Intro
One of the best parts about social media – behind all the drama and the marketing – is truly the community! Music teachers really do this better than just about anyone. We are each building our own programs, which lends itself to growing our teacher community outside of our school buildings.
On the Midnight Music Facebook page, we often have conversation starters that go out to our community, and we love reading your replies! One of those recent questions was, “What is the best advice you were given when you started teaching?” In this blog, we’ll be sharing answers from many of those in our Facebook community. Keep reading to learn the best advice from current music teachers (that they were given when they started teaching)!
What is the best advice you were given when you started teaching?
Self-Care & Life
“Just make it happen.” – Scott M.
“Make your own happiness” – LeslieAnne B.
“Max out your retirement contributions and don’t ever stop. You will always find a way to live on what you have. That was the advice 27 years ago and I’m grateful for it now.” – Barbara F.
“Work to live not live to work.” – Pete R.
“It takes 10 years to develop your craft, so don’t be too hard on yourself when you feel like you have had a ‘bad’ lesson. You will have plenty of them!” – Rebecca M.
“Aim for 3 out of 5. If you have three good days out of 5, consider it a success. Don’t expect perfection. It’s unattainable. The giver of this advice is now deceased but I think of him often!”
– Courtney A.
“Worse things happen at sea.” – Rebecca W.
“Self-care is important. Your mental health is more important than the job. Apologize when you screw up. Routines, routines, routines. Enjoy laughter. Take a mental health day when needed.”
– Colleen E.
“Don’t put yourself in a situation or do something that you can not easily explain to your principal, superintendent or your spouse.” – Terrence R.
“Somebody left the job you take for a reason. The reason may have been retirement or it’s a horrible workplace. Be humble and aware.” – Heidi D. M.
“Read and study “The First Days of School” by Harry and Rosemary Wong. It will give you the practical skills and knowledge you need to succeed as a new teacher.” – Robert B. V.
Relationships & Building Rapport
“Eat lunch with your team. Make friendships and get to know them. They will be your best supporters and you will gain friends and teammates.” – Lisa F. R.
“Take cake to the staffroom on the first day.” – Anne T.
“Make friends with the secretaries, custodians, and cafeteria workers.” – Kelly C. E.
“What you allow will continue. This goes for classroom management, coworker relationships, scheduling, everything.” – Corinna D. W.
“Make friends with the secretaries in custodial staff. You take care of them, and anything you need help with will be done. Golden advice.” – Jana B.
“Don’t eat in the teachers’ lounge and listen to the other teachers complaining.” – Kelly C.
“Listen to learn. Learn to listen.” – Vicki Holland
“Make sure to introduce yourself to caretaking, office administration and cafeteria staff. They run the building.” – Paul B.
Classroom Management & Teaching
“The students will never know how much something means until you show them how much it means to you!” – Mark F.
“It takes awhile to build a program, take this time to get to know your students, school, community and experiment!! Do not see a lesson as failing ~ use it and adapt.” – Saralyn B.
“Keep a sense of humour, kids love a joke.” – Kathy D. G.
“They won’t remember much of WHAT we teach them…but they will always remember how we made them FEEL.” – Scott G.
“Mean what you say and say what you mean (behaviour management).” – Danielle Crane
“Relationships, relationships, relationships.” – Mary T.
“Know your community. Listen more than you speak until you know.” – Tracy E. K.
“A teacher’s job is to encourage.” – Orla L.
“After 22 years, the advice I give is ‘pick your battles’ – Michelle M.
“Be yourself when you teach…if you try to teach like someone else, or their way, it just won’t work. Students will pick up and get carried along if you love what you’re doing.” – Bronwyn P.
“Preparation limits behaviour management. Make lessons meaningful and fun. Believe in and enjoy what you teach as it influences the students interest.” Jodie D.
“Don’t ask questions that you don’t want the answer to. My multiple choice always include only acceptable outcomes. Make it multiple choice if open-ended might give you a “wrong” answer.”
– Jill A.
“Never work harder than the students.” – Robert S.
“When there are students acting out or behaving poorly in your classroom, don’t let them rob you of your spirit and energy. Remember, you earned your degree through effort and hard work.” – Anne L.
“Remember to smile. Seriously. Kids pick up on this immediately.” – Elaine M. J.
“Fail to prepare – prepare to fail.” – Clea W.
“Don’t talk so much!” – Colleen H. F.
“Don’t get too friendly with students.” – Kevin G.
Final Thoughts
Wrapping up Part 1, we hope you always remember that starting out as a music teacher is made so much easier when you can lean on those who have walked before you – your music teacher community! From taking care of yourself and making friends at school to handling the classroom like a pro, these tips are all about helping you find balance, connect with others, and learn as you go. Remember, it’s not about being perfect; it’s about making connections and growing every day. Don’t miss Part 2 for even more great advice from our awesome music teacher community!
If you love this advice, you’ll love the Midnight Music Community! It’s packed with music tech tips, resources, and a whole lot of support from fellow music teachers. Join us and find the guidance and camaraderie you need to thrive in your music-teaching journey!
Want more resources for music tech teachers?
Hello! I’m Katie Argyle – an Australian music technology trainer and consultant with a passion for helping music teachers through my business Midnight Music.
I’m a qualified teacher but no, I don’t currently teach in a school. I help teachers through my online professional development space – the Midnight Music Community– where there are tutorial videos, courses, links and downloadable resources.
I like to focus on easy ways to incorporate technology into what you are already doing in your music curriculum through a range of creative projects. I also run live workshops and have presented at countless conferences and other music education events.
If you want simple, effective ideas for using technology in music education, I would LOVE to help you inside the Midnight Music Community.
