Just in Time Music Education Mentoring Network

Part I

Beginning a new school year can be challenging for any educator, especially when it is also your first year of teaching music. It is nearly impossible to anticipate every situation you will encounter, so begin by giving yourself some grace for the learning curve ahead.

Your university professors, supervisors, and cooperating teachers had years to develop the systems and routines that made their classrooms appear to run effortlessly. Their classrooms were not always that way. They learned through experience, reflection, trial and error, and plenty of course corrections, just as you will.

You do not need to have everything figured out before the first student walks through the door. However, thinking intentionally about your classroom and learning how your school operates can make those first few weeks much easier.

Do not be afraid to change course when something is not working or to ask a mentor for help when you encounter a problem you are unsure how to solve.

Start with this checklist. If school is already underway, use it to organize your work over the next few weeks.

It is never too late to establish a better system unless you never begin.

Begin with a Functional Classroom

It is tempting to confuse function with decoration. You may begin with bulletin boards, decorations, and all the things that make the room feel like yours. Those things can certainly help create a welcoming environment, but begin with function. You can make it more beautiful as you go. Remember you don’t have to do it all at once.

Secure and organize your essentials

Make sure you have your room keys, identification badge, required logins, and access to the equipment and spaces you will use.

Check the technology and instructional tools in your classroom:

• Is the sound system working?
• Are the piano and electronic keyboards functioning properly?
• Do you have working tuners and metronomes?
• Are school-owned instruments ready to use?
• Do you have the basic supplies needed for minor instrument repairs?
• Do you know how to request repairs or technology assistance?

Establish a way to keep track of the instruments, equipment, keys, technology, and other items assigned to you and your classroom. It is much easier to begin with an inventory system than to reconstruct one later.

Design the physical space

Walk through the room as if you were a student. Consider how students will enter, move through the space, collect materials, find their seats, and exit.

Ask yourself:

• Is there a clear path for entering and leaving?
• Where will instruments, folders, backpacks, and personal belongings be stored?
• Can students move safely while carrying instruments or equipment?
• Can you see every student from your primary teaching position?
• Is frequently used equipment easy to access and return?
• What areas might create congestion or invite distraction?

A well-designed space will not solve every classroom management problem, but it can prevent many of them.

Give every supply a home

Students are more likely to care for materials when they know exactly where those materials belong. Label storage areas clearly and teach students how to use them.

Think about the everyday supplies students may need, including pencils, reeds, valve oil, percussion implements, method books, folders, paper, and cleaning materials. Decide what you will provide, what students should bring, where students can order supplies, and how shared materials will be distributed and returned.

Learn How Your School Works

Your music classroom is part of a larger school system. Even if you have carefully prepared your room, your first weeks will be more difficult if you do not understand the procedures used throughout the building.

Learn how to:

• Take and report attendance
• Submit discipline referrals
• Request repairs or technology assistance
• Order supplies and receive approval for purchases
• Reserve shared spaces
• Arrange transportation
• Communicate an absence
• Request a substitute
• Report an accident or medical concern
• Follow emergency procedures

Ask about procedures that are unique to your school. What happens when a student arrives late or needs to leave early? How are announcements communicated? What is the expectation during assemblies, testing days, altered schedules, or emergency drills?

Music classrooms often involve specialized spaces, large equipment, high noise levels, and students moving between several areas. Think through how schoolwide procedures will work within your particular setting.

You do not need to memorize everything at once. You do need to know where to find the information and whom to ask when you need help.

Know Your Students’ Needs

Review your rosters before the first day, if possible. Look for information about accommodations, health concerns, behavioral plans, and safety needs.

A student’s Individualized Education Program, 504 Plan, or other accommodation may require you to adjust seating, written instructions, assignments, assessments, performance expectations, or the way you present information. If you are unsure how an accommodation applies in a rehearsal or performance setting, ask the appropriate staff member.

Also determine whether any students have medical needs that could affect participation. Consider allergies, hearing concerns, mobility needs, anxiety, diabetes, asthma, or other conditions that may require preparation from your perspective.

Know how to contact the school nurse and what to do during a medical emergency. Make sure you understand evacuation, lockdown, and severe-weather procedures for the music room, rehearsal spaces, practice rooms, storage areas, and performance facilities.

Preparing for student needs is not simply a matter of compliance. It communicates that every student belongs in your classroom and that you are ready to support their participation.

Identify the People Who Can Help

Schools depend on many people whose work may not be immediately visible to a new teacher. Introduce yourself to the office staff, custodians, counselors, exceptional-children staff, school nurse, technology personnel, and administrators.

Learn who can help you when:

• A student schedule is incorrect
• A room needs to be unlocked
• Equipment needs to be moved or repaired
• A student needs additional support
• You have a question about a school procedure
• A family needs information you cannot provide
• A rehearsal or performance affects other areas of the school

These relationships matter. The office staff and custodians often know more about how the building operates than anyone else. Counselors and support staff can help you better understand your students. Administrators can provide guidance before a small concern becomes a larger problem.

Ask questions, express appreciation, and respect their time and expertise. You are not expected to do this work alone.

Establish Clear Expectations

Keep your classroom expectations simple. Three to five clearly stated rules are usually enough. Whenever possible, write them in positive, observable language so students understand what the expectations look and sound like in practice.

Do not assume that students automatically know how to behave in your music classroom, even if they have participated in music before. Teach the behavior you want to see. Model it, let students practice it, and reinforce it consistently.

You will also need a manageable strategy for redirection. Begin with something simple, such as a nonverbal cue, proximity, a quiet verbal reminder, or a designated reset space. Avoid creating an elaborate series of consequences that will be difficult to remember or apply consistently.

A management system is only useful if you can use it calmly, fairly, and consistently.

Prepare a Handbook

For middle and high school classes, create a handbook or course guide written in clear, family-friendly language. Include the information students and families will need throughout the year, such as:

• Required concert and performance dates
• Attendance expectations
• Grading policies
• Uniform or concert-attire requirements
• Instrument-use expectations
• Transportation or travel information
• Your preferred method of communication

Prepare the calendar as early as possible and clearly identify events that require student participation. Families are more likely to support expectations when they understand them from the beginning.

Begin with What Matters Most

Your classroom does not need to be perfectly decorated or completely finished before students arrive. Begin by making it safe, functional, organized, and welcoming.

Learn the systems that will help you operate within the school. Know your students’ needs. Identify the people who can help you. Then give yourself permission to continue adjusting the details as you learn more about your students and your setting.

In Part 2, we will move from preparing the classroom to teaching the routines and procedures that help students become independent, responsible members of a musical community.

What is one school procedure or relationship you wish someone had told you about during your first year? I would love to hear from you!