Jitters the first day of class are to be expected as an early childhood music teacher.  Every year, with each class, you have to walk into the abyss and weave your magic with whomever shows up.  How do you manage when there are 14 enrolled and only a toddler and a baby show up? You weave your magic. What do you do about beginners and experienced children in the same class? You weave your magic.  What about multiple ages in one class?  A crying baby?  A mom that distracts her child, trying to get him to participate?  A group of 20 with only two aides? You weave your magic.

The greater your understanding of the process of music learning, your command of curriculum materials, and your awareness of effective techniques, the more you will be able to weave your magic with the musical minds of whomever appears in front of you, taking all on a delightful musical journey.  There are no guarantees of who or what walks in the door, when, or how many.  And successive weeks can be equally unpredictable.

The first day of class is always exciting.  We are all “practicing teachers,” armed with the materials of OTEC coursework and the courage to walk into the classroom.  When you no longer have butterflies in your stomach on the first day of class, it is time to get out of the field.