Three Things I’ve Learned from My Years of Teaching

Three Things I’ve Learned from My Years of Teaching

Four Music Educators Share Their Thoughts

This article first appeared in the August 2024 issue of Teaching Music.

We extend our sincere thanks to Wendy Reeves, a member of the Teaching Music Advisory Committee, for highlighting this month’s Jam Session topic. Wendy drew inspiration from her colleague Jeremy Bradstreet, who shared valuable classroom lessons at the 2024 Ohio Music Education Association Professional Conference. His presentation sparked the discussion that followed. To enrich this conversation, we reached out to Jeremy and other music educators nationwide to share three key insights from their extensive experience in music education.

Jocelyne Ramirez
Music Teacher, Pío Pico Dual Immersion Academy (TK-8), Santa Ana Unified School District, Santa Ana, California
Teacher Participant, NAfME Connected Arts Networks (CAN) Grant

I am so fortunate to have chosen a life where I can create musical memories with a community I was born and raised in. Teaching in a place where families have seen me grow up has been filled with constant reconnecting and reliving my childhood memories. As I reminisce on my favorite musical memories as a child, I am continuously learning new ways to create that same love for music for my students.

Forgive and Grow

I use my heart to forgive and my mind to grow. I love that being a teacher means I am met with daily questions, joyous laughter, and a preponderance of quarrels. When one of those quarrels involves me or any other person in the school community, I find that restorative methods save my voice, involve learning about different upbringings of those involved, and lead all stakeholders to make better choices in communication. From there I find ways to grow to make sure my communication style is authentic and true to who I am to help foster a positive environment. Forgive each other and grow together is a saying that has helped me keep peace.

Community Is Key

Community means everything to me, so I made the effort to find my team, support system, and allies. When there are celebrations or hardships, I can lean on my peers for support, advice, or a listening ear. Finding my positive people has made all the difference in my mindset, because the people around me encourage me to believe in a growth mindset. I choose to listen and believe that everything will work out at the end of the teaching day because my support system sends me reassuring guidance and motivational messages. I make sure to keep my community close and to always keep it positive.

Rediscover Joy

It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of logistics, curriculum, and students for our music classes. I love to have reminders to check in with myself about my progress and joy. Am I running to my job or running away from it? Am I practicing sustainable teaching practices or are there practices I need to improve? Depending on the day, I shift my thinking and actions to create a sustainable work–life balance. Remembering that I will always find new ways to create joy in and for my job through new pedagogies, resources, students, and mentors centers me and reminds me that I am so fortunate to do what I do. I get to foster a positive community, cultivate joyful living through music, and create musical memories with students that will last a lifetime.

Whenever I need a pick-me-up, I look back on all the opportunities music has given me to live a fulfilling and joyful life. I am so happy that every day I can give back to my community that has raised, supported, and loved me through the transformative power of music.

Jeremy Bradstreet
Director of Bands, Dublin Coffman High School, Dublin, Ohio
GRAMMY Museum® Music Educator Award, 2019 Finalist

Over my career, I’ve made numerous mistakes and learned numerous lessons. Whether you’ve been teaching for a year or 25, it’s crucial to understand that every mentor, every group seen at a convention, and every admired program has faced setbacks. Reflecting on my 25 years in education, I’ve realized how my mistakes guided me to improve my craft, prompting reflection and shaping my path.

Foster a Positive Culture

The first and most vital lesson is to foster a positive culture within your educational community, encompassing students, parents, colleagues, and administration. The culture you establish holds more weight than any award or accolade. As the leader of a program, it’s your responsibility to shape this culture, as it influences behaviors, which in turn determine outcomes.

Whether or not you teach culture, every group has a culture. Establishing a positive culture breeds positive behaviors within your ensemble. Conversely, a negative culture breeds negative behaviors. These behaviors, both positive and negative, produce results. It is possible to create amazing performances through both negative and positive behaviors. While we have all seen musical ensembles that have attained notable results through negative methods, such as intimidation or coercion, a positive culture rooted in high expectations, purposeful instruction, constructive rapport, acknowledgment of mistakes, and a holistic vision can also yield significant outcomes. Moreover, it fosters sustainability and ensures the well-being of its members.

I hope we can all agree that it’s more desirable for a group to thrive within a positive culture rather than to resort to negative methods, regardless of the musical outcome. The more you focus your program on fostering a positive culture, the more the attitudes and behaviors of your students and all associated individuals will align with the core values you promote.

Resist the Comparison Trap

The second lesson learned over many years is to resist the trap of comparison. As music educators, we’ve all envied the accomplishments of others—a more successful ensemble across town, a group showcased at a prestigious convention, or a district with superior facilities.

It’s crucial to recognize that no school, community, facility, or level of parental support is perfect. I once made the mistake of comparing my students to those of a vastly different school, only to realize that such comparisons were flawed due to many differences, starting with my own strengths as an educator. Embracing Theodore Roosevelt’s words, “Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are,” propelled me toward a profound realization: to maximize my own circumstances.

