New Year, New Goals: Setting Music Education Objectives for 2025
What do you think of when someone mentions a new year? Some people think of parties, letting go of old habits and developing new ones. For me, a new year is a chance to reflect on the previous one and look forward to the new one, set goals and make a plan for where you want to be both personally and professionally.
Within the world of Music Education, using this time to set goals for yourself as an educator and for your students is important to ensure growth and progress for all in the music classroom. With this being said, let’s get into how you can it!
Reflecting on the past year
The first job when putting plans in place for you and your students is taking a look at the past year’s work and thinking about what needs to improve and also, what worked well. Here are some questions you can ask yourself and your students when planning for 2025:
- What skills have improved the most?
- What challenges or setbacks occurred?
- Were last year’s goals met? Why or why not?
Use these reflections as the foundation for building your objectives.
Setting SMART Music Education Goals
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. Setting goals using the SMART method ensures that goals are well thought out which makes them achievable. An example of a Music specific SMART goal could be: “Learn to play a new scale each week for three months.”
Balancing Technical Skills & Creativity
Encouraging a mix of technical mastery such as scales and music theory and creative pursuits such as composition and improvisation allows you to nurture well-rounded musicians that have the skills to thrive in any musical environment and rise to any challenge set before them. Not only that but having a mix of technical and creative skills alleviates potential boredom and sustains motivation for your students.
Incorporating Performance Opportunities
Music is one of the most practical subjects on the school timetable. Giving your students opportunity to showcase their practical abilities in a performance scenario will enable them and their families to see their progress and also increase their confidence. The best way to do this is to plan regular recitals.
Leveraging Technology in Music Education
Technology and the use of it in the music classroom is becoming more prominent, so setting a goal focussing on technology is another way of helping your young musicians develop wider skills. There are lots of apps for tracking progress such as (practise journals) and creating work (recording software). There are also resources for learning such as digital sheet music, virtual lessons and video tutorials. When it comes to goal setting, you can set a goal for your students to master a piece of new tech or record a new song using some recording software.
Revisiting & Adjusting Goals Mid Year
One of the most important things in goal setting to ensure they are successful, is flexibility. Sometimes, the goals you set could be too unrealistic for the students you are working with, or the opposite, too easy! This is why regular check-ins and having the ability to make adjustments based on circumstances in the classroom is crucial to ensuring your goals are achieved.
To conclude, goal setting is a great tool for growth in the music classroom, for both you and your students. The best way to start this process is to start small and ensure you celebrate milestones along the way. Ultimately, with focus, creativity, and determination, this year can be your most harmonious yet!