The first week back
As the new year is soon approaching, many of us will be returning to the band hall (or band room) in a matter of days. During my first year of teaching, I was nervous out of my mind with the anticipation of what to expect. I had one concert under my belt but this was the "real deal". It was the beginning of our preparation for our state evaluation.
After that first week, I wrote myself some reminders for the years to follow. You will find those below with some explanation attached.
Be okay with practicing procedures
Our students (especially younger ones), like anyone, are creatures of habit. Returning in January, they haven't practiced entering a room quietly or raising their hand with a straight right arm in over two weeks. Be ready and prepared to help them reinforce those positive learning behaviors again!
This can look different for every ensemble. With a more mature ensemble, it may be a verbal reminder on the first day back about setup and rehearsal procedures. For less experienced members, it may be practicing once or twice per class so that by the end of the week all fifty students can set up with all of their materials out two minutes after the bell. Regardless of the ensemble in front of you, having upfront, clear, and consistent expectations will help your classroom be an inviting place to learn.
Be realistic and be ready to be flexible
Everybody has a plan of some sort of what they would like to accomplish. The best teachers I have ever observed are ready at a moment's notice to "check and adjust" to what the ensemble needs. The first week is no different.
Be realistic and flexible about what the ensemble can achieve in the time that you have. EVERYTHING will probably take longer than you had hoped. As a first-year teacher, I was convinced that we could get through the entire march by the end of the first week (HAH!). I found myself in the latter half of the week skipping major concepts of our fundamentals time to try to catch up to my grand plan. Spoiler: It didn't work.
I grew frustrated by the situation and at first wanted to blame the students when in reality, it was my fault. I had not set them up for success. They did not have the skills yet to be successful in their music yet I was plowing forward. That weekend I did a lot of reflection. With the help of my colleagues and a phone call to a mentor of mine, I was on the path to a much better week two.
Fundamentals should come first
As tempting as it can be to jump right into the program for the state evaluation coming up in a few months, an investment in building strong fundamental skills at both the individual and ensemble levels will pay dividends as the semester plays out.
We have a set of non-negotiables (breathing, long tones, articulation, etc.) that my ensemble completes every day. They are not always the same exercises but the concepts do not EVER change. They are selected because they serve the music we play in the latter half of our rehearsal time.
On the first day back, it may take over half of our rehearsal time for us to go through our non-negotiables. I want to make sure that students not only know what we are doing but also how and why. As the year progresses, the time needed to achieve our non-negotiables at a high level is less and gives us the flexibility to dedicate more time to either our state evaluation music or developing other areas of individual musicianship (such as sight-reading).
Have a great first week back, everyone!
Yours in Service,
Matt