Questions for a 1st year teacher

Ah! Summer. It's what everyone was waiting for and what I was dreading...for a while. I know, I know. Why would I dread summer being upon us after a full year of no sleep, constant stress, and the 'I have to get ALL OF THE THINGS done' attitude?! Well, I think that was it. I would miss all of it...and my students. I bawled like a baby when I said goodbye to my students, but now is not the time to reflect on the year.

Moving forward-- about two months ago, I sent a link to a Google doc to a Baylor professor and the President of BUMEA (Baylor's Music Education Association) and I asked them to send it out to anyone with questions for a first year teacher. (I'd like to thank those who asked some amazing questions!!) So, I shall answer a few of them for you all! 

Questions for a 1st year teacher

Q: Senior, R. Blackwell asked, "What would you consider to be your biggest accomplishment this year/what you are most proud of?"

A: I'd say my biggest accomplishment this year would have to be my confidence level. I began the year second and triple guessing everything I said and/or did. It's not that I didn't know what I was doing, but I was clinging to the idea that I was the newbie. Fresh out of college, head of an intermediate program and I was absolutely terrified. 

When it came to addressing parents, whether it was in a conference or concert setting, I did not fully trust myself and my knowledge, which is sad. I was even nauseous when I got called to the principal's office for my PDAS meetings thinking I had done something wrong. 5 years of hard work at Baylor plus having a great job like I had should have given me some ounce of confidence, but it didn't. That's something that I have fought with for years and still do today. I see confidence as bragging and I don't do that. I can't, so I didn't. 

Thankfully, that changed toward the end of the year and I'm happy that it did. A few parents and even my administrators said they noticed a change in my confidence. I stood taller, I was firm in my decisions and I'm proud of that. I am confident in my ability as a teacher. It only took a year for me to get there, but I'm here!

Q: Sophomore, B. Busby asked, "Is it possible to keep school/work life separate from your home life so that you aren't coming home with a ton of work left to do? Do you have any time management tips to help with this?"

A: Yes! Did I struggle with this from the start? Yes. With the year starting with a huge Region Choir marathon, on top of teaching new music and all, it was difficult at first. I was at school early for region rehearsals and I stayed after for more region rehearsal, which in turn, left me with tons of grading and planning all happening at home. Luckily, I only had to worry about me, since I don't have a family to come home to, so I could spend hours upon hours planning when I arrived home at 6 pm or 7 pm, but it was a lot. My friendships struggled and I barely saw family on weekends because I was planning. 

Tips to help would be to plan ahead. I tried, but I wasn't the best at this. When it came to grading, I made sure to grade as much as I could at school even if that meant staying a little later than I wanted to. Also, knowing when to stop is important. I found myself staying up way too late working, which made me really cranky in the morning. It's a vicious cycle, so sometimes I had to call it quits and finish up in the morning. The more you plan, the more successful you will be both at home and at work. 

Q: Junior, Natalie asked, "How have you handled classroom management and discipline as a young teacher? Was it difficult at first to get the students under control and to treat you as a teacher? Any advice on what to do/what not to do when you have a child with a behavior issue?"

A: If I were to give myself a letter grade for classroom management, it would be a C maybe a B-. You can ask my AP, my mentor, or any of my colleagues about the struggles I faced in my classroom. It was tough. My Advanced Performing ensemble fought me tooth and nail from the start. One of my 6th grade girls' classes was filled with animosity and a rivalry between the 'normal crowd' and the 'popular crowd'. My Intermediate Men refused to sing some days and other days I was too busy dealing with attitudes. I felt like I was disciplining more than I was teaching and that's because I was. 

So, yes, at first it was very difficult to get them under control. I cried about it. I talked about it. I went to professional development sessions about it. Soon, it became easier to handle. I stopped being terrified of calling parents/writing students up/giving detentions and realized that if I was going to get anything done in class, I had to take control. It was not easy. I was told one day that I was the meanest teacher on campus and I couldn't believe it. Is it weird that I was kind of proud of that? It's not even close to being true-- that student later apologized and told me that, but really?! 

The best way to deal with behavior issues is to set up procedure from the start, which is what I didn't do. Have set expectations, rules, and consequences and be firm and fair. Make sure students and parents fully understand this. Also, maintaing good relationships with the students and parents is necessary when dealing with wrong behavior. I absolutely hated calling parents, but they appreciate you reaching out and wanting to find ways for their student to be successful, rather than talking about how awful that child is in your classroom.

Q: Senior, A. Heatherly asked, "On days when students were not engaged, how did you encourage them to focus on the lesson being presented?"

A: This is a great question and something I faced a lot! Students would get burnt out on everything because:

A. They're small humans being stuffed full of information every single day.
B. They get so tired of it.
C. Their attention spans are non-existent. 

To combat all of that, I had to learn how to set small goals for them each day. I found that I could be a bit overwhelming and pushy because I set such high goals for them, which isn't bad, but it's not good either. I also tried to find ways to make it fun for them. If that meant starting the period off with a 3 minute 'dish about your weekend to the person next to you' time, then I did it. Also, picking fun repertoire for them to work on doesn't hurt either!

Q: Junior, V. Todora asked, "What kinds of non-musical extra curricular activities did you attend this year (sports, etc.)?"

A: SO MANY. Mostly because I had students asking me to be there for them. I mean, how can you say no to the 8th grade boys who are so psyched for their football game that afternoon they can't even sing in class? I attended some football, volleyball, and basketball games. I attended orchestra and band concerts to support my students and I'm glad that I did. I was also invited to a dance recital by one of my 6th graders! I have come to the conclusion that my students are insanely talented and more athletic than I ever was in middle school.

Thanks for reading!

Ms. Reed