🎵Top Tips for Your First Year Teaching Choir

If you’re in your first year(s) of teaching middle or high school choir- Congratulations! You’ve made it through the exams, the observations and the student teaching. Woohoo! 🎉 Now it’s time for the real fun to begin.

But here’s something no one tells you in college: nothing ever goes exactly as planned. The best professors cannot prepare you for the unexpected things that may arise in real life! 

Your first years of teaching will be full of surprises- some good, some stressful and some that will have you laughing all the way home (after you’ve had a moment to recover). The key to surviving in education is to expect the unexpected and learn to roll with it. (And being able to laugh about it helps, too.)

1. Flexibility Is Your Superpower 💪

There will be days when the fire alarm goes off in the middle of warm-ups on a rainy day, ¼ of the choir will be gone due to illness, the lightbulb on the projector burns out or a gel-filled fidget toy will explode all over the student and into their eyes. (Yes, these are real examples I have encountered and yes, the gel explosion happened last week.) 👀

My advice: Take a deep breath, smile and pivot. Choir teachers are masters at improvisation! Having a few backup activities ready to go like a quick choir game, can turn those moments into something positive. 

2. Your Lesson Plans Are a Guideline, Not a Script 📝

Lesson plans are important, but they’re not set in stone. Some days your rehearsals will move faster than you expect; other days, they’ll need a little more time (and patience). The magic happens when you can read the room and adjust your plan on the fly.

Speaking of lesson plans…When I first started teaching, I wrote out very long lesson plans, including everything I was going to say to the class. It was time-consuming but it kept me organized and on track. Now that I am more experienced, I write down exactly what I want to accomplish for each song that day and place it on a sticky not on each song. Do I buy a lot of sticky notes? Yes. Do I feel more organized, more focused during class and less stressed? Also, yes. 

But it is important to note: It’s totally okay if you don’t “finish the lesson” or need to pivot. What matters is that your students are learning and growing through music.

3. Building Routines Are a Must for Classroom Management! 📚

The first year can feel overwhelming with performances, grading and expectations. But don’t forget that your students are learning how to trust you just as much as they’re learning to sing for you. Knowing exactly what is expected for them will help students feel safe and secure and will save you the hassle of dealing with behavior issues. When students know exactly what is expected of them, they are less likely to challenge you and question your intentions.

Start small: Make a seating chart, assigned folders and explain and practice procedures such as how students walk into the room. Have a place for everything like lost and found items, extra copies of music, pencils and permission slips, etc. 

4. Keep a “Just in Case” Tub 😅

Every choir teacher needs a secret stash of extra pencils, tissues, band-aids and emergency chocolate. But also think about keeping a “Just in Case” binder full of backup lessons, attendance sheets, choir handbooks, permission slips and your concert calendar. When things go sideways (and they will), you’ll thank yourself for being prepared. 

If you want to save time creating those materials, I have some no-tech, sub-friendly resources on TpT that are perfect to tuck into your emergency folder. They’ve saved my sanity more times than I can count!

5. Remember: You’re Learning, Too ❤️

Every experienced choir teacher has stories of first-year mishaps and unexpected moments. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Every challenge makes you a stronger teacher. I’m in my 23rd year of teaching choir and I STILL have days where I question myself and days where I laugh at the crazy things that happened.

So laugh often, be flexible and don't be too hard on yourself. The best stories (and memories) come from the things you didn’t plan. And aren’t we so lucky to be able to teach a subject we love?!?!

If you’re looking for more tools to make your first year a little smoother, stop by my TpT store, Savvy Ellie Music. You’ll find ready-to-use choir games, sub plans and organization tools that keep your classroom running- even when things don’t go as planned. Here’s to your first year of teaching- chaos, laughter and all!

Happy Teaching! 🍎 Melanie