Mark Calima: New Music Teachers
Mark Calima is a veteran music teacher who spent fourteen years in middle and high schools in Texas. He has been awarded the “Who’s Who Among America’s High School Teachers,” and been named a campus Teacher of the Year, in addition to being a longtime Band Director who led different bands to prestigious national competitions.
But he knows that music teachers have to start somewhere. He graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Houston in 2004, and that same year landed a position as Assistant Director of Bands at Bammel Middle School.
The first day at any new job can be daunting, and for music teachers it’s no different. Based on his experience, the most important instrument that a music teacher has is his or her voice. When addressing a classroom full of students, it’s important for project your voice so that everyone can hear you. Pace yourself, too, by not talking too fast or too loud.
The equipment available to any music teacher is going to depend on how much the school can allocate toward a music program. A music teacher is going to require musical instruments, of course, but it doesn’t stop with those. Any modern classroom, from math to music, is going to need computers with high speed Internet connections. Music teachers will require good music software to run on their machines, along with CDs, books, and other audio and video equipment.
For new music teachers, it’s a great idea to find another music teacher with experience, and who is willing to act as a mentor. What you can learn from those more experienced is invaluable: they can provide everything from advice on managing a class of rowdy kids, to sharing lesson plans. An experienced colleague is the ideal mentor, but this can be supplemented by participating in online forums like MusicTeachers Helper.
You’ve got your degree, and you know music inside and out. But the teaching thing is all new; it would be a mistake to expect things to go perfectly, right off the bat. No matter how much energy and enthusiasm you bring to the classroom, something unexpected is likely to go wrong. Remember that it’s all part of the learning process, and that things will straighten out over time.