Reply To: Tips for a new band teacher

[nafmeadmin]

Show EXCITEMENT with the younger kids! Even if it sounds like a dead cat! Your enthusiasm is all they have. If they think they sound horrible then they won’t try. Demonstrate a lot. Which means you need to sound good at your instruments too. The clarinet was the devil for me for the first couple of years but now I am better. If you have private lessons with them you should play with them. You will get better too! Believe me when the fifth graders can play jingle bells for the first time they are so proud of themselves. Later on in the year you can always go back and say “remember how hard you thought jingle bells was? If you can play that you can play this in no time!” Keep in mind that the beginning band needs to be told everything! Even how to sit in a chair. The littlest detail that you think isn’t big at all really is!