Michaela Margaret Rummel

If I had to narrow it down to anything, it's just being consistent. It's showing up when others don't and seeing things to the end, even if that outcome isn't what you hope for. You learn what you can, even when it stings and feels better to look away, and then when the time comes you prove you've learned the lesson. If it were easy, not only would everyone do it, it wouldn't be treated as such a rarity. When I was pursuing my degree (which, in most cases, music education degrees can take up to about five years to complete), I would wake up around five in the morning just to head to the practice room and work through exercises and solo work before my first 8am class of the day. My freshman class started with close to twenty music majors, which ended with four by the end. Teaching is the same. It's all about consistency, and students quickly find out who will actually hold and maintain boundaries, and those that lack follow through.

There is no single "piece of advice" and I won't pretend there is, so here we go:

-Document everything

-You can trust higher ups to act in their best interests.

-Those interests are not always aligned with yours

-Have a life outside of work. For me, it was creative writing and character analysis, which has led to the start of my own journey in independent game development

-Do not make your job your identity. Let that be defined by the things you do with your family and the non-work experiences you create off the clock.

-95% of the job is just how you treat people

-The stuff on your desk? It will be there in the morning.

-Your days will be long, but your years short.

I would advise young women entering my industry to be prepared to clearly explain even the smallest details of their work and to remain patient and adaptable, especially as learning styles and attention spans continue to evolve. In my experience, effective communication and the ability to break down information are essential, and I’ve also learned to value the many transferable skills gained through teaching—such as organization, empathy, and adaptability—even when they are often underestimated.

Be ready to also take on responsibilities that aren't always printed in the job description. That's how I ended up with a Class B CDL with a few endorsements attached, which led to morning and afternoon bus routes on top of a full day, and away games when needed at a previous district I worked at. With that being said, you have learn when to just tell yourself, "Not my lane, not my race." Also don't fall for the first year trap of overly volunteering your time. Nine times out of ten you'll be spending hours with teens/pre-teens trying to explain why a half formed idea won't work or sitting back and letting nature take its course after being ignored one too many times.

The biggest challenges in my field are sustainability, compensation, and safety. While I’m proud of the work I’ve done—especially keeping students safe and consistently showing up despite limited financial and emotional return—the reality is that the workload is often not proportionate to compensation, and safety concerns with volatile student behavior add ongoing pressure. At the same time, there are opportunities for growth as I explore skills outside the classroom, including administration, bookkeeping, and programming. It’s humbling to start over in new areas, but I still carry a teacher’s mindset as I consider how those skills may translate beyond traditional education.

Teachers, myself included, often look at what is done on a daily basis/during the year:

-Managing and guiding classrooms ranging in sizes (Currently, the band program I assist with has about 100 participants in total. You can imagine the different types of personalities in a group that large)

-Organizing events and trips, as well as the fundraisers (ranging from traditional catalogs of Christmas treats to hours of working the concession stand)that make everything possible.

-Irregular work hours (I've had days start at around 6am on a friday and then end as late as 2-3am on the following Saturday, only to turn around and be ready to help with contest on that same Saturday, which leads to that day ending at around 1-2am on Sunday morning. Many directors call this "Contest Season" or "October" for short.)

-Noticing when someone or something is "off". Sure, it's bad enough that there's an obstacle preventing them from understanding the material, but it's worse knowing that something is preventing a student from being who they really are. I don't envy this generation that is growing up right now.

-Communicating with parents, other teachers, special education specialists, and administrators...sometimes just to coordinate how to help a single student achieve, in addition to general day to day operations.

-Coming up with activities tailored just for specific groups and classes over a single skill stemming from a greater concept. Tacos and ice cream are surprisingly versatile teaching tools, and no, I don't mean it as a way to "motivate" students.

-Adapting and changing plans on the fly, because the idea you thought for sure would work actually imploded in ways you never expected.

...and just think, "this is just part of the job". I know I did. I still find it strange to think about that jobs in other fields having training as you go (in education, that's what we call Student Teaching). It took a good friend of mine, who is known for his consulting work in both Canada and the U.S., sitting me down and telling me what my skills translate to outside of the classroom. The steps to moving toward something new are daunting at times, but I recognize that as a combination of Imposter's Syndrome and just wanting to do well and contribute positively wherever I go.

The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are continuous growth, integrity, and a commitment to learning. I value the ability to develop new skills and adapt, which is why I’m actively exploring areas such as accounts payable, bookkeeping, clerical work, EdTech, and IT-related fields, while also building skills in coding, programming, and game development. Personal growth and lifelong learning guide how I approach both my current work and future opportunities.

At my core, regardless of where I end up, I am a musician. I've played on the streets of London during New Year's Day and on stage at Carnegie Hall in New