Cultivate Long-Term Life–Work Balance to Finish the Job

The third lesson, the most recent addition to my lessons learned from the profession, emphasizes the importance of finishing the job, a reference to one’s teaching career. While I love teaching music, it’s easy for our profession to consume us. Whether you’ve taught for 25 years or just one, this lesson applies to everyone.

The challenge lies in how to balance offering enriching opportunities for students while safeguarding against professional burnout. This doesn’t mean shirking responsibilities; rather, it involves finding ways to deliver a high-quality education without sacrificing personal well-being. For me, this has involved offering stressful and time-consuming options less frequently and aligning adjudicated events with a balanced philosophy that accommodates both professional and personal spheres.

These three lessons weren’t taught to me or learned in school, but learned through trial, error, and reflection. Each contributes to my ongoing journey of growth and refinement.

LaSaundra Booth, EdD
Connected Arts Networks (CAN) Grant Project Professional Development/Content Manager, National Association for Music Education
Chair, NAfME Council for Orchestral Education
Executive Director, Wake Forest Community Youth Orchestra, Wake Forest, North Carolina
Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women in Business Scholar SphinxLEAD Alumni Cohort 2

Creativity Is My Superpower

I have been teaching for 21 years. My first teaching assignment was at a charter school with no books, no curriculum, and no instruments. I was told by the principal that I had to build the music program. Although this was not an ideal situation, I used this opportunity as a training ground. There was no curriculum, so I developed it. There were no instruments or materials, so I wrote grants to secure funding for my program. There were no textbooks, so I used the strengths of my students and community to create a music program that was relevant to them. In three years, I created an after-school piano program, a Suzuki violin program, a parent/faculty choir, and a scholarship for eighth-grade students who graduated from the program. I learned to use my resources, trust my instincts, and infuse my creativity into all aspects of programming. The result has been award-winning programs and curricula.

Flexibility Is Essential

I am a teacher and plan everything down to the minute. I learned early on in my career that plans change because the needs of students change. As a beginning teacher, I focused on having the perfect lesson plan. If the lesson does not meet the needs of the students, however, it is not effective. Flexibility is an essential component of my teacher toolkit. Once I began to prioritize the needs of my students more, I noticed that I needed to have multiple ways to teach the same lesson plan. This concept of flexibility that I learned while teaching K-12 definitely transferred when I began teaching at the collegiate level. We must be flexible in our instructional approach to ensure that our students develop their full potential academically, socially, and artistically.

Positivity Wins

Teaching is both challenging and rewarding. I have been through budget cuts, lack of administrative support, and difficulties with students. One thing that I had to realize was that my job was not my source. Keeping a positive mindset was essential for me to navigate my teacher leadership journey. I began speaking positively. Instead of calling out negative behavior, I began to thank those students publicly who were paying attention during the class period. I began to call my students “saints and friends,” whereas I would hear other faculty students label students as “bad” or “at-risk.” Though it takes some work to have a positive growth mindset, the shift has done nothing but reap rewards overtime.

Zachary Arenz
Instrumental and General Music Teacher, Flower City School #54, Rochester City School District, Rochester, New York
2024 New York State Teacher of the Year

Teaching isn’t just a job. It’s a journey filled with reflection, growth, and discovery. As an educator, I’ve learned valuable lessons that have influenced not just my teaching practice but also who I am as a person.

The Power of Connection

Teaching is much more than delivering lessons and grading assignments; it’s about fostering a sense of belonging and building meaningful connections across a community. Each year, I look for opportunities that build genuine rapport and show compassion across my community. Those relationships translate into my students, their families, and my colleagues knowing that they are not only seen, but also heard, cared for, and valued.

The Importance of Adaptability

Experience quickly taught me that no two days in a classroom are ever the same, and being flexible is a skill any educator must learn. From navigating an unexpected challenge to adjusting a lesson plan on the fly to meet students’ current needs, I’ve learned that my ability to adapt is essential for creating a dynamic and responsive classroom. By welcoming change and being open to new ideas, I’ve discovered creative solutions to problems that allow me to be a better teacher and foster an environment of continuous growth and improvement.

The Joy of Lifelong Learning

If I expect my students to welcome new learning, I must expect the same of myself. I welcome each day as an opportunity to discover something new: new topics, fresh perspectives, innovative teaching strategies, or deeper understanding of a subject. In embracing curiosity, seeking out situations that challenge me, and staying informed about current trends, I enrich my practice and keep my passion alive.

Teaching is a demanding but enriching journey that teaches us as much as it does students. Learning the power of connection, adaptability, and a mindset of lifelong learning are not just lessons but guiding principles that help me create vibrant and inclusive learning communities where everyone thrives.

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The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) provides a number of forums for the sharing of information and opinion, including blogs and postings on our website, articles and columns in our magazines and journals, and postings to our Amplify member portal. Unless specifically noted, the views expressed in these media do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Association, its officers, or its employees.