Early Career Mentorship Cohort

Lay the Groundwork for a Long and Happy Career in the Music Classroom

40-week Mentorship Cohort Designed with You in Mind

The Ultimate Innovative, Relevant, Accessible Mentorship Experience for Early Career Classroom Music Educators

Whether you’re an experienced educator looking to improve your off-the-podium skills, or a new music educator just starting out in the classroom, the 40-week Mentorship Cohort is for you.

  • Fill in common knowledge gaps

  • Each week, a new concept or skill

  • Portfolio building experiences

  • Focus on skill development while you craft your own resource library

  • Connect with your cohort members and build your network of support in the exclusive MTG Commons breakout

  • Get relevant feedback as you apply your new skills

  • Hybrid learning combines interactive materials with live Q&A and expert guest lectures

What will you learn in the Mentorship Cohort?

We’ve done the work to discover where music educators struggle the most. Then we crafted solutions to the most common concerns, challenges, causes for burnout, and skill gaps.

  • In this module we explore the paradigm shifts required to build longevity into your career.

    • Why do we teach music? What really matters?

    • Stepping Into the Role: What to do in your first 60 days

    • Creating a Student-Centered Classroom: From Rules through Repertoire

    • Taking Care of Your Body: A Holistic Perspective

    • Protecting Your Energy: Daily maintenance for career longevity

    • Assessments and Grading: Should practices and performances count?

    • Comparanoia, Imposter Syndrome, and Other Ailments of the Psyche

    • How to Recover When Things Go "Wrong"

    • Understand Your Timeline

  • The way to combat overwhelm is with effective boundary setting and organization. You’ll complete this section with your own methods for staying organized, and effective tools for setting boundaries.

    • Prioritization

    • Time blocking

    • Setting expectations for yourself and others

    • Create a thorough checklist for your major tasks

    • Use a project management tool (Trello, Google Sheets)

    • Use a cloud drive - design your taxonomy and stick to it

    • Have folders for every student/class

    • Create files for tools, tips, templates

    • Use bookmarks in your browser

  • This section helps you craft multiple classroom management plans: from macro to micro. It’s building your toolkit so you always have the strategy you need when you need it.

    • Setting Classroom Expectations: a student-centered approach

    • Creating Your Classroom Environment: for KIDS

    • Creating Your Classroom Environment: for YOU

    • What not to do when expectations aren't met

    • Choosing Your Battles: What does engagement look like?

    • Developing Consistency Regardless of Changes

  • We can’t list the entire curriculum here, but additional sections include:

    • How to talk with Students

    • How to talk with Parents

    • How to talk with Colleagues

    • How to talk with Supervisors

    • How to talk with Community

    • Ninja Skills for Communication

    • Negotiation: Being a Catalyst for Change

    • Students Wanting to Change Instruments or Classes

    • Students with IEPs, 504s, and ALPs

    • Building Your Army of Advocates

    • How to know when it's time to move on

    • Trans, Non-binary, and other Self-Identification Challenges

    • How to read a P&L: Understanding basic accounting

    • Managing your budget

    • Making purchases

    • Tracking: Inventory and Other Databases

    • Funding Without Fundraising

    • Fundraising 101

    • Using Your Boosters

    • Supplies Wish List

    • Selecting Classroom Tools

    • Time Savers

    • Technology Types: ICT vs Musicology

    • Tools You Can Touch

    • Online Help for Teaching Instruments

    • Online Help for Teaching Singing

    • Online Help for Teaching Elementary

    • Building You Brand: Design Basics

    • Building Your Online Presence: Websites and Social Media

    • Press Releases and Marketing Ops