10 First Year Music Teacher Tips I Wish I Would Have Known

If you are a first year music teacher, it can feel a little daunting. Stepping from the role of college student into the role of first year music teacher is such a mental shift. And no matter how great your college courses were, nothing really prepares you for teaching like that trial by fire that is your first year of teaching.

Fear not, my new music teacher friend! I am here to help you feel less alone in this process. In fact, there is a whole teacher community out there that would LOVE to share their wisdom and experience with you.

So here are the things that I wish I had known as a new teacher.

Tip #1: Don’t Overspend

My friend, you are at the very bottom of the payscale right now. You might feel like Mr. Moneybags right now because this is more money than you’ve ever made in your life. But trust me, you need to spend wisely. That goes for personal fund, and funds that the school provides you as well (if any).

I recommend spending absolutely ZERO dollars until you’ve at least been in your room and seen what is already there (or isn’t). Evaluate what absolutely NEEDS to be purchased. This will not be a long list.

Don’t have many instruments? You can do A LOT without all the instruments that your mentor teacher had during your student teaching. If you came in with dreams of a full Orff instrumentarium or a class set of ukuleles, we can build up to that with grants.

Finally, we need to talk about decor. I know you’ve got ideas based on the cute classrooms you’ve seen on social media. And those classrooms are adorable. That bulletin board display is on point. BUT – at what cost?

And I’m not even talking about the actual money. The TIME that it will take you to set those up is better used elsewhere during your first year.

You will be spending hours getting oriented in your district, going to staff meetings and generally NOT being in your classroom during pre-planning. DO NOT give yourself the extra stress of trying to make your room Pinterest perfect.

In my post, My Minimalist Music Classroom, I go through how I keep my room cheerful, but simple. You can use it to help you think about how you might design your music space.

Tip #2: Don’t Underspend

So now that we’ve talked about what NOT to spend on, let’s talk about what is worth splurging on a little. And that would be good teaching resources that will save you time.

I can’t tell you how many times I refused to buy something because I figured I could just make it myself. But then making the thing was so time consuming that it really would have been worth paying the $5.00 or whatever it cost to get it pre-made and have those 5 hours of my life back.

I added so much extra work and stress to my life. Don’t put yourself in that position!

Whether it’s unit lesson plans or making class sets of instrument sorting cards, whatever is stressing you out or keeping you at work hours after the students are gone is worth paying a couple dollars to take off your plate.

I know that can sound a little rich coming from someone who sells products on TPT, but I really believe it’s true. And don’t forget that I’m a buyer on TPT as much as a seller.

Tip #3: Join a music teacher group (and not just on Facebook!)

Probably the number one way to feel supported as a first year music teacher is to join a music teacher group. Now, free Facebook communities are a nice start. But they can be really impersonal as they are so large. And, they can sometimes get negative or opinionated.

It’s better to cut through the noise with a smaller group of teachers that can really support you and without getting sucked into all the drama that tends to show up on social media.

There are tons of professional groups for different music pedagogies that have local chapters. And you can usually join them without having a background or certification in that pedagogy. Here are some of the big ones.

American Orff-Schulwerk Association

Organization of American Kodaly Educators

Dalcroze Society of America

Gordon Institute for Music Learning (Music Learning Theory)

Another great avenue is to have a learning community with other elementary music teachers. Many districts have these built in. You might even be assigned to one as a new teacher. But just as many districts do not have this specialized music teacher to music teacher support network, so you may consider doing a virtual learning community with other elementary music teachers.

Either way, just know that there is a support network out there for you. And if you feel like you can’t find any of these options – don’t forget that you’ve got support here over at the Sunshine and Music Blog!

Tip #4: Save for retirement

Folks. I know retirement is a long way off if you just started your career. But the years go by very quickly. And as Albert Einstein famously said – compounding interest is the 8th wonder of the world.

In other words, the earlier you invest your money, the more it can do for you in the future.

I am not going to claim to be a financial guru. But I have learned a couple things over time that I wish I had known about from the beginning.

• Don’t invest in anything with high fees! 1% might not sound like a big fee for a retirement account, but what if I told you it will cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars over your working career? Check out this helpful post to learn more about why this is crucial to know for your financial literacy.
• Look into 457 plans. They are a special plan available to teachers that allows you to access the retirement funds as soon as you stop employment with that specific job. Might not be right for everyone but it’s cool to know they are out there.

