So you finally finished school and landed a teaching job…congrats! It’s not easy these days to start a career as a teacher with so many veteran teachers in the roster and the strict hiring policies that school boards have to contend with. Most new teachers start on the supply list but in some rare cases, new teachers are catapulted into a full time classroom. I was first hired as a full time music teacher a few months after I finished teacher’s college. The amount of responsibility was overwhelming at times, especially when I first started. I would like to share with you some encouragement and suggestions if you find yourself in a similar situation.
#1. Get organized/establish routines
The first thing you will want to do as a new teacher is create a working environment that allows you to work efficiently and access all of the resources you have. As you begin to plan for the semester, you will want to have books and music on hand that will help you to create effective lesson plans. You will also want to gather other materials (ex. reeds, cork grease, mouthpieces, neck straps, strings) to determine if you need to order more supplies. Organizing these materials and designating a place in the classroom for them is a great way to establish a good working order of the classroom. In a music room, you have a lot of extra stuff that can lead to a cluttered room in a short time (music stands, instruments, method books, chairs, etc.) Think about how you might like to establish certain procedures, right from the start, to ensure that your classroom stays neat and organized.
#2. Take the pressure off
After the excitement of getting a new job wares off, you start to realize that you need to remember everything from your undergrad and beyond to be successful. And what if you’re not even good at teaching?
I’m here to tell you that it’s going to be ok! :)
When you are feeling overwhelmed, always think about what you already know. Sure, there is going to be a lot to learn, but you will be surprised with the amount of things that you already know (thank you $40 000 education). If you focus on your strengths when planning lessons, you will be more confident with delivering the curriculum and the students will likely be more engaged.
Aside from teaching content, what are some of the things teachers hope to instill in their students? In a music classroom , it is especially important for students to feel a sense of community and support one another. For this reason, I always start the first day with “getting to know you” activities and fun, silly games that get everyone laughing. I find this sets a tone for the energy in the classroom and immediately establishes the room as a safe space. You can always incorporate these activities throughout the semester. They are good to pull out when you have time to kill :) and they are great for team building.
#3. Be willing to learn and improve
After you’ve identified what you already know, it’s time to think about the areas you would like to improve. Maybe you need to improve your proficiency on a particular instrument or learn more about assessment and evaluation. Make a list of all the things you consider to be valuable for your professional development. You might want to categorize your PD goals into short-term and long-term to get a better sense of how long you plan to focus on one area. Don’t forget to reach out to colleagues and mentors that can help you create a plan to accomplish the goals you are setting. Remember: the best teachers never stop learning and improving.
#4. Take care of yourself!
I can’t stress how important this is (maybe it should be #1). Teaching can be a very rewarding career but it can also be extremely draining. It’s a job that never stops, even when the bell rings at the end of the day. You are constantly preparing, planning, thinking about an issue with a student, reflecting on your own performance, remembering that thing you told your department head you would do – it really never stops, but you have to. Of course you will be putting in extra hours at night, and you do want to be prepared each day, but it is so important to set aside some time for yourself and the people you love each day. I found that a regular visit to the gym after school was a great way to relieve some stress and take my mind off of my ever growing to-do list. I also reserved the time until after dinner for winding down. Any prep for the next day could be done in the evening. Once you get the ball rolling, I would recommend doing as much prep as possible on your actual prep at school. I know there isn’t always the most time, but give yourself a break at night once in a while and leave your stuff at school. And of course, get a good rest each night and fill your body with good food. You can’t expect yourself to run like a well oiled machine if you don’t treat yourself like one!
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