It's the most wonderful time of the year! I think its wonderful that we have a chance fresh start each year. Whether we have new students or returning students, everyone begins with a clean slate full of possibilities and potential. What we do to create a positive, safe, and controlled environment before school begins will lead to success throughout the entire school year. Unfortunately this usually means a great deal of time is spent off contract before the school year begins to prepare. I consider the two weeks prior to my contract beginning preparation time. Not everyone does and that's okay. I find the planning and organization I do during this time to be imperative to having a smooth school year.
Handbook
One of the first things I do to prepare for the year is update and print my Band Handbook. It includes details on our classroom procedures and my policies regarding grading, concerts, and behavior. Establishing your expectations in these areas prior to the school year is important in creating the culture you want in your classroom. You should send this information home on the very first day of school. When students go home after their first day most parents will ask for information they received from their teachers or if there is anything they need to know. While parents may not have the time to sit down and go through the handbook in detail like we hope at least they have it and can put it somewhere safe before the chaos of the new school year really kicks in. If the handbook takes a few days or even weeks before going home it is more likely to get lost or forgotten about. Also have parents sign a document or contract stating that they have seen and agree to the terms in the handbook. This book is really the insurance of your policies. This way if and when there is a question or issue you have proof that they at least said they read the information.
Calendar
Your department calendar should be set prior to leaving for the summer from last school year. If for any reason it was not, this should be one of your first priorities. Communicate with school secretaries and feeder teachers to plan a year long calendar so there are no overlapping events. A copy of this calendar should be included in the information in your Handbook that students bring home on the first day of school. I even go as far as to have students circle the events that apply to them on the calendar.
Instruments
Time should be taken both at the end of the previous school year and the beginning of the next to go through your instrument inventory. Hopefully all instruments have been thoroughly cleaned and any needing repairs have been brought to the repair shop. You want to start the school year with a fully functioning inventory so everyone can participate. Grease slides and corks, oil valves and tune percussion heads to ensure everything will work the moment a student uses it. If you know ahead of time which students need to use school instruments you should pre-assign instruments to these students. I usually pre-assign the instrument lockers to all students as well and place the instrument in the student's locker. I fill out the loan agreement paperwork for the student to have their parents sign and place that in their folder for the first day with other materials. This saves valuable class time in the first week of school and leaves me with only a few loose ends on which instruments are left to give to students.
Music
If you know the level of the students in your ensembles you should program your musical selections for the entire year over the summer. This is one of the most important tasks we have to accomplish and can not be rushed. I spend approximately a whole week listening to music and looking at scores in order to make these decisions. Then before the year begins (and preferably before the other teachers return to school) I get as much of this copied as I can, at least for the first concert.
On the first day of class each student receives a folder with their handbook, method book, warm-up packet, scale packet, and music prepared for them. It will also include an instrument loan form where necessary and any other papers that might be handed out during the first few weeks of school. This level of preparation takes time and team work (former and current students and parents come in to help) but is essential in an efficient first week of school. Think about how much class time is spared by only having to hand out one item instead of them all separately! Think of the message it sends to the students about how your classroom will function and the level of organization to be expected. It also makes it much more difficult for students to claim they didn't receive something or lost a paper when you know they were handed out all together in a folder. Your local music store should be able to provide you with free folders to use.
Paperwork
Purchase orders, travel requests, fundraising approval...there is a lot of paperwork to be done in our jobs! If you know ahead of time you will need things for the beginning of the school year try to get this paperwork done before students enter your room. In fact, I usually have an open purchase order for supplies and one for our band t-shirts put on the system at the end of the previous school year that opens on July 1st. If funds used need to be approved through your student council there may be a few weeks in the beginning of the year before their organization has a meeting, leaving you waiting for what you need. If they can approve these items at the end of the previous year you can save yourself a great deal of stress.
Classroom
The way your classroom is presented on the first day of school gives your students an impression of you and what to expect during the school year. Label everything that you possibly can. I label lockers with student names, places for items to be stores and places for students to find things. I have found that 2-3" clear book tape works well to keep labels on and clean throughout the year. If your classroom looks clean, neat, and organized from the start students are likely to want to help you keep it this way. Learning can not exist in chaos. Order helps calm their young minds and yours so do your best to maintain an organized classroom throughout the year. I like a colorful classroom with lots of information for students to gaze at when they are day dreaming. Finish all bulletin boards and cover all unfinished surfaces. Fabric remnants in your school colors are a great tool for covering the tops of tables and pianos from dust. Your classroom should be warm and inviting right from the start. Take the time necessary to give everything a place and to create the environment that will inspire meaningful music making for you and your students.
A lot more goes into preparing for the first day of school than most students and parents realize. While it can be disheartening to give up our last few moments of summer vacations to working in our classrooms the time you take will be well worth the effort when those smiling young musicians bust open the doors on the very first day!
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