Professional development experiences for teachers have often been organized as in-service days, a workshop or class, and other such one-time events planned and organized by someone other than practitioners. Researchers advocate for professional development that by contrast is teacher-centered; is situated in practice; is an ongoing process; fosters collegiality, collaborative inquiry, and critical discourse; and is linked to improving student learning (Ball & Cohen, 1999; Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999a; Díaz-Maggioli, 2004; Nieto, 2003; Wilson & Berne, 1999). Several researchers illustrate the importance of focusing on teachers and teacher learning in the workplace (Shulman, 1997b; Guskey, 1995; Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1999; Wilson & Berne, 1999). The music education profession has long recognized the importance of teacher education. While researchers have placed a focus on preservice music teachers’ learning, they are only beginning to explore issues related to the development of inservice music teachers’ professional knowledge and practice. Research on group strategies such as communities of practice, collaborative action research, and lesson study for the professional development of music educators in schools is limited, and is almost non-existent for early childhood music and community music schools. The intent of this study was to generate understanding about collaborative conversations among early childhood music teachers, and the extent to which such conversations can function as professional development for those teachers. Meeting together provided a unique opportunity for those teachers, whose experience ranged from novice to veteran, as there was no professional development program in place for inservice faculty members at this community music school. In addition to the conversations, individual interviews were a means of gathering teaching and professional development histories, and insights about individual growth; about the collective growth of the group; about changes in their practice and the impact on student learning. A core group emerged and this reflective community of learners created their own powerful learning experiences as they examined stories about practice and musical children. Several broad themes emerged from the data: starting, and starting over; understanding understanding; zooming in/zooming out, and evolution of practice. Recommendations for further research on collaborative professional development in early childhood music settings are made, along with implications for music teacher education, learning in communities of practice, and the design of professional development for teachers.
