I’ve pretty much known from the time I was in middle school that I wanted to be a band director and teacher when I grew up. I attribute that desire to my middle school band teacher. He was one of those people who just created a safe space in the school for students to be themselves, which was really important to me.
The best part of my day is interacting with my students. With something as unique as a band program, where you potentially get to spend all three years of middle school with the same students, it’s exciting to watch their growth and progression over time. You can watch these kids go from not knowing how to hold an instrument, to going off to high school and fully pursuing their musical passions.
My number one thought every day is doing what’s best for the kids, figuring out what they need from me, and thinking about how I can help them in their journeys—musically or otherwise. I spend a lot of time focused on social and emotional development. We talk about diversity and valuing everyone’s opinion and the importance of being open-minded. Being part of a band program means you’re part of a team, and how you rehearse during class impacts the other students. When you have more than 50 students in one room, it means all of them must share the right mindset and goals.
It’s also important for my students to be mindful of what’s going on in the world. I do a lesson on music advocacy, including studying Live Aid, the Concert for New York City after September 11th, and the Hope for Haiti Now concert after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. I want my students to see that music exists outside the band room and can be used to bring important issues to light.
I joined the union because I think it’s important to have a large group of educators who understand what the profession entails. As districts struggle with funding issues and hiring educators, it’s nice to have a support system on the national level that knows what’s going on in education.
