience.

She has that All-Star Energy. There is an unmatched energy that follows Nikki. She has the unique ability to acknowledge the difficulties of the profession while maintaining an unwavering, positive spirit that makes others feel seen and heard. Even those who do not consider themselves music people find themselves drawn to her classroom, inspired by her passion and her belief that every child can succeed.

Nikki Blacketer is the heartbeat of Hickey Elementary. She is a learner, a believer, and a team player who represents the very best of our profession. I recommend her for District Teacher of the Year with the highest possible level of enthusiasm.

Sincerely,

M'Cheyl Herrera
Principal
Hickey Elementary School

---