Name: Meredith Casey
Location: Auburn-Washburn USD 437, Topeka, KS
Class/content area taught: Music/Band/REACH Program
(Editor’s note: Meredith actually began her teaching career this summer, when she taught a virtual music class for middle schoolers as part of the inaugural summer for the KSU College of Education Virtual STEAM Academy.)
What are you most excited about with your new career? Finally getting to light fires in students’ lives through music. Sharing my knowledge and love of music is one of the most rewarding things in my life. The fires are going to burn extra bright this year since we didn’t have much band at all for the past year and a half!
What you enjoy most about teaching: Living my nerdiest dream of playing my instruments every day and creating more musicians who have a love for life-long music making!
What are some specific things you believe KSU especially helped prepare you for your new career? I had numerous field experiences with teaching public school kids and fellow peers in K-State music ensembles. I put into practice the strategies we were learning in class daily and helped get over some of the awkward first year teacher moments before I even got a job. My professors, especially Dr. Payne and Dr. Gurgel, made me work hard every semester so I would have plenty of resources to use right away in my first year. All those stressful curriculum projects are really paying off right now!
Suggestions/encouragement for new teachers: Work ahead, set a solid organization system (like Google Drive), and stay connected with your K-State classmates. You will have an overwhelming amount of work to prepare for your first year, so it is best to take it in small chunks each day instead of procrastination. I organize all curriculum, lesson plans, and materials into a Google Drive folder system so I can access my stuff from anywhere. My K-State teacher friends have been lifesavers for bouncing ideas around, borrowing resources, and assisting with teaching. Build a circle of teacher friends you can rely on!
Bonus question, thanks to the Pandemic: COVID-19—How has the Pandemic shaped your classroom—the environment, safety precautions, etc.? How has it affected you as a new teacher? Fortunately, my district seems to have dropped most of the COVID restrictions for the upcoming school year. However, things like Zoom meetings, germ disinfectants, and virtual teaching are not going anywhere. Virtual meetings have made staff interactions much more convenient, healthy habits keep me ready to teach every day, and a few virtual lessons help reach all of my students in our community. Although 1.5 years of virtual band has enormously damaged our enrollment and musical skills, we are pushing forward to reload the band program now that the whole country is on a level playing field musically.