If you are an undergraduate preparing to enter the workforce, teaching at a small or rural school should not scare you. There are plenty of other things that should – the housing market, the fact that polar bears are running out of ice, or the reality that you cannot be late to an 8 am class ever again.
Every undergrad or student-teacher I meet expresses concern about teaching in a small/rural setting, where teaching across multiple buildings or content areas happens frequently. The only exceptions are students who grew up in a small program with the same director for instrumental and vocal music, or one director for their entire 5-12 program. The general format of universities focuses on hyper-detailed specialization (rightly so, for the most part), but does little to make students feel adequately prepared to navigate such a vast professional assignment. So, if you land a job responsible for a comprehensive beginning-through-high school program, here are some tips to help you survive and find early success.
1. Create a Plan
Every new teacher should create an entry plan for their district. This shows your administration that you have a clear understanding of what needs to be done, how you are going to do it, and why. A careful plan also helps your bosses understand how to support you through the transition. The entry plan will help keep you organized and on task in a time that can feel highly stressful and chaotic. Creating a plan also can set you apart from other candidates during the later stages of the interview process.
Your entry plan should include the district’s mission statement and a list of action goals and priorities, which are tethered to the mission statement in some way. It can help to list important contacts for the program and schedule time to meet in person. Include a proposed schedule of events as this will prove useful in setting priorities and set a time frame for your action calls. For example, the schedule could include a “Meet the Director” event with students and parent as well as tentative concert dates and program samples. Providing a copy for your administration and board allows everyone to be on the same page from the beginning.
2. Find the Path
Every district has unique traditions and expectations. Discovering what these are and executing at a high level is the fastest way to build credibility and stability for your program. Many new directors ignore the path, and blast their own road by coming into a program and turning it upside down. Even with the best intentions, this can alienate students and supporters who no longer feel seen and heard in their own group.
3. Plan to be Creative
Administrators may only understand your schedule in a general sense. If you teach instrumental lessons with students pulled from their general classrooms, you may have to develop and maintain complex schedules. You may need to create schedules, curriculums, and procedures from the ground up. Embrace the opportunity to create. This may feel overwhelming, and it absolutely is, but you can enlist help from an experienced mentor, department chair, or local director.
4. Finding First Friends
Most teachers know the importance of connecting with administrators, guidance counselors, mentors, colleagues, and their local music community. However, it is amazing how many teachers fail to build a rapport with the most important people in their professional lives, the support staff. Get to know the office secretary and the custodian who cleans your room. Talk to the resource officer about last night’s Steelers game and bring the cafeteria staff coffee once in a while. These people will save your day more than once. Show them the kindness and respect that they deserve from the onset.
5. Aim Low, Teach High
Use easier band music when beginning the journey with your ensembles. This approach helps you learn about students as people and musicians and also serves as a catalyst for setting expectations. If you are not sure of the appropriate grade level for your new group, have several reading sessions with a variety of literature. Use these sessions to develop a long-term folder for the season.
6. Set Standards, Expectations, and Boundaries
There are few times in your career where you will have a clean slate with the ability to create a culture and environment of your choice. This is the best time to set standards and expectations that will guide students moving forward. Boundaries are essential for a comprehensive program. You will work with students and their families from fifth grade through graduation and will spend time in and out of school with them. Be cautious about using inside jokes or nicknames that can confuse and blur professional boundaries. It is your job to protect them and yourself.
7. Write Things Down
The pace of the year never really allows time to catch up. Writing things down can help you process everything in the moment and give you data to reflect on and use in the future. This could take the form of detailed journal entries or notes on your calendar as the year progresses. Those notes will improve your preparation the following year.
8. Safety First
This is not your college ensemble. You have students who are hungry, angry, and facing challenges in their lives. Your students work jobs to support their families and help raise their siblings. They cope with turbulent home lives and sometimes cannot devote the time and energy to music that you expect. Your ensemble provides an essential place of safety and stability. You offer opportunities for family, ownership, and expression. Music is a vehicle for so many wonderful connections in our lives, but it always begins with safety.
9. Just Keep Swimming
It is important to have a concept of how you want your comprehensive program to run, and that you actively work towards this vision. Remember, creativity takes planning. There will be wins, losses, and changes to your vision throughout the year. No matter what happens, you need to know what you are working towards. Teachers focused solely on survival never escape the downward, negative spiral. If you don’t have a colleague in your district to share wins and losses with, I urge you to reach out to one in a neighboring district, organize a video call with a friend from grad school, or email me. I’ll be your colleague!
10. You Care the Most
You will have bad days, rehearsals that go poorly, ideas that fail, and work that never ends. No one cares about the success of the program, the education of the students, and the integrity of the music like you do. Your care and concern for the program is more than enough. Do your best, go home, let go, and try again tomorrow.
Some of the ideas in this article may speak to you more than others. Feel free to mold and adapt the concepts to fit your specific situation. After all, your small school is its own silo, with a distinct culture and dynamic. Do not be afraid to ask for help or advice. It is evidence of maturity and prioritizing the needs of the students above all else. Believe in yourself. You will find a community of colleagues in your corner, cheering for you.
