How to Prepare Your Music Classroom for Summer Break

Don’t get too comfortable yet! The arrival of summer often reminds us of just how burnt out we as educators are at the end of a school year. I know, I know, we need a break just as much as our students do. But it’s important to set ourselves and our students up for success the following year. After all, this makes our return at the end of August that much easier and means less work for us at the start of the school year.

Here are some ideas on what you should try and do before the start of summer:

Recruiting and Measuring:

For instrumental programs, recruit your students at the end of the school year, especially right after concerts! That’s when their excitement and enthusiasm are at their highest, and you’re likely to get more kids to sign up. As an orchestra teacher, I take this opportunity to figure out the instrumentation of next year’s group and measure students for instruments. I then send this information to their parents along with vendor information and encourage them to order their instruments by mid-August.

Tracking Concert Pieces:

Do yourself a favor: make a Google sheet and start keeping track of what pieces your kids performed. After every concert, write down notes and teaching points next to each piece. You can mention who the composer was, the key and time signatures, what you liked/didn’t like, what was challenging, and even give it a level (C - Challenging, M - Medium, E - Easy, VE - Very Easy). I even write about whether or not the kids enjoyed it.

Now, instead of rummaging through all your music for that piece your kids loved six years ago, refer to this document as you begin programming. I can search “Hooked Bows” or “Accidentals” and pieces will show up that I’ve forgotten about (that is, as long as I made notes about that). This also helps to see if you repeat certain pieces, which I must say, is not a bad thing at all. In my opinion, some pieces are a “Right of Passage” or “Go-tos” because they just HIT all the teaching targets. I have several pieces tucked away that I constantly pull out again and again.

Program:

Oh, I ABSOLUTELY will program pieces for the following year. I’ll typically figure out how my students perform by the end of their first year and start brainstorming ideas. I think about balance, keys and time signatures, and other teaching points. Do this ahead of time so you don’t have to do it in September.

Lesson Groups and Leveling:

If you teach group lessons, consider creating lesson groups and leveling your students at the end of the year. We forget a lot over the summer, so it helps to note which students can handle more challenging music and which ones need more support or intervention.

*Side Note: Some kids surprise us over the summer and make significant progress, so keep these documents fluid and be prepared to switch things.

Organize:

I can’t wait to organize my spare strings by instrument and size, and it’s always fun for me to sort through my music library and put things in alphabetical order. Take inventory of what you have: valve oil, rosin, peg drops, etc. Find all your pencils, sharpen them, and put them away. Check your markers and see what works and what doesn’t. Take things off your desks and shelves and securely pack them in boxes labeled with your name and room number. Also, take a walk around your school and check the lost and found for any forgotten books. Organize them and file them away for students who can’t afford their own or need to borrow a copy. Returning to a clean and organized space is refreshing, so take advantage of the time.

Order Supplies:

Some schools do this at the end of the year or the start of the new school year; some even order supplies in the middle of summer. Some districts might not have funds for music teachers, but in either case, make a list of what you need. I begin making my list at the start of the year and add things as they come to mind. This way, come June, I know exactly what I need.

Instrumental Care:

Clean your instruments and bow hairs and pack everything away. Loosen all bows and tune down all instruments so the strings don’t tighten over the hot and humid summer months. Never assume the temperature in your building will be consistent throughout the summer. And while I haven’t taught band in years, I do remember cleaning all my instruments before the school year ended.

Labeling:

Label anything expensive or small with your name and room number in case it gets moved. I also put labels on bookshelves, file cabinets, my fan, my desk, and books.

Assemble End-of-the-Year Music Packets:

Put together packets of fun pieces for your kids and take their suggestions. Make the pieces accessible to your students’ levels. They might not play through them, but at least they have the option.

Are you a MakeMusic Cloud user? Check out this Summer Music Practice Challenge to keep your students engaged over the summer and maybe even earn some extra credit!

Newsletters:

Newsletters are an excellent way to keep your parents informed and demonstrate what students have learned. Mine are colorful and fun, containing everything from concert information to practice tips. Get these together and send them out.

Check In with Feeder Schools:

If you teach elementary, check in with your middle school colleagues to see who signed up and who didn’t. See if you can catch those kids and convince them to stick with their instrument.

If you teach middle school, go to your feeder schools and meet and hang out with the kids. Play through music, conduct them, and have fun with them. I would also check in with your colleagues at the high school to see who signed up and who didn’t, and see if you can convince those kiddos to sign up.

High School teachers, try to get your students down to the elementary and middle schools to perform. Successful high school programs are reliant upon strong elementary and middle school programs. Be visible early on so the kids know they’re coming to you.

Throw-Back:

I love gathering all the old music my students performed and having one final play-through of everything. Do it in order so they can see their growth. Give them the first piece they ever played and move throughout the year. It’ll be a nice little moment for them to reflect on their year(s) with you.

Last but not least, log out of your school email and shut off your work computer. Go enjoy summer and relax knowing that you’re prepared for the start of the next school year. You earned it!

Enjoy your summer, and good luck with the final weeks of school!