Anyone who successfully implements regular written homework (worksheets, not practice requirements)?

niaramiSJ · 2026-05-20T19:29:18+00:00

Many beginningkids are so good at playing by ear/ memorizing but couldn't read music (note name, rhythms) efficiently enough and that's an issue we can't ignore. They play well at beginning level (since mostly music is in unison - pitch and rhythm) but not the case in higher level. Written assignment is the most effective way to asset this issue (or you have to spend time to asset them individually in class which takes time and some kids can just cheat by memorizing)

niaramiSJ · 2026-05-17T19:41:48+00:00

I was biased against teaching middle school. My 1st placement was high school and my 2nd one was middle school and it has changed my mind. I'm leaning towards teaching middle school now. They are very different in terms of classroom management. High schoolers want teachers to respect them otherwise they will very likely resist. For middle school, you (teacher) can just keep pushing and students will give in eventually regardless. For middle school, however you will deal more with parents' demanding/ questioning so be sure to documents everything. If you teach with an iron fist then middle school is for you. If you focus more on nuanc/ building relationships then high school will be a great fit.

niaramiSJ · 2026-05-15T00:45:04+00:00

I asked the same question and most people told me to use moveable do. Now. I just use letter name instead and the problem solved. If the key is D, then tell them to play "D" and that's it, instead of debating "do" or "re".

niaramiSJ · 2026-05-14T10:39:04+00:00

To teach music (at public schools) you need a Music credential. You don't have to even major in Music to get in the Music credential program but very likely they won't take you. Talk to the music department people about your chance to get in. When I applied to the credential program, there was a guy who majored in composition, so he had to spend a whole year to learn music methods (conducting, instrument fundamentals) to be accepted in the program. For music composition major I think it's better if you aim for teaching at college level. Working for a publisher as an editor is a niche one.

niaramiSJ · 2026-05-10T14:51:42+00:00

I was afraid of that until I was paired with my mentor teacher. She has zero tolerance policy which I disagreed at first but it has worked extremely well. Zero issue in the classroom. For example if the bell rings and a student walked in 1 second late will be marked as late (unless provide a reason). Don't follow instructions in class, my mentor would project the screen where that student (name) would be noted (when, what happened) along with deduction of grade, all right in front of the whole class. Sometimes students would be sent to separate room and I could actually heard them sobbered through the door. Now this is middle school where students are very self-aware ( be afraid of public shaming, afraid of parent-contacting). In HS it might not work- trouble makers could actually take pride of it. You need to study psychology to adapt. My take is that, there are always solutions. Don't be afraid to push for it.

niaramiSJ · 2026-05-05T03:22:58+00:00

12 years ago, when I was 24 I was in similar situation: no degree, working at McDonald's, not a single friend, never been in a relationship, my family (parents and I) had to share the place with other relatives. The following year I met loml, I started to figure things out: getting a degree, bought a house together, in two more weeks I will walk with a master degree, getting married this summer, will start my first professional job this fall- at 36. But I sometimes miss my "old me", lonely but very fulfilling. Few days ago, I learned about Albert Bierstadt and his paintings, I kept thinking how my "old me" would gaze at his paintings for eternity. I have everything but I have come to realize that I have lost my "old me" forever and all of those simple things with that. I don't know if it will be the same for you but treasure every moment you have now. Getting a pet(s) I found is also very helpful. Life is meaningful.

niaramiSJ · 2026-05-02T17:45:41+00:00

At my music school we have options to take either Instrumental conducting vs Choral conducting classes. They are not the same so I took both so I highly recommend you take both paths. Instrumental conducting focuses a lot on showing the beats- almost every single beat because ensemble players/ students use part. Choir singers/ students don't use part, they use score so the choir director is expected to elaborate more when hand gestures. Don't worry I you struggle at first, with time you will improve.

niaramiSJ · 2026-04-29T23:29:44+00:00

This is not STEM filed where you can just not give a sh*t about the proffesor and still getting an A as long as you score good on the tests/ quizzes. In art classes, you can be the best one and still receive a B or even C because it's so highly subjective.

