With another year ahead of us I wanted to share some thoughts on how to start well. Every year is different, with fresh faces in our classrooms and older students to continue developing. Navigating everything at the start of term can be tough. However, I think there are a few things that might be useful to consider.
Start with you
I am more conscious than ever that my own mental and physical health is important and affects my job. This year I am starting well by reassessing what I do, when I do it and how I do it. I have not been on Twitter (X), ditched instagram and rejoined the gym. I am making space for me and also getting much earlier nights. Reading is now a huge part of my life and I am trying to focus on downtime and its importance. I am completely fallen in love with going to spin classes at the gym and for that 45 minutes, I forget the workload and there stress and focus on the RPM!
Don’t change too much
It is always tempting to try loads of new things, but this can be stressful. One thought on how to start well is to keep calm and carry on with the things that work. We will need to make some changes in our lives and teaching practice, but we don’t need to change too much. I am trying a new way of communicating with parents and student groups, and that is going to take some time to embed. But that will be enough for now, and the other stuff will carry on as normal.
Focus on the new students
Every school will have new students. Focus on them, they are the future and will be the ones who need the most inspiration. I am finding more and more that students aren’t getting the musical opportunities they deserve. Therefore it is crucial that I try and plug those gaps. It would be easy to forget how much support and guidance they need, and also how nervous they might be joining a new school. Chat to them, ask them what they want to achieve in music and help them to also start the year well.
Focus on what matters
When you have been teaching as long as I have it is easy to get stuck in your ways. One way that I have started well is to reevaluate what I do, the impact it has and what other options there are. I can often become stuck in my ways with my teaching and leadership of music, and this year I want to truly focus on what matters. That takes some thinking space, but at the start of term what matters is getting students engaged in music, involved and ready to learn in the classroom.
Marginal Gains
Making small changes can have a big impact. I think when it comes to starting the year well, you need to think about small changes to your working practice. This could be something as small as making sure that every lesson starts with a Do It Now task. We have really been looking at this in our department and we are aiming to more fully embed this in our teaching. Playing music to a class and getting them to deliberately listen out for things is a great way to start a lesson. It is obvious and easy, but the small change we are making is the way we assign questions to this task. I love talking to my students about marginal gains and I always encourage them to think about small changes they can make.
This photo always helps me to explain the power of small changes.
Goals, boundaries and parameters
I always find that I start the year well when I have some clear goals. But alongside these goals I am now realising that I need some parameters and boundaries. I can’t do it all, and sometimes my ideas aren’t the right ones. I need to makes sure that alongside my goal to increase uptake at GCSE, I don’t end up losing sight of what is best for students in the long term. I need to think about the parameters that need to be put in place to ensure that projects will be successful so that reaching goals doesn’t negatively affect staff and students. How to start well, set some goals and then think about the journey to reach them.
How to start well
Just a few thoughts on how to start well as you face another academic year. We are already one month in, but it is never too late to rethink how you approach your teaching. I think what is important is that we are always looking for small ways to change what we do rather than massive great big monumental changes. Teaching can be tough and hopefully thinking about how to start well will be a helpful process for you.