When’s the last time you stopped to think about your childhood. I mean, like really stopped to think about the challenges, the good times, the awkward moments, and everything else in between. If you haven’t done that in a while, stop right now and close your eyes and think about the happy memories and the not so good memories. Why? Because, when you think about your background, it really helps with connecting to your students as the music teacher.
Think about you as a child, but also you related to music. When you see your students for a short amount of time each week, it can be tough to have conversations with them. But, write down one student from each class you see and make it a point to talk to them before or after school, even just for 5 minutes.
This podcast episode goes right along with what is talked about in this blog post.
How did you grow up
The first thing to think about is how you grew up. Were you a single child or did you have a lot of siblings? Did you have a happy childhood or a rough one? Are you from a single parent home or did you have two parents? These things all help to form connections points from you to your students. How you might be asking? Well, let me explain.
I come from a family of 3 girls. I’m also a middle child. So, this is a connection point to my students who have siblings or are a middle child. But, I can also speak to the kiddos who are an only child or come from a family of boys as well. I can connect my experiences to what their shared or different experiences are and it helps to relate to them and what they’re going through as a child. This blog post goes into more detail about how to build relationships with your students in the music room.
What was your childhood like
The next thing to think about is what your childhood was like. Now, we all have happy and not so happy memories from our childhood’s. In my own experience, I come from a family with lots of turmoil and strife, but I also have happy memories tied in there as well. I also remember not having a lot of money for things, moving a lot and going to new schools, and being a shy and misunderstood kid. These experiences helped shape me into the person, but also into the teacher, I am today. They also helped me relate to the students who come from similar backgrounds or situations too.
What about your experiences? What are connection points from your childhood that will form a bridge between you and a certain student. Was your childhood happy or tough or a mixture of both? Was school hard or easy for you? Were you the shy kid or the outgoing one? Were you labeled as the smart kid? Did you move around a lot which caused you to not be able to make friends easily?
These are all things to consider when writing how you can connect with the students you serve.
Your background with music
How much do your students really know about your experiences with music in your childhood? They know you like music obviously since you’re the music teacher and all. But, have you ever shared with them about why you like music?
Tell your students how you started with music and even about your elementary music experiences. Let them know what sparked your interest in learning music in private lessons or choir. What made you want to go into band, orchestra, or choir in middle and high school? Why did you become a music major when you could’ve chosen any other degree path? Also… how did music help you when you were going through the tough stuff as a child?
For me, it was my 1st grade teacher. She had a piano in her classroom and liked to play it for us. One day after hearing her play “Jolly Old St. Nicholas”, I went home and figured out how to play the melody. I shared this experience with my students and let them know that even if I’m helping to plant the seed of music into even one of their lives, I’ve done my job. You never know what seeds you’re planting each and every day in the lives of your students.
The main thing is to show your students you understand them. Of course you can’t relate to every child’s experience because you’re one person, but you can try to learn about their lives which will in turn help you to understand who they are. Connecting to your students as the music teacher truly goes a long way with classroom management and forming those relationships which in turn allows you to teach music to your students more because they know you care and want to learn from you.
How do you connect with your students and share experiences from your childhood with them? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below or share your thoughts on social media as you share this post.
Also, I’d love for you to share this post or any of the resources on my website with a friend or colleague who you know NEEDS to see it.
P.S. Are you feeling frustrated or stuck as an elementary music teacher? Check out these free resources to help you teach elementary music with confidence!
Also…I wrote a book called “Make A Note: What You Really Need To Know About Teaching Elementary Music” to help music teachers move forward in your teaching career. You can get your copy here.
