An interesting thread was floating around on the Music for Children list a couple of months ago. Do methods classes actually prepare a music education major for the real world? The general consensus was, in many ways, it did not. (Please remember, list members were basing these thoughts on their own experiences. It doesn't mean that these things are NEVER taught!) A compilation of some thoughts (some of my own thrown in for good measure)includ:

• Activities taught don't always apply across the board to all situations. Even experienced teachers forget this,though, when they go to workshops and learn some great new lesson plans, then try them out. But, this is something that a methods class cannot practically teach, because it involves personalities of individual classes. A great lesson plan can work with one of your fifth grade classes, but not the other one. You might have to modify your plans.
• Not all kids are going to love your activities. That should probably be mentioned. It's easy to go in brand-new, believing that kids are going to be easily won over by virtue of your plans and activities. Nope, ain't gonna happen. It often will have nothing to do with you or your plans. Again, it's a personality thing.
• The ones with the big wide eyes aren't always the most angelic:-)
• Just because a child doesn't show enthusiasm or appreciation outwardly doesn't mean it's not taking hold. Hang in there.
• Cookie cutter methods of discipline don't always work. Set your ground rules, but make the "punishment" (consequence) fit the crime and the personality. Some kids actually don't mind getting office referrals and in-school suspensions by the office, where the action is. However, they might not like having to eat lunch in the music room with no entertainment.
• When you punish or lay out consequences for a student, make sure it's not punishing you or the other students, too!
• A unit on parent-teacher conferences
• Parents who are the most defensive are generally the most desperate
• You do catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
• Scheduling and planning and improvising. Methods classes should make note of the fact that schedules are not the same across the board, even in states where there are scheduling guidelines. You will often have to improvise or make up time for class missed for field trips, assemblies, and other events.
• Learning to prioritize. Going back to the scheduling problem. Prioritize your objectives. What do you feel you absolutely HAVE to cover, if you had a choice?
• Working hand in hand with the classroom teacher, the secretary, and the custodian.
• Music series books are great for a resource, but shouldn't be used exclusively. The best resource? Workshops, organizations, and e-mail lists!
• Keep your sense of humor.
• Overplan. Always have something to fall back on.
• Life will not come to an end if you can't get the VCR to work or can't get your PowerPoint going. (But, refer back to the point before this!)
• Kids will often know more about getting a VCR to work or getting a computer to work than you do.
• Keep receipts of every dime you spend towards school, including workshops, mileage, books, resources, pencils, and paper clips. If your school won't reimburse you, you'll probably be able to deduct it off your taxes if you can do deductions.
• Hang around the teachers who think positively about teaching, not the ones who grumble. Your outlook will be better.
• You are going to run into at least one classroom teacher who will not bow his or her schedule, and whose world will come to an end if the planning time of one day has to be sacrificed. Work with this teacher, don't fight it. If you have his/her kids at assembly time, take them to the assembly yourself. Chances are, this person will work better with you at program time.
• You will probably have to do bus, recess, or lunchroom duty, possibly for no extra pay.
• Make sure your AV class teaches you how to run a sound system! If it doesn't, find out. This should include "jury-rigging" if the sound system goes out or has a short in it.
• Keep a Karaoke machine handy in case the sound system goes out.
• Make backups of all your accompaniment CD's and tapes.
• Keep a spare CD player handy in case the CD player goes out. (Do all of the above sound like overkill? Do YOU want to take that chance? It's happened, believe me)
• Assessing in music that doesn't involve pen and paper
• The learning's not over just because you got your diploma
• Avoid burnout. Refresh yourself. Learn to say "no" if it doesn't apply to your curriculum. Don't forget to keep performing for yourself. Make sure you talk to adults occasionally.
• Take your job seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously.
• Hey, no matter what they say, teaching is still a rewarding job in which the results keep multiplying.