Reflections of Beginning Music Teachers.

The concerns of new teachers frequently overlap, and being aware of these issues may benefit veteran teachers who want to help.

The first years of teaching are a significant time in the development of one's career, a time when it is important to share ideas with other new teachers and more experienced colleagues. New teachers require significant support to become effective implementors of all they need to know and do in their classrooms. Much research on new teacher development demonstrates that teachers learn best when they can build their own knowledge and curriculum, share ideas with colleagues, and apply these new learnings in their practice.[1]

Isolation from other music teachers and from resource people is a frequent problem for many beginning music teachers.[2] New music teachers need to discuss their work, but they often lack access to resource people in music with whom to discuss their practice. It is crucial to have a support system during initial teaching experiences, one that indudes exchanges with other music teachers and encourages professional development and dialogue between new and mentor teachers.

With these thoughts in mind, I offer the following reflections of beginning music teachers as they voice insightful perspectives. These new teachers are in the process of developing many new skills that require feedback from more experienced teachers. The reflections are selected from twenty interviews of beginning music teachers conducted at the end of the first and second years of teaching. Questions about teacher preparation, curriculum development, rehearsal practice, challenges, discipline, mentorship needs, and professional growth are addressed clearly by these articulate new teachers.

First-year middle school band teacher: "Musically, I was inexperienced in knowing what to listen for in my ensembles as I began teaching. One can never have enough rehearsal technique, and I'll continue to gain more by doing summer workshops and bringing in guest clinicians. But it's taken me time to develop the ability to listen critically to my middle school bands, to know what I want to hear, and then to figure out how to convey that effectively and understandably to students." (Interview 1)

Second-year middle school band teacher: "My biggest challenge was discipline and crowd control with large groups of middle school band students. When there's only one adult in the room, large groups of middle school students need more structure than I could have imagined. I had good practice at this in my student teaching, but I now know that my cooperating teacher had done enormous amounts of structuring for the students before I walked into the classroom. Starting as a new teacher is an entirely different experience; a new teacher must be consistent with structure for students from the first day of school onward.

"Another problem was that many of my students were still loyal to the previous teacher, so my very presence was challenged by them. It took a lot of individual interactions to break through this with some students, and with a few of the oldest students, I never did manage it." (Interview 19)

First-year secondary choral teacher: "I have had little contact with other music teachers in my district this year; a mentor teacher would have been great. I would have liked to have some way to meet with other music teachers. Time to observe other teachers would have helped; I relied primarily on my previous university teacher for ideas and resources." (Interview 15)

First-year elementary general music teacher: "My biggest problem was that I felt very isolated as a music teacher in my first year. Other teachers just come in and drop off their classes, and music teachers see every child in the school. I felt very lonely; I had so many ideas and questions and no one to share them with. Eventually I managed to network with other general music teachers, which has helped enormously." (Interview 3)

First-year orchestra teacher: "If I'm prepared for the day, if I'm thinking ten miles ahead of my kids, and if I have my discipline plan in line, then everything else seems to fall into place in my classes. If I don't have everything ready and organized, then everything falls apart. Making a year-long curriculum and time line that centers on concepts has been key to organizing my classes. There are a lot of different sources for long-term planning, and yet you really have to make your own individual plan." (Interview 5)

First-year elementary band teacher: "I always outline on the board what we are going to learn before we begin. Presetting student expectations, discovery learning, frequent evaluation, and specific positive feedback (not general praise) are my most important classroom strategies." (Interview 6)

Second-year elementary general music teacher: "I'm now confident to act immediately on my classroom plan and to ask parents for support. When I was a student teacher, I felt much more unsure of myself. Now, if a student is out of line, I don't even think about whether or not to act; I just do. I don't always know what the best approach will be, but I'm not afraid to carry out my classroom rules and to talk with parents. I always used to think that I was the problem, so I hesitated to ask for help. Now I know that working with parents is key to figuring out how to solve problems with kids." (Interview 12)

First-year choral teacher: "Keeping my sense of humor, being nonreactive, and the power of positive, proactive thinking are my most important strategies." (Interview 15)

First-year band teacher: "Knowing what I want to hear and getting that sound from an ensemble is a key approach for me. Having high standards and expectations for students and treating students as you would like to be treated are both important in my classroom as well." (Interview 7)

Second-year middle school band teacher: "I try to teach great music. If students are going to gain interdisciplinary skills and form connections with an art form, they need to experience great music. I demand a lot of my students. When we sight-read a piece of music, students will not always be able to play everything on the page. Students need to be musically challenged; this drives them to practice. They may not see the point at first, but when they have an artistic connection with music, all of the hard work is worth it. The next time they flounder, it is easier to accept, and students begin to understand why they practice.

