April, May, June - The End
It’s the end of the school year! Or it almost is the end, depending on where you teach. Some of my Indiana friends are out already, and my Washington friends are still going. My district last year went until June 25th, and that was just crazy! Hopefully you aren’t going that long, but whenever your end-of-year is, this is the time of rejuvenation and then reflections as the year ends.
Rejuvenation - I hope you have been able to incorporate some more motivating, challenging and fun repertoire as the concerts and performances all got completed. Many times, this is when classes can really make incredible gains in skill and musicality.
Extra stress - This time of year can also have some added stress for music teachers. We have instruments to get from students - clean, record, repair and store them. We have music and materials to gather and organize and get put away. Many districts have tablet or laptops that need to be returned by students and staff, hopefully not the music teacher’s responsibility. It’s just different for music teachers at the end of the year. I also know that there are talks of changes in classes, cuts to programs, and teacher moves to different buildings. You’re probably feeling that pressure just from reading this. Not my intention. One last push and that’s all done, though.
Reflection - It’s very normal to start reflecting on our teaching and how the year went. I encourage you to do some journaling about this. Some great questions:
What are some things that went really well this year? (repertoire, performance opportunities, class routines and management, connections with students, connections with other staff, teaching the beginning of the year student behavior and learning expectations, etc.)
Why did those things go so well? What did you do or say to prepare or present those to students/staff?
What is ONE thing that really frustrated you or disappointed you this school year? Was there anything that you could have done differently?
Could you take something from what you did well and apply it to what didn’t go so well?
Planning - I know from personal experience that if I don’t get some planning done for next school year, then I will worry about it all summer. Don’t do that to yourself!
Expectations. Write down your ideal classroom behavior, routines, overall vibe. Plan how you will teach those in the first week, at least.
Skills. How will you know the musical proficiency of your students? I know you will have had some students this year, but have a plan for review and getting those instruments/voices back in shape. Remember, it will take some time, probably a few weeks if you see them every day.
Performances. You probably know your performance schedule already, but take some time to do a quick outline of themes and repertoire ideas.
Assessments. How will you gather information about your students’ knowledge and skill? Yes, you should write something down multiple times a year. If you aren’t sure how to assess something, ask those veteran music teachers, or contact me for some free brainstorming.
I know there’s much more than this, but if you have some pre-planning done, you will have a more restful summer. What can you tweak from the ending school year?
Rest - Summer! Then, you’ll get a chance to sleep in some, read books, get in the pool, get away for some relaxation or adventure, spend time with family, make some music for yourself, get a massage, and get your mind off making so many minute-to-minute decisions. However you get your rest, do as much of that as you can during the summer. You deserve the break and you deserve to take care of yourself.
Then you’ll start to feel that anticipation and excitement for the beginning of next school year again!
And if you just keep feeling that dread, or you want a sounding board for any of the above processing, please reach out and use your free first session with me. Just click “Contact Amy” below and tell me how I can help!