Reply To: 2nd Year Help!!!

[nafmeadmin]

Yes, unit planning is time consuming, but in the future you’ll have these wonderful units already planned – just pull them off a disk or file! You will continue making new units in your future years teaching, but everything you do can be repeated in future years, so it’s all worth it!! Worksheets I made my first and second years teaching I still use and modify year after year. One student last year caught me in this: I needed an activity for a small group, so I printed a worksheet off my disk which went with a current unit. He did a bit of the worksheet and then said “wait a second – didn’t we do this last year??” 😛

Don’t be afraid to try new things; just be conscious of learning from everything you do. If you plan an activity and with one class things don’t go well, reflect, make notes and tweak the plan. It will go well ultimately!

I’m finding the same thing this year – I’m spending most of my planning time on concert planning and less on my lessons. I get in about an hour before school starts and use this time to set up and organize myself. I plan lessons usually Sunday afternoon.

I would advise you to consider the amount of time it would take to teach students all of the songs for these several performances and then decide if it is feasible / doable. YOU are the expert – remember that!! Yet at the same time you need to please the parents. Make your decision about amount of performances and explain your reasoning to your principal. If the parents want to argue, they can speak to the principal. If they speak to you, explain that you want the students to have a positive experience performing and cramming their little heads full of songs — with little time for other musical instruction — is not good. You want them to love music and not be scarred. The principal should support you in your decision.