"I also try to connect with students individually. With large classes, I define expectations for students clearly in rehearsals, writing them on the board before class each day. Most important, I try to get to know kids outside of band. I try to get around the building to see them in other contexts. I talk to them outside of class or watch a school sport event. If I connect with students, they will respect me, and I will respect them." (Interview 19)

Second-year middle school band teacher: "I really relied on calling and meeting with several experienced music teachers whom I'd known previously. The orchestra director here and the principal and vice principal were also a great help in providing positive reinforcement for me, for brainstorming ideas to solve problems, and for advice when asked.

"I invited one of my professors in to observe several times during the first month of school when things were really tough, and that was a big help. Sometimes you just need someone to tell you that you're on the right track and are making progress, because the progress is so slow and painful that it's hard to recognize yourself. I also met with a retired band teacher I know, and he would talk me through things.

"So I guess I was able to build my own network of support, even though one was not offered initially through a formal program. I couldn't have survived the first few months if I hadn't. Being a teacher is a new role and a big responsibility. You need someone who knows you to tell you that you're doing things in a way that will work, because half the time, you don't know. You make the best decisions that you can, but you don't have experience to draw upon to know what works and what doesn't." (Interview 19)

Second-year elementary general music teacher: "My cooperating teacher and my university methods/student teaching supervisor have been key mentors and role models for me. My principal has been helpful, also. These people are very proactive and make me feel that I can do things. They notice every little thing that I do well and make the most of these. Even when there's a problem and things need to be changed, these people approach everything in a positive and proactive way, which has been very empowering for me." (Interview 12)

First-year high school choral teacher: "We had several weekend workshops given by the district for new teachers. These were excellent for sharing problems with other new teachers who might have different solutions to similar problems. We chose most of the issues discussed ourselves. I also had a mentor who I observed teach on release days and who observed me teach. She supported me and made me feel successful." (Interview 14)

First-year elementary band teacher: "Most important in my professional growth as a new teacher has been talking and brainstorming with other music teachers and with my principal. A week-long summer session on teaching jazz was a great experience that really solidified my jazz teaching. Attending MENC conventions has been helpful as well." (Interview 2)

First, ear orchestra teacher: "Purposely playing different instruments every day helps me keep my skills up and reminds me what the students are struggling with. Also, playing in a performing group helps me to keep my conducting skills sharp. I watch the conductor, and I learn." (Interview 17)

Second-year middle school band teacher: "Continuing to play as a professional musician has taught me a lot about rehearsing from my new point of view as a teacher. I constantly monitor conductors and how they rehearse. I try to recognize tools that work and ideas that will work for me in my teaching situations. Then, I try out these ideas and analyze their effectiveness. I also listen to lots and lots of professional-level recordings. I'm continuing to take lessons, and I play selectively in ensembles. I learn many rehearsal techniques from watching great teachers in rehearsals." (Interview 19)

Second-year orchestra teacher: "I went to a weeklong conducting workshop. This was one of the best musical experiences I have ever had. It inspired me to demand more of my conducting skills." (Interview 9)

Second-year elementary general teacher: "Taking summer Orff, Kodaly, and curriculum planning workshops and courses has helped me develop my curriculum and longterm planning skills, as well as providing excellent teaching materials." (Interview 8)

Second-year general music teacher: "I often think back to my teacher education classes and picture approaches and possible solutions to problems I'm trying to solve. Even just today, when I was trying to refocus students, I thought back to tools I learned in my classes. I feel pretty well prepared, knowing that I'm trying legitimate approaches. I have tools to work with; I just have to use and develop them." (Interview 12)

Second-year middle school band teacher: "There is really no way to be totally prepared for the first year of teaching; there is nothing like being in charge! My teacher education program helped me develop ideas to be successful, and I'm applying these daily. I consider music theory, history, and performance critical to being knowledgeable in music; music theory, history, sight singing ... all are cornerstones that provide a teacher with the background to make strong instructional decisions. Techniques classes are the backbone of teaching beginners. My knowledge of teaching techniques has been key to students' success, so I continue to work on developing this area by playing a different instrument each day. If teachers want to teach music that is worth playing, then they need to know how to build technique in students.

"Music education methods classes gave me some dear educational goals to focus on in rehearsals. These classes helped me identify specific areas (pitch, rhythm, ensemble, and so forth) to define and organize my teaching around. Music education methods classes were outstanding in their preparation for teaching. These classes addressed most of the issues I dealt with in student teaching and the first year. Secondary methods class was especially important; the work was all very applicable to what I needed to know in my first year of teaching. Journaling and self-analysis were not fun at the time; it seemed to take forever to review a class period. But reflective thinking has helped me recognize success and failure in my lessons. I am not afraid to take chances, but also know to be conservative. I have formed habits of self-analysis, and I am constantly adjusting how I teach instrumental music.

"I was placed with some great teachers in practicum and student teaching who were key to my development as a teacher. All of these cooperating teachers were helpful and generous with the responsibilities they gave me in the classroom. I would have benefitted from even more rehearsal technique instruction, even more music literature research, and always more chances to talk to master teachers. As a new teacher, one cannot have enough of these." (Interview 19)

First-year orchestra teacher: "Student teaching and the practicum leading up to student teaching were what really gave me confidence as a teacher; practicum experiences in a variety of settings were also helpful. Methods class materials were very useful; I didn't have a need for some of the material until I actually started student teaching, and then I was glad I could refer back to lesson plans and curriculum in my notebooks." (Interview 5)

First-year secondary choral teacher: "The gradual building of teaching responsibilities from practicum experiences to student teaching was essential; one can't have enough classroom experience before entering a teaching position. I find the reflective thinking we learned to do as students has become a permanent approach in the classroom that helps me to solve problems as they arise. I continue to use discipline strategies that we discussed as I develop a classroom management plan." (Interview 11)

Second-year orchestra teacher: "I am extremely satisfied with my job and choice of career. I feel challenged, yet able to succeed with students. Though I'm sure I will eventually change locations and schools, I do see music education as a lifelong career." (Interview 4)

First-year elementary band teacher: "I really enjoy the beginners, and I love the idea of having students for three to four years so I can see their progress. A big part of teaching is knowing where the kids are at, so you know where to start. I see myself doing the same thing in five to ten years that I am doing right now." (Interview 6)

Second-year middle school band teacher: "I am very pleased with my job. As a middle school band director, it is the best place I could be. I plan to continue teaching public school band for the next year and then go back to get an advanced degree. I hope to be working with a youth orchestra within the next ten years and may want to teach at a university someday. I hope to always be a musician and a teacher of music. Music is such a powerful part of my life that I cannot imagine doing anything else." (Interview 19)

Second-year general music teacher: "I've enjoyed my teaching job, mostly because I feel well-prepared and confident that I can figure out problems and challenges. I will probably stay in some form of music education for most of my careen" (Interview 12)

As many of these new teachers state, the chance to connect with other music teachers is a powerful resource. Networking with other music teachers, both new and experienced, can be a professional lifeline for beginning music teachers and can help to break the isolation of the first years of teaching. It is hoped that these reflections of new teachers will be of help to other new teachers as they tackle the challenges of the first years of teaching and will encourage veteran teachers to support their new colleagues.

Notes 1. Ellen Moir and Colleen Stobbe, "Professional Growth for New Teachers: Support and Assessment through Collegial Partnerships," Teacher Education Quarterly 22, no. 4 (1995): 83-91.

2. Lisa Delorenzo, "Perceived Problems of Beginning Music Teachers," Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, No. 113 (1992): 9-25; Brent Sandene, "Determinants and Implications of Stress, Burnout, and Job Dissatisfaction among Music Teachers," Update: Applications of Research in Music Education 13, no. 2 (1995): 25-31.

• Define expectations and structure them clearly for students
• Learn how to listen critically in ensemble rehearsals.
• Give specific positive feedback.
• Implement discipline consistently from the first day on.
• Establish and maintain mutual respect with students
• Keep a sense of humor and be productively.
• Communicate regularly and positivelywith parents.
• Realize that rest, exercise, and good nutrition are necessities of the job.
• Find a music mentor.
• Engage other faculty and staff in your activities and take an interest in theirs.
• Teach great music.

PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): By discussing their practice with experienced mentors, beginning music teachers can find the support that is vital to their success.