Think about September now, not plan it, just think about it. That is the message behind this 10 Minute CPD blog. We have so much going on, but we can start to think, plot and imagine.
Why?
I like to think about September now so that I can start to imagine the kind of year I want for the Music Department. Leaving it all until July or August can lead to stress and that is not good for anybody.
I also think that the more time we spending thinking, the more ideas and innovations we will generate. September 1st is often too late to make changes and we want to get ahead of the game.
How?
As I mentioned in the introduction, this is all about thinking and not necessarily about planning. So what I am challenging you to do is just spend time thinking about the next academic year. What would you love to do? How might you go about a new project, scheme or ensemble. You don’t have to write anything down, but you can start to simply think things through.
But you then might want to commit a piece of paper to some mind-mapping or get a notebook and jot some thoughts down. Nothing heavy and overwhelming at this stage. The planning and preparation will come, but the thinking is important. Sometimes we don’t give ourselves enough time to just mull over ideas in our mind.
What?
So what kind of thing could you start to think about now? Here are some of the thoughts that I am mulling over as I write this blog:
- What musical shall I do next year?
- I wonder what we could do for Christmas this year – will it be back to normal?
- Is there any new music that I could start to think about ordering so that it arrives well in advance?
- How might I organise my classroom – are there any changes that need to be made.
- Is my curriculum fit for purpose? Do I want to make any changes?
- Do I need to invest in my own CPD – what areas of my own teaching could I improve? Do I need to read a book?
The main reasons for thinking about these things now is then you have time to do something about them. Sometimes we can panic and start a new project, scheme or approach. This is not the best approach and a more measured process is best. Our wellbeing will directly benefit from giving ourselves more time to think.
Think about September now
There is no harm is there, so why not think about September now. It will give you time to then plan ahead and won’t result in panic! The more we think and reflect on our own teaching, the more prepared we will be for the future. We often need time to fully grasp something new, so think about September now!
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