NAfME BLOG
Back to School with NAfME
Top Resources to Kickstart Your Back-to-School Season
Explore our highlighted back-to-school resources below to support your year ahead. Whether you’re a seasoned educator or embarking on your first year as a teacher, we’ve got you covered with helpful tools and information. NAfME is here to listen, support, and help in any way we can. Contact memberservices@nafme.org with any questions about your membership or NAfME resources.
Thank you for being a part of NAfME. We wish you a successful and fulfilling year ahead!
What’s included in this post?
Explore the featured resources below by clicking on each section. More NAfME Back to School resources will be added here in the coming weeks!
Highlighted Back-to-School and First-Year Teacher Resources
From innovative teaching strategies to organization tips, these curated articles, webinars, and blog posts from NAfME members will set you up for an exciting school year!
Featured NAfME Membership Resources
As a member of NAfME you have access to a number of exclusive resources. Make sure your membership is up to date—join or renew today!
Professional Learning Events and Resources
Our comprehensive collection of webinars and research publications will help you earn contact hours and stay at the forefront of music education trends and methodologies. Browse the NAfME event calendar to find upcoming events hosted by NAfME, State Music Education Associations (MEAs), and industry partners that match your interests, searchable by type and date.
Advocacy Resources
Learn how NAfME advocates for music education at the national level and equips you to be an advocate at the federal, state, and local levels. Find resources to be an advocate for your profession.
Equity in Music Education
Equity in music education is the keystone of NAfME’s Strategic Plan. Find academic articles, blogs, webinars, and more that address Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access in the music education classroom.
Publications and Research
NAfME offers six publications for all members at all teaching levels and in all areas.
Highlighted Back-to-School and First-Year Teacher Resources
Back-to-School Resources
June 2026 Issue of Teaching Music (log in to read this issue):
- Emergency Repair Kits, Quick Fixes, and Instrument Maintenance
- Planning Your Year: Balancing Classroom Requirements and Administrative Tasks
- Jam Session: What is one thing you do over the summer that saves you time and alleviates stress for the next school year?
Music In Our Schools Month® 2027—Stay tuned for new school year theme announcement! Meanwhile, lesson plans and more from last school year are available for your use this school year.
Webinars
(NAfME Academy login required; contact hours available):
- Music-Driven Classroom Management Strategies for Elementary (opens in new tab)
- Let’s Get Organized!(opens in new tab)
- General Music Teachers’ Back-to-School Inspiration and Ideas(opens in new tab)
- Getting Started—Goals and Objectives for Beginning Your General Music Classes(opens in new tab)
- From Can’t to Can: Positive Classroom Management in the Music Classroom(opens in new tab)
- Emotional Resilience as a Classroom Management Tool(opens in new tab)
- Setting Up for Success in Middle School General Music(opens in new tab)
- The Music Director’s Goal-Setting Blueprint(opens in new tab)
Blog Articles
- “The First Five Minutes Matter More Than You Think” by Kathleen Melago
- “Sustaining the Long Haul” by Carolina Perez Guerrero
- “Setting Up Welcoming Teaching Spaces,” Teaching Music, August 2025
- “Establish Effective Back-to-School Routines” by Lori Schwartz Reichl
- “Back-to-School Music Rituals to Boost Positive Classroom Culture” from NAfME Corporate member Kindermusik
- “Using Technology to Enhance Your School Concert” by Peter J. Perry, D.M.A.
- “Keys to Elevating the Small School Music Program” by Richard Tengowski
- “Organization Tips for the First Days of School” by Meghan Cabral
- “Building AI Literacy: A New Era for Music Educators” by Hyesoo Yoo (Music Educators Journal, March 2026; member login required)
- “Making the Most of What We Say: The Power of Verbalization in Music Teaching” by Birce Tanriguden (Music Educators Journal, March 2026; member login required)
- “PROSPERing in Music: A Positive Education Framework for Flourishing” by Nicholas E. Roseth (Music Educators Journal, March 2026; member login required)
- “Beyond Assessments: Making a Joyful Noise in Music” by Anne D. Smith (Music Educators Journal, OnlineFirst; member login required)
Find more back-to-school related resources in the NAfME Resource Library and the NAfME Blog.
