Do you feel like you spend the first week of school dealing with paperwork, t-shirts, assigning lockers and updating information? Wouldn’t it be great if you could start teaching on day 1?
Try having a band registration day a few days before school starts. Here are some pictures from our recent registration day.
Stations (monitored by parents and directors) included:
Check-in Station (handed out t-shirts, collected medical release forms & t-shirt payment)
Students filled out a form at the end of the previous school year with their t-shirt size so we could order over the summer and have them ready.
School-owned Instrument Check-out Station
Students that use school owned instruments filled out paperwork, paid their instrument fee and took their instrument home.
Music Folder Station
The folders had the music they will need in the first week of school including warm-ups, scales and other music.
Private Lesson Station
Students and parents were given information about private lessons and had the option to take a form home to consider, or turn one in right then. This table was staffed by a local lesson teacher.
Online Information Update Station
Our online system for student information – addresses, emails etc. – were set up so parents could go in and update any changes
You could also choose to assign lockers (cubbies) at this time.
If possible, schedule this in the week prior to students returning for band and/or in coordination with schedule pickup or a back to school event.
This article was contributed by BJ Sayger. He is in his 17th year of teaching middle school band in Texas.
Related Reading:
Switching Kids to 4 Valve Instruments (Also by BJ Sayger)
Lessons from Almost a Half Century of Teaching
Strategies for Retention in Your Band
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