This year, with so many things shut down for the virus, I have a lot more time in the evenings to relax and decompress and think.
I've been thinking about the things that I found helpful as a first year teacher - so I thought I would share them with you!
1. Plan Ahead at School (what you can)
Things change so rapidly the first year at a school, so don't freak out
Keep that in mind as you are planning things, and leave some empty weeks at the end of each semester/year for each time you have to bump lessons to the next week.
Lesson Planning (Yearly): Try to outline your year (or at least the first semester) so that things don't sneak up on you. Even penciling in things like, "do favorite Halloween song" or "teach the Nutcracker," will help you remember what you have going on during certain times of the year.
My first years, I literally wrote the weekly dates down a sheet of notebook paper and penciled in things that I wanted to teach. After years and years of teaching, I have refined my system, but a basic Excel/Numbers doc or piece of paper is a great place to start.
Programs and Performances: Find out what kind/how many programs you are expected to do and get them on the school calendar. Communication with your administration is very important. (But don't be the person who asks too many questions! If you can find the answer by asking another teacher, do it!)
There will be certain things you are expected to do the first year. After getting some experience under your belt, then you can start to change things and make them your own.
Pro Tip: Start teaching program songs and choreography sooner than you think. Since you don't have experience pacing student learning, you'll need to schedule a larger chunk of time than normal. You can always take a break and do something else for a few days if your students get too far ahead.
Depending on the grade level and skill level, my students take 8-10 weeks to prepare for a program. Sometimes I can start teaching the songs earlier through a typical lesson, which reduces the amount of "program prep" weeks.
2. Plan Ahead at Home
I can't emphasize this enough - you will be tired. And most of it is mental tiredness from making decisions all day long.
Mental Health: Think ahead about ways you recharge as an individual - reading a book, working out, visiting with friends. Whatever it is that helps you decompress, schedule it now so that later you won't have to make that decision.
Other ways to reduce decision making: Plan your meals, your clothes, anything at home that you have to make decisions about. You don't have to stick to it forever, but making a rotation of meals for the first 6 weeks of school can really simplify the decisions you're having to make.
Outsourcing: Another way to reduce that teacher-tired is to outsource anything you can afford to outsource. From lawn mowing to grocery shopping, there are ways to set up systems to help you at home after you've already spent all your energy at school.
Even outsourcing resources, lesson plans, worksheets, games - there are so many great resources out there. There is no sense in making a brand new Name the Notes or Label the Key Signatures worksheet - it's already been done - literally thousands of times!
Pro Tip: Check out Teachers Pay Teachers for tons of resources that help support your fellow music teachers! You might even discover a new song or pedagogical resource that will help you along the way.
3. Make a Sub Tub
YES, you will get sick - your classroom is a petri dish. Of the whole. school.
YES, you will need a Sub Tub. (or Sub Binder or box or however you roll)
If you have children, you know they'll get sick, so go ahead and prepare for it now.
It doesn't have to be fancy, but it needs to be done so that when you get sick, you can set the tub on your desk/table and not have to create more work while you're sick.
Be sure to include things for those who are not music teachers and/or not tech-savvy.
Leaving books for subs to read is a great option - especially books that you don't normally have time to read!
Sub Tub Log - I keep a log of which classes do which activities, so I don't lose track!
Here's a post of more ideas for your sub tub! (coming soon)
4. To Train or Not to Train?
I see people in the music teacher groups recommend getting additional training immediately after graduation. While that may be helpful, don't sweat it if you can't manage it before your first year.
YES, training is vital to what you will do day to day.
YES, every music teacher would benefit from getting highly trained in a specific method instead of relying on hodge-podge/eclectic style. (I know, I know, teachers combine methods all the time; I'm mostly speaking of the ones who just attended one clinic/workshop and didn't get trained in anything. My blog, my opinion.)
BUT having a year (or more) under your belt before you get training is also very helpful.
Why? You can take the things you are learning and mentally file them in the right place, since you have the kinesthetic knowledge of having your own classroom after going through that first year.
Learn More: During your first year of teaching, check out the blogs, YouTube videos, and online groups for each type of training so that you can see what you're getting into.
Talk to someone who is certified in more than one methodology. Talk to people who are leaders in their areas so that you can see what might fit you best. And start saving your $$ because it's not cheap. Go to clinics and workshops for each type of methodology to gain better understanding.
Exceptions: If your university is offering a training as part of your degree or is offering a discount TAKE IT. If someone is offering to pay for your training TAKE IT. If your school requires you to have training as a part of your first year DO IT.
My personal recommendation is getting trained the first 3 years after your first year. So, you would teach for one year, and the following 3 summers will be working towards certification. Yes, get all 3 years, it's worth it.
Pro Tip: If someone is offering behavior management training before your first year - do it! Or specialty trainings that your school may offer like Kagan training - these can be very helpful and can be easily adapted to the music class setting.
There are so many more things to think about, but that's a good start! What suggestions do you have for first year teachers? Join the conversation on Facebook!
Lori Sweet
Sweet Sounds
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