Tip #5: Your priorities will change overtime

I remember a time when I lived for the job. I LOVED being a music teacher (I still do). And I couldn’t imagine a time when I would want anything else out of life.

Then I got married. And I had a kid. And COVID hit. And … well you get it. Life happens. Think about your priorities when you were in middle school. Are those the same things you want out of life now? Probably not.

Leave space to grow and change. Don’t get so into the job and get so overcommitted that you can’t make space when other things come into your life. Maybe the three ensembles and school musical and talent show that you put on when you didn’t have a family don’t all have to happen when you have a young child, or a sick parent, or you are going through a major medical diagnosis. Or maybe someone ELSE can handle them for a couple years. Or maybe you want to take a few years off to raise your family.

Even though the answer might be NO WAY right now, you may regret it if you don’t give your future self at least the option.

Tip #6: Get the iDoceo app

Ok, I know this one is weirdly specific, but just do it. Trust me. You can thank me later. iDoceo is an iPad app that will allow you to create seating charts and SO MUCH MORE.

Learn more about it here in my blog post review.

Tip #7: Planning is simpler than you are making it

If you are feeling stressed about planning, don’t. Simplify it down to one or two things that you want your students to know per quarter. Then teach those things. And plan a little something extra for the end of class that you can do any time your lessons run a little shorter than expected.

And if you are still feeling overwhelmed, you can check out any of these blog posts where I break it down even more.

Lesson Plans for Elementary Music: 10 Crucial Things You’ve Been Forgetting

How To Use a Lesson Plan Template for Quick and Simple Lesson Plans for Music

Oh, and in case you were wondering. Doing the same lesson with multiple grade levels is not cheating. It is smart, saves you time and stress, and you will learn a lot from it.

Tip #8: You know a lot, but so do veteran teachers

Ah, the age old battle of old versus new. It seems like there is always some old veteran teacher who won’t listen to new ideas. And it seems like there is always some new teacher who won’t listen to what veterans have learned from their years of experience.

Don’t go in thinking you know best. Maybe you do. Maybe you don’t. Only time will tell. I can 100% speak from experience here. I came out of college thinking I knew the BEST way to teach. Everything those other teachers were doing was dated and uninformed. I let my passion for teaching turn into blinding pride.

Please do not fall into this trap! Yes. Your new methods and research are really cool. But my suggestion as a newbie is to do more listening than talking. Everyone has something valuable to offer. In fact, I would encourage you to actively look for things to learn from each teacher you work with. You will be much the wiser for it.

Tip #9: Have an identity outside of school

Hi! My name is Erin. I am a music teacher.

How many times have you defined yourself by your role in your career? But what are you WITHOUT teaching? You need to be a whole person.

Go make music in a choir or band. Take up yoga. Or kickboxing. Or become a Toastmaster. You could take an improv class. I don’t care. But make sure that your weekends are more than just prepping for the week ahead. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy – and a burnt out teacher in *looks at watch* about two years.

Tip #10: Classroom management is about respect, but maybe not how you think

Classroom management is the key to enjoying your job. Or at least a big part of it. And it’s key to creating a good and safe learning environment for your students too.

Over the years I tried a number of tactics. Some worked better than others. I used to think that classroom management was about the students learning to respect me. I felt like I needed to be tough so I didn’t get walked all over.

But over time, I came to see that the more I could give students empathy and respect, the more buy in I got. This is the prime directive in classroom management for me.

Here are other things I would tell myself.

• Some things will work great with one kid and not all at with another. I still have kids that give me a run for my money.
• Don’t get in a power struggle. It is a waste of your energy.
• You cannot control what students do. You can only give them choices and then follow through on the consequences of that choice.
• Never threaten something that you are not willing to follow through on.
• They might have something going on that you have NO IDEA about that is affecting their day, so give them all the grace you can.

Now I know that can’t be everything. If you are a veteran teacher and you made it all the way through this post – first, thank you for reading, and second, what am I missing? New teachers – what questions do you still have about being a first year music teacher?

You can comment below or contact me at admin@sunshineandmusicblog.com to share your thoughts and questions.

More Helpful Posts for Begging Music Teachers

How To Have a Successful First Day of Music Class

Lesson Plans for Elementary Music: 10 Crucial Things You’ve Been Forgetting