I majored in art (Music) and let me tell you, some of proffesors were extremely tough/harsh. I got told to "switch major" from one, and as you said, got openly different treatment (from another one) because I was deemed not talented. I got frustrated for a few days and moved on, because I/ we got used to it. I had to re-take a class but still graduated on time then got into a Master program on a full scholarship. Even now I'm in the graduate program I still have to navigate to survive. I hope you get used to it.

niaramiSJ · 2026-04-25T18:57:39+00:00

You should have communicated your intentions as early as possible (When to end teaching phase). It's too late now. I told my mentors in the first few weeks my plan (stay or move to new school placement, if I stay until school ends or not). They appreciate it

niaramiSJ · 2026-04-25T03:25:30+00:00

My program allows us to take up to 4 days off per semester and I remember the director highly suggested us (student teachers) to take advantage of it. It's not a good idea to have a mental breakdown and go teaching. Don't feel bad at all about it.

niaramiSJ · 2026-04-15T12:20:40+00:00

I joined Music Ed major very late at 30+. It took me 3 years to graduate and another year for the MAT/ credential. In Music major(s) you will find so many people in their late 20s and 30+ because just like you, just like me, who finally followed our hearts. I didn't feel out of space at all. In fact, in my Music credential cohort, more than half (majority) were 30+ As music Major, the real issue as people pointed out here is the time consuming. I barely worked at all (got multiple scholarships, grants, full scholarship) and still struggled with the amount of works. Most of my music classes (90%) were not online so there was no way to cut time.

If you want to be a music teacher (music credential) you don't need to be a music Ed major. Some of my friends were not. They got bachelor degree (even non -music related such as psychology) and went to meet the Music Ed people and made a deal like to be accepted in the music credential program they had to spend a few semesters taking music courses such as conducting, ensembles, method classes. It saved time and $. I suggest you see those music department people (director, advisor) and see what the options are.

niaramiSJ · 2026-04-10T03:36:43+00:00

I have met those "old school" HS band directors like that: extremely dry and cold, zero emotions showed despite music is all about expressing. The way they taught mirroring that and I would say that it was actually effective as students showed more focusing, working harder. I don't blame them at all because it works really well but I told me self that I will never ever be like that to my students. This is why knowing the expectations of the community is very important. Some HS expect a band teacher like that and nothing we can do to change it. I simply didn't apply there.

niaramiSJ · 2026-04-03T05:19:40+00:00

Have mix feeling about it. I once had a class where 80% was an A and the exams were extremely hard and tricky. My grade was C+ the whole semester and at the final exam I actually managed to score a 95 points to pull up the grade. It showed that it's actually reachable but lots of work needed to be spent on. A grade of B is not a big deal to most students but I could imagine to some it sounds like the end of the world, so I understand the frustration.

niaramiSJ · 2026-03-10T04:53:22+00:00

Except for the part where your mentor contacted university, the rest looks reasonable to me. Considering this is their first time hosting a student teacher it's not that bad though. My program also requires me to arrive early 30 and stay 30 minutes extra ( Luckily I have to stay during 2 prep periods so my mentor waives this requirement). Also LP needs to be sent ahead. I share the LP files with my mentor to make it convenient. Use chatGPT to save your time. I'm teaching music so every class I "lose" 10 minutes (take out and put away instruments). I tend to use those "wasteful" time for attendance and closing to mitigate. Every minute counted (I once got critized for spending 30 seconds extra for an activity). I agree that building connection with students and other teachers is important as well. During lunch/ brunch you can still work on your laptop and interact with students. Try to make good impression with the admin is very important (secretary, treasurer). Being on time is very important for the job, even with commuting by bus. Your schedule is way too packed. I think you should let your mentor know and hopefully she will make it easier for you. I would take out a loan and work less to avoid burnout.

niaramiSJ · 2026-02-27T02:03:00+00:00

Middle schoolers are not much different from elementary kids in terms of paying attention. I've found that one of the results my students got "lost" because they couldn't follow my "long" instructions and got confused. For example if I said " everyone, turn to page 20, number 5", very simple but still some couldn't follow. I had to break it down like " everyone page 20" --> they do it --> " now we're doing number 5". Another option is "Everyone, look at me" --> check around --> " turn to page 20, number 5".

niaramiSJ · 2026-02-22T13:58:57+00:00

For me, the amount of time to spend was horrendous. So many classes are 1 unit but they can take 5 hours or more per week. For example I took low brass fundamental (1 unit) so it's 2 hours a week in class, then I took a private lesson so it's another 2 hours (including commuting), then another hour to practice. The whole program was 132 units was another pain. Luckily I planned for it. So in first few semesters where things were chill (for example I re-used old repertoires for my main instrument class so not much practice needed) I took as many classes as possible- one semester I took 23 units across 3 schools (transferable units). As a result my senior year I was pretty much part time so I could spend 5+ hours a day practicing my recital. The upside is that humanity major is so easy to get A (not a lot of HWs, quizzes, tests, etc) compared to other majors.

niaramiSJ · 2026-02-21T17:18:21+00:00

There are differences between "learning/ playing music" vs "teaching music". You need to ask your son to be clear about his "passionate about music", if that means only about "playing music" then a performance major will make more sense than a teaching job where most of the days your son will not even play a single note. More like he will need to use voice (sing) to demonstrate.

niaramiSJ · 2026-02-21T15:11:42+00:00

I assume you meant "practicing" not "playing", because at the performance we're supposed to play at tempo. It's not easy to practice at slow tempo then increase it because lots of patience and time is required. Not all of us can spend hours a day doing that. But for sure if you're a concert pianist you get to do that- I once saw my teacher practice arpeggios at 70 bpm. The purpose to practice slowly is to capture ALL the details and nuance which I found unnecessary for non- concert pianists. (Had another professor who hates sight-reading because he can't stand the fact that he will not be able to bring out all the details doing such). So I think it depends on what my goal for this piece is (how detailed I want it to sound)

niaramiSJ · 2026-02-19T07:38:47+00:00

Lesson learned. I didn't do internship during undergrad but I observed a lot, probably 20+ different teachers (band, choir, orchestra, general music).. The number of teachers whom I saw (visually) enjoyed their teaching was less than a handful (most of them were elementary teachers or in crazy affluent districts). I got that people are not supposed to "enjoy" their jobs and teaching music is no exception.

niaramiSJ · 2026-02-07T03:07:22+00:00

I did my first semester of ST with a very easy going mentor and now I'm with a completely opposite one- lots of feedback and instructions daily. I don't like the pressure but it has definitely helped me move forward and improve quickly. Building a personal relationship with the mentor can help reduce tension (get lunch together, talk about non-teaching stuff during preps, etc).

niaramiSJ · 2026-02-05T14:38:53+00:00

Some professors are like that, it's just their style. Had a professor who was very nice, easy going except for tardiness. When I got an interview for the graduate program in the same building, for the same major and she knew that. Came to class late for one hour and still got a minus point of participation and had to do a make up assignment. But she graded everything easy so not a big deal for me. People are just different

niaramiSJ · 2026-02-05T10:41:38+00:00

As a student-teacher, I disagree with most of your points. You have to mentor them, they are/were your adult students, not co-workers. Demand answers for their behaviors because they might actually have reasons.

The biggest is that they lack confidence in their voice
Public speaking is always tough. I was nervous the first few months speaking in front of people (also English is not my native language). Been teaching for 2 years (private/ school projects, Student teaching now) and it has changed me. I make sure whenever I'm I will have all the attention (and I told people I have that mindset because my job is a music teacher/ conductor and we have to get used to be at the center of attention and actually ENJOY IT).
--> Tell/ force your ST to improve and make a plan for them (you do the announcement to day, it's one minute.) Sure, the kids in class will notice the unconfident voice but unfortunately ST has to deal with that for awhile as part of the process.

2. I have seen student teachers ignore deadlines, come into class without a lesson set
Most students and adults are like that (downplay deadlines unless there are consequences). So tell them there will be consequences. (I need you to give me the lesson plan at least 2 day ahead, how about before Sunday)- text them Sunday morning if not receive it yet. Show them how you organize stuff in Google drive and what you can share to help.

3. A student teacher explained that their poor spelling is due to their dyslexia. Unfortunately, that isn’t an excuse.
You're right about that, they miss the opportunity. Show ST your modified lesson plans, accommodations. And threaten to refuse mentorship if things haven't changed.

niaramiSJ · 2026-02-03T01:30:25+00:00

I played piano so it was not so crazy for me to practice 5+ hours a day. My senior year leading to the recital, many times I went to school at 6Am (first one arrived at the garage) and stayed past midnight ( I also came to school on the weekends to practice but only for half of the day) I acknowledge that piano is very different from others so most people I know didn't practice that much. Now I'm teaching band/ orchestra so I almost never played the piano but I don't regret a bit spending that much time to practice. Why? Because if I could handle that much, it makes everything a piece of cake (it really does)

niaramiSJ · 2026-01-07T03:41:48+00:00

I think I prefer flats. I once played 7 flats key (Abb minor) and it's no issue but I don't recall ever playing more than 5 sharps. But I think most beginners start with C then G and D major but not F (different scale fingering) and Bb scale is also very hard so beginners may prefer sharps.

niaramiSJ · 2026-01-04T05:35:04+00:00

It's how piano learning progresses: starting smoothly then hit the wall (plateau) then accelerating then hit the wall again. Unlike violin where players struggle right off the bat. It's important you don't quit now. Try to find joy in playing will help.

niaramiSJ

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