First-Year Teacher Resources
Webinars
- Early Career Series (NAfME Academy login required; contact hours available)
- Cue the Clarity: Essential Communication Skills for Early Career Music Educators(opens in new tab)
- Cultivating Meaningful Connections: Building Relationships with Your Students(opens in new tab) (3 parts)
- Interviews and Resumes: A Guide(opens in new tab)
- Setting the Stage for Success: Effective Classroom Management for Music Educators(opens in new tab)
- Turning the Ship: Building and Shifting Climate and Culture in Your Program(opens in new tab)
- Exemplifying Excellence: A Guide to Music Teacher Professionalism(opens in new tab)
- Creating A Harmony from Within: Working with Impostor Phenomenon in Music Ed(opens in new tab)
- Collegiate Programs (NAfME Academy login required; contact hours available)
Blog Articles
- “Surviving and Thriving During Your First Five Years of Teaching” (Teaching Music, October 2025)
- “Systems of Support for Teachers in the First Five Years” (Teaching Music, October 2025)
- “Finding Your People: The Power of Affinity Groups for Music Educators” (Teaching Music, October 2025)
- “You Are Not Alone! Tips for New Teachers in Small Schools” (Teaching Music, October 2023)
- “Vital Tips for First-Year Music Educators” from NAfME Corporate member Yamaha Corporation of America
- “The Key to a Successful First Year” by Marissa Guarriello
- “Being the ‘New Teacher’: Making a Smooth Transition” by Kevin Coker
- “If I Could Turn Back Time: A Letter to My Younger Self” by Lori Schwartz Reichl and Neil Anderson
Find more back-to-school related resources in the NAfME Resource Library and the NAfME Blog(opens in new tab).
NAfME Membership Resources
- Meet your fellow members! Get to know fellow NAfME members from around the country—and submit your own story, why you love teaching, best practices, and/or why you believe we must advocate for music education: Submit your story here.
- Music Education Mentorship: The NAfME Music Teacher Profession Advisory Committee (MTPAC) solicited the state music education association mentoring information as part of the ongoing work to implement the strategies in A Blueprint to Strengthen the Music Teacher Profession. This information will be regularly updated with new state MEA information as it becomes available.
- Join(opens in new tab) or Renew(opens in new tab) your NAfME Membership
- Thank you to our NAfME Corporate Members for your dedication to and support of music educators.
- Collegiate Opportunities
- September 3 NAfME Collegiate Chapter Leadership Training (registration required)
- September 16 Fall Collegiate Membership Rally (registration required)
- NAfME Collegiate Kickoff Week: Week-long back-to-school social media campaign
- Find Collegiate Chapter Materials like the Quickstart Guide, fundraising resources, and more on this page.
- Featured Collegiate webinars on-demand in NAfME Academy®: “College Readiness and the Piano: What Every Prospective Music Major Needs to Know”; “Building Your Brand Starts Now!”; “Time Management Tips for the Busy College Student”
- Follow NAfME Collegiate on Instagram(opens in new tab) and Facebook(opens in new tab) (@nafmecollegiateofficial) for the latest updates year-round.
- Middle/Junior High and High School Opportunities
- Start or Renew your Tri-M® Music Honor Society chapter
- “Why Your School Should Start a Tri-M Music Honor Society Chapter”
- The chapter setup guide has everything you need from guidance to elect/appoint officers and create bylaws to a sample membership application and sample induction ceremony with the Tri-M loyalty song.
- Get service project ideas for your chapter.
- The application period for the 2026–2027 Chapter of the Year Scholarship award will be open March 8–April 9, 2027. Learn more about the Chapter of the Year Scholarship and what your chapter can do to apply on Tri-M Awards and Recognition web page.
- Get connected with other Tri-M Advisors on the Tri-M Advisors Facebook group(opens in new tab)! Tri-M students can also connect with each other on the Tri-M Students Facebook group(opens in new tab).
- Don’t forget t-shirts, Tri-M banner, and more—shop Tri-M merchandise.
- Check out the NEW NAfME Career Center—and add your profile!
- Connect with your State Music Education Association (MEA).
- Learn about NAfME Societies and Councils, including leadership opportunities, learning, and networking.
- Catch up with colleagues on CONNECT(opens in new tab) (formerly Amplify), the online community exclusively for NAfME members.
Professional Learning Events and Resources
- Guiding Principles, Frameworks, and Applications for AI in Music Education (published July 29, 2025)
- August 12 (recording now available): “Music Industry and Music Education Working Together to Meet New Challenges,” a NAfME/NAMM webinar
- October 10: Second Virtual Symposium on Music Education and Students with Disabilities and/or Living in Poverty
- 2026 Biennial NAfME Music Research and Teacher Education Conference September 30–October 3, Long Beach, California.
- 59th NAfME Eastern Division In-Service Conference, Providence, Rhode Island, April 1–4, 2027
- Sing Democracy 250(opens in new tab): Check out performances around the country this fall.
- Crayola Creativity Week 2027: Registration available soon for the January 25–31, 2027, event and receive free resources, enter the sweepstakes, and more!
- NAfME Professional Learning Webinars: Earn contact hours! Live one-hour virtual events featuring music education experts from all teaching levels and areas, scheduled regularly September through May.
- NAfME Academy: Earn more contact hours! Enroll in 300+ music education professional development webinars and track your contact hours on demand. (Subscription required—free for members, $125/annually for nonmembers.)
