Things I Wish I Knew Before Teaching Middle School Music

 There are SO MANY things I wish I knew...

...before teaching Middle School Music 

I have a degree in music education with an instrumental focus.  My PEL is a Type 10, so it certifies me to teach anyone K-12.    

Like I said in the Elementary Music School blog,  That's ridiculous.

I have wrangled the wee ones & competed with award winning marching bands.  I've taught with triangles & asked about augmented chords in advanced theory.  But the skills needed for both situations are simply not equivalent.

Seriously.  Not. even. close. 

If I'm being honest with myself, most of my collegiate education focused on music theory, learning all the instruments, conducting ensembles, and studying the men who composed the well-known historical repertoire.  In theory, shouldn't it have been enough to teach middle school and high school music classes?

#1 - Kids care

Have you ever been in conversation with someone who learns you teach middle schoolers?  That automatic wince that creeps onto their face tells you everything they believe to be true about those kiddos; They're driven by hormones, uncooperative, hard to manage, unmotivated...the list goes on.  

What if you approached all of that through the lens of kids who have LOADS OF FEELINGS?

• Yes, hormones play a role.  Who they like, how they feel, lack of impulse control because their brains simply aren't fully developed.  Rest into that.  Consider seating arrangements carefully.  Sometimes friendships motivate students, but sometimes they complicate rehearsals.  
• Crushes come & crushes go.  Be open-minded.  Remember that kids are growing up in a world that isn't confined to binary options.  That's a lot to think about for those pre-teen & teenage brains!
• Selectively motivated. I've found middle school & high school musicians to be motivated in specific, and sometimes odd ways. 
•  If you have competitive kids, placement tests can be motivated.   
• Artistically motivated students do best playing or singing music with which they can connect.  
• For Socially motivated kids, consider sectional rehearsals, sectional leadership roles, & peer parties to build connections.
• While middle schoolers have earned the reputation of being hard to manage, I often remind myself that I can teacher 3 year olds and suddenly those pre-teens don't seem as squirrely.  Use a classroom management system!
• 
  American Sign Language is perfect for non-
  verbal communication to minimize disruptions.  I start these with elementary musicians so by the time the big kids are in rehearsals, they know the drill.
• Consider instrument check out forms for guitars or ukuleles if you're willing to let students use instruments outside class time.
• Use self-starters so that students can begin tuning or warming up independently.  This allows you a chance to put out any fires that may come up at the start of rehearsal.
• Pick repertoire from their favorite shows or movies with character who reflect your kids.  I promise - they will care!

#2 - Summer's aren't off

Marching bands are obvious obligations for the summer, but that's not the only thing that will occupy your summer hours.  After all, music curriculums change each year and you will need to prep the music.

• Instruments to clean & disinfect
• repertoire to order
• Music library to clean, purge, & organize
• folders to sort & stuff
• instrument maintenance (nothing restrings itself, ya know)
• Performances to schedule
• Community outreach
• July 4th parade to march in
•  Arrangement & orchestration depending instrumentation
• Recruitment of new students
• on-boarding new members
• auditions
• Uniforms to mend
• Parent letters to write
• Solo & Ensemble or contest paperwork
• logistics for hosting, when applicable

#3 - Perfection is not realistic

You're not perfect.  They're not perfect.  No one is perfect, so make peace with that fact.

Growth Mindset is the idea that we should strive towards improvement.  By modeling this for kids, they'll begin to adapt this frame of mind, too. 

This comes naturally when rehearsing & sight reading.   We practice over & over so that our performances showcase the best of the best.  There will always be opportunities to reflect on your music curriculum & evaluate your lessons.

Sight reading is great for vocalists & instrumentalists.  Using games such as Poison rhythm & poison solfege add a challenging but fun element to your classes & rehearsals.

#4 - They're fabulous fakers.

When the focus goes from unison singing & playing in an ensemble to holding individual parts & harmony, there are setbacks.  

I knew my elementary students' skills, or so I thought.  I taught the little ones to count rhythms, match pitch vocally, self-accompany on Orff instrument, sing solfege with Kodaly hand signs.  Since they can play solos, I naturally presumed these skills would transfer into ensembles with ease.  

Alas.  'Twas wrong.

Some of the kids who played recorders fine were learning at home with loads of YouTube help.  Others were memorizing notes instead of practicing reading them.  Loads were relying on listening skills to copy peers.

So, now I track their skills & assess both individually as well as in groups.

Aural dictation will tell me about their listening
skills.  Rubrics help asses both playing & singing tests.  These are intended for use with Standards Based Grading, but can be modified for any system.

If you're teaching a general music class in middle school or teaching band, choir, or orchestra, you're still working with youth that are trying their best to 'fake it 'till they make it!'

#5 - Always advocate

Since the majority of adults do not know how to read music, it stands to reason that many fellow educators, administrators, & parents simply won't get what happens in your classes.

They can understand that singing in class leads to a choir concert, or that playing each day means a performance will be the final product, but do they understand everything else?

You'll need to advocate for your time:

Do people know the hours spent marking dots on the field for marching?  Or how many times a day you have to adjust stands & chairs?  Do they know about the amount of cleaning up broken reeds, swabbing barrels, fixing bridges, restringing everything, or sorting music?  

You'll need to advocate for your space:

From acoustic needs to the huge number of children who fall in love with music, our spaces matter.  

 You'll need to advocate for help:

Advocating to parents means asking for chaperones, people to mend uniforms, & help teach incoming parents.

There are also concerts and performance volunteer opportunities, 

 I've found that newsletters help!  Snag your copy of this editable news letter here.

And remember, music matters.  You're not a babysitter, a glorified sub, or someone else's prep time.  You are the reason children come to school, the safe space for so many, and a key ingredient in teaching the whole child!

What's next?

If you haven't yet landed a music education job yet, here are some tricks & tips to help you get your dream job! 

For those that have dipped their toes into the world of teaching, tell me what you'd add to this list in the comments below!

Musically,

Jaime