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My Clinic: First Year Teaching Strategies from a First Year Teacher

A picture of myself and the UMass Lowell contingency who went to my clinic.

After the issues I had with my car just two hours earlier, my stress level was high.  As I entered the top floor of the Rhode Island Convention Center, my professors from UMass Lowell greeted me and we got to spend a few minutes just chilling and reflecting on my trip into Rhode Island.

My clinic went great!  It was an hour long and featured information for upcoming first-year music teachers.  Everytime I experienced something that I did not know during my first six months at Pentucket, I would e-mail myself those details so that I could include them on my powerpoint.  I included topics such as cori checks, exciting students, using technology to your advantage, interview tips, starting new things while respecting traditions, and working with students who have I.E.P.'s.  There seemed to be a lot of people at the clinic and I was happy that they had questions to ask at the end of the presentation.  I think that the first year of teaching is very stressful but rewarding and any hints that can be given along the way can make a huge difference in the teacher's overall experience.  

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