Learn more about subscribing to the Academy, a free benefit of membership in NAfME.
Recently added to the NAfME Academy
- Ensembles
- Teaching Musicality to Orchestra Students
- Director’s Goal-Setting Blueprint
- HELP! My Clarinet is __?!: A Guide to Troubleshooting Common Clarinet Conundrums
- Rethinking Repertoire: Gender and Equity in Secondary Ensembles
- Beyond “Just Listen More”: Jazz Listening Activities for Music Educators
- Bridging the Gap Between Applied Voice Lessons and the Modern Choral Rehearsal
- Tone for the Non-Guitarist Guitar Educator
- Unlock the Trombone Code: Tips for Helping Young Trombone Players
- Teaching Guitar Through Riffs and Licks: Stepping Away from the Method Book
- General Music
- Conversational Solfège: Games with a Purpose
- Orff Schulwerk: Developing Intercultural Competence through Music and Movement Education
- Kāhuli Aku: Exploring the World Music Pedagogy Framework through a Hawaiian Children’s Song
- Children’s Literature to Performance Possibilities
- Creative Music-Making for Every Classroom
- A Taste of Kodály: Activating and Engaging Today’s Learners
- Fantastic Elastic Lesson Plans
- Tunes to Talk About: Using Music and Reflection to Enrich Classroom Dialogue
- The Singing Voice: From the Heart to Musical Literacy
- Integrated Music Making & the General Education Classroom
- Orff Inspired Programs: Planning and Processing
- Teaching and Exploring Hip Hop
- Setting Up for Success in Middle School General Music
- Beyond Inclusion: Universal Design in the Elementary Music Classroom
- Integrating Hip-Hop into Music Education: Strategies for Engaging Students
- Accessible Music Education Strategies to Reach Every Student
- Teacher Self-Care
- Save Your Voice and Share Your Love of Music for a Lifetime!
- Seeking the Light Within: How to Maintain Your Advocacy Efforts in the Face of Burnout
- Creating A Harmony from Within: Working with Impostor Phenomenon in Music Ed
- Social-Emotional Learning & Classroom Management
- Navigating Emotional Risk in the Music Classroom
- From Can’t to Can: Positive Classroom Management in the Music Classroom
- Developing Social-Emotional Skills in the Inclusive Music Classroom
Plus many more in the categories of Guitar, Composition, Research, Music Program Leaders, Music Teacher Education, Small Schools, Advocacy, and Innovations.
The NAfME Academy now contains more than 300 courses related to all areas of music education, allowing members to earn professional development contact hours on demand.
Register for a live webinar this fall! View the schedule here.
Advocacy Resources
- MAESTRO Act Model Legislation and State-Level Advocacy Resources: Download model state legislation for arts education, a strategic plan for state-level advocacy, and an infographic highlighting the benefits of music education and strategies for expanding arts education access.
- Music Education Rapid Response Plan: Equip yourself to respond quickly and effectively to proposed cuts to music education programs in your community.
- Grassroots Action Center(opens in new tab): Get involved in federal and state education policy by contacting your elected representatives in support of legislation that impacts music and arts education.
- Arts Education Alliance Federal Funding Toolkit: Learn how federal funding impacts arts education and how to advocate most effectively.
- Local Advocacy Action Plan: Access resources to help you advocate for funding and opportunities to support your music program.
- Advocacy Bulletin Blog: Keep up to date with the latest policy news and advocacy action items.
Equity in Music Education
- Equity Resource Center: The NAfME Equity Resource Center is a collection of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Belonging (DEIAB) resources to support our members in their continuing efforts to make DEIAB actionable in the music education profession. Selections for the resource center include webinars, blogs, journal articles, personal stories, and frequently asked questions.
- Music Teacher Profession Initiative: Read the findings and recommendations of a national task force to identify barriers to equity in music teacher recruitment, education, and retention.
- Divisive Concepts and Music Education: Quantitative Follow-Up Study: Information on divisive concepts laws in the music classroom, including resources to assist music educators in navigating state laws and regulations.
- Small Schools Initiative: Key issues and effective strategies for networking, community building, professional learning, advocacy, and resource development to support music educators in small schools.
Publications and Research
- NAfME Books: NAfME publishes books on all aspects of music education. Current members receive 30% off book purchases from Bloomsbury Books.
- NAfME Journals: Find peer-reviewed articles for your teaching specialty in Music Educators Journal, Journal of General Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Journal of Research in Music Education, and Journal of Music Teacher Education
- State MEA Publications: NAfME’s affiliated state music education associations publish journals, magazines, and newsletters that explore the breadth and depth of music education across the nation. Find on this page links to each state’s publication(s).
Benefits and resources are subject to change.
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