Do you ever think back to your high school experience? What motivated you to study music in college and pursue a career as a music educator? For some it may have been great musical experiences or a dynamic music teacher. For others, maybe it was the leadership experiences you had being a part of the music program or maybe just the joy you had playing in an ensemble with other students. Research informs us that these experiences are commonly cited by college students as their motivations for pursuing a career in music education.
The most effective educators have the ability to inspire others. What should we be doing to inspire and motivate the next generation of music teachers? Provide high-quality musical experiences. There are so many amazing experiences students get when participating in a music program! These include trips, activities, social events, but most importantly, music. The non-musical benefits and activities associated with our programs are great, but they should be rooted in music. Students won’t choose to study music beyond high school if they don’t love it. Focus on programming diverse programs of high-quality literature. Invite inspiring guest conductors, clinicians, and artists. Take your students to see quality performances and to perform in good venues. Much of this is difficult, but not impossible during the pandemic. Consider bringing in guest artists virtually and use guided listening to expose students to great music. Focus on solos and small ensembles as a way to give students the opportunity to perform. Be positive about your job Kids hear everything we say, both the positive and the negative. They could easily be discouraged by a teacher who complains about their job. Yes, teaching can be difficult, but it is also incredibly rewarding. Take opportunities to tell them why you like your job. Let them know you like being their teacher. There are plenty of kids who hear more negative things than they should (now more than ever). Tell them you are glad you get to be their teacher. It will make their day and could create a lasting impact. Give leadership opportunities This is remarkably easy in music programs. Let students lead sectionals. This might be scary at first, but can be highly effective if they have clear parameters and objectives. This also gives them ownership of the learning process, which is a critical factor to student and ensemble success. There are many other opportunities to let students lead. One of my students’ favorite events is when we host our district’s middle school solo & ensemble (S&E) MPA. It is student-organized and student-run. As a teacher, it’s a great feeling for my students to see my students take these opportunities seriously, and to see them take pride in their work. Speaking of S&E MPA, that is probably one of the best opportunities to develop student leaders. Student-led ensembles give them the opportunity to work as a team, organize and execute a plan, and to apply musical knowledge critically. We already know that S&E is one the most important things a student can do to grow musically, but the leadership and personal responsibility benefits should not go unnoticed. Diversity is Key One of my current students is planning to study music education in college. Recently she told me she always loved music, but what really inspired her was seeing a female high school band director (we have two directors at our school). It’s important to give students experiences with a diverse, representative group of conductors and clinicians. This may help a student better see themselves as a music teacher.
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I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of great interns, and I try to give them the experiences they need to be successful in their first year of teaching. One of the topics that can be difficult, however, is working with parents. At a recent workshop, someone mentioned they wish they were better equipped to “deal with parents” during their first year teaching. If you are a pre-service or beginning teacher, this can be one of the scariest parts of stepping into a classroom. There is no real way to prepare for this in college, and during an internship, these interactions are supervised, if not completely handled, by the supervising teacher. I was fortunate to learn early that the key is to “work with” parents instead of “dealing with” parents. The right perspective can make this far less daunting. In fact, parent support can make our job much easier. Here are 5 strategies to consider as you prepare to work with your students’ parents this year. 1. Strike First Sorry, that sounds aggressive; I’ve been watching a lot of Cobra Kai. The first time you communicate with a parent shouldn’t be based on a concern or problem, whether it’s from you or them. Make a point to make contact with as many parents as possible. When I taught middle school, I would keep a list of my new students in my office. Each day I would contact 2 or 3 families, usually by email. It would be simple: I would let them know that I’m glad their kid was in my class and I would tell them something specific and positive about their child. If this is your first year at your school this might take a while. After the first year, it’s much quicker because you already have relationships established with the families of your returning students. This helps build credibility with your students’ parents. It establishes that you are on the same side, which can help prevent issues later on. 2. Communicate Regularly, and make the information accessible. Have a routine, and stick with it. I’ve talked to a lot of people who “change things up,” for example, varying when they send emails home, methods of communication, etc. Talking to parents (and being one myself), I believe they value predictability and consistency. I have an online document that I update every weekend. It has a dedicated web address, and I send out a message every Sunday night at 8pm letting families know it has been updated. I’ve noticed that oftentimes, parents go to that page before I even send out the reminder. They know everything is updated by Sunday night at 8pm. Even better, they know that if they need information they go there first. 3. Find Them Where They Are Email used to be a big deal. Everyone used to check their email, and they used to actually read them. Email inboxes are now filled with junk, ads, etc. It’s become too easy to either not see, or not pay attention to it; there are no pictures and they are too long. It may be a better strategy to “find them where they are.” Remind, for example, gives us the ability to send messages or texts directly to their phones (I am sure there are other, similar services). Social media can be effective, too, depending on your target audience. One thing that I have found especially helpful is sending YouTube videos. If I have a message that is especially important, I will make a video and send it out by Remind. I’ve found that this method easily gets the best response. 4. Give them opportunities to get involved. If you want parental support, they need to feel connected to the program. If you want them to feel connected to the program, give them a little ownership. It’s hard for anyone to be critical if they are on the inside. The fastest way to accomplish this: Ask for help. You’d be surprised what skill sets exist in your parent community. Some may be musicians, others may be able to hem uniforms, help with trip planning, fundraising, etc. It’s a win-win; you can take something off your plate while gaining a teammate and supporter. I’ve also found that parents can be as effective, or more effective, than their children in recruiting new members. Here’s an idea: do a parent meet and greet, brunch, etc. Let your parents meet you and other band parents. Oh, and when you have them there helping, talk to them. Let them get to know you. You will build a community of supporters and advocates. (Your admin will be thankful, too.) 5. Remember that you have a common interest. You have a common interest with program parents: the students. When you do have a behavior issue, approach it by first acknowledging you are on the same side. This is much easier if you’ve already had positive contact (see #1). Good morning Ms. Smith, I am hoping you can help me. I really enjoy having Johnny in the band; he is doing great! Lately, I’ve had to remind him on multiple days to put his phone away during class. I want him to be successful, but he is missing important information when his phone is out. Anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you, Mr. Jones That is pretty general/generic, but it’s the right idea. You want the parent to believe that you want to work with them to make their child successful. All parents love their children, and they (naturally) get defensive when they get negative comments about their child. CategoriesThanks for visiting my website! My name is Mike Antmann, and I am a band director in central Florida. I am about to enter my 23rd year as a music educator! I spent the first 12 years as a middle school band director, which I loved, before moved to a "resource teacher" position at our district office. Our district has more than 200 schools, with hundreds of music teachers. This was a great opportunity for me, and I learned a lot about coaching teachers and everything that goes on outside of the classroom. After three years, I missed being away from the classroom, and returned as a high school band director, where I just finished my 7th year. I've had a relatively diverse set of experiences in my career, which have helped shape me as an educator.
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AuthorMike Antmann. Archives
August 2023
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