American music teachers are already back to school but for us Canadians, we still have two more weeks of prep! As a music teacher, it can be difficult to get to know your students the same way a homeroom teacher does. It’s even harder to make connections with parents and special adults. Unfortunately, that’s just the nature of the beast. Here are some resources that can help you solve those problems! 1. Meet the *MUSIC* Teacher I developed these templates one of my first years teaching. Being an unfamiliar face in a new school definitely presented it’s own set of challenges when it came to communication. Yes, we have our databases and all that jazz, but I found that opening up lines of communication from my side of things came in handy. It helped build trust with the school community and let guardians reach out with questions and concerns to me personally. I found this very valuable so that I didn’t have to receive information second-hand. These fun little templates allow you to introduce yourself with some fun facts, spaces for photos, and most important; your contact information. Obviously, don’t give out your personal details. But if you have a direct phone line in your office, favorite app to communicate with (such as SeeSaw) or anything else like that, make sure to include it! This particular template is my favorite- it’s simple and also looks great printed in black and white. The package comes with 4 templates in total, all completely editable. Click to see more! 2. Would You Rather?- Get to Know Your Music Students! I love playing this game at the beginning of the year. It’s easy, involves no prep and is engaging! I do this game with each group every year. The students sometimes surprise themselves with their answers having changed. It’s a great opportunity to introduce self-reflection and some critical thinking skills on the first day! Display the questions of the board and have students move to the side of the room that has their answer. Example questions include: Would you rather sing or play an instrument? Would you rather perform or be in the audience? Click to see more! P.S…. there may be an updated version coming… 3. Music Birthday Treats Another thing that I spend time on, are birthday treats. Well, not so much physical toys or candy, but small birthday cards. With hundreds of students, it is far too expensive to buy such things. So here are simple guitar-themed birthday tags with multiple colors. You can edit your name in on the computer or simply print and write your name in. They have 8 per sheet. I print many sheets at a time to have on hand in case I am surprised by someone’s birthday (like a new student, or wrong info in the database, etc). Click to see more!
