Getting Off to a Good Start

It's important to take steps to prepare for a good start to your year. The following are a few ideas to help get a solid start to your beginning instrument class.

Before the First Day of Class

• Have your room set up. Things to keep in mind: social distancing (if that is still a thing), number of students, sight lines, white board set-up, stands(for when it's time to start using them), bulletin board info or posters.
• Make sure you have a metronome ready to use. Obviously you'll need some method of amplification.
• Place a small announcement board outside the entry door.
• Prepare student name cards and set them out (color-coded by class is very helpful).
• Prepare a homework calendar or sheet, and make copies.
• Prepare practice records (if you are going to use them). You'll want to wait a few weeks to start using them, but have them ready to go.
• Prepare a handbook document, which could include classroom rules and expectations, yearly calendar of beginner events, parent and student info sheet to be filled out and returned, travel permission sheet (if applicable), plus anything else students and parents need to know. Include a form that states the student and parents have read and agree to the Handbook.
• Set up an instrument rental with your PMC Educational Representative, and prepare information sheet for the students and parents about the process.
• Have extra sets of everything you hand out--filed for easy access. This will make it easier to provide replacements or give copies to new students that may arrive later in the year.
• Have pencils readily available!! Insist that they use them every day.
• If you have your own office, clean it and organize it. You won't have time to try to find stuff in a pile.

On the First Day

• Greet students at the door and teach them how you want them to enter the room. Practice this if necessary.
• Have instructions up on the board and teach them to sit quietly and absorb the info.
• Don't have stands out for beginner classes for a few weeks.
• Introduce your counting system. Be consistent and use it!
• Introduce the music staff, appropriate clef and note names. Don't confuse the issue by trying to have them learn the Grand Staff.
• Work on tapping hands on knees with metronome. When they feel ready, add the foot tap. This will probably not occur with all the kids right away.
• For wind instrument classes, explain breathing and teach some simple breathing exercises.
• Give them a little homework such as saying the musical alphabet forwards and backwards. Have them work on tapping hands on knees using the words "down-up", "down-up", etc.

Your first day will set the process and mood for the year. It's important to start out well-organized and disciplined. Later, after habits are formed, is too late to start establishing good procedures. Good luck!

Mary Ann French has been teaching music to students for more than 35 years. After graduating from Arkansas Tech University, she began her teaching career in Morrilton, Arkansas. After moving to Oklahoma, she worked at Bartlesville and later at Owasso for 15 years. Mary Ann has also taught in Maryland and Texas. After returning to Oklahoma, she spent 4 years as an educational representative for Palen Music Company before returning to the classroom with Union Public Schools. Now retired, we're excited to have her back at PMC. She has two grown children and too many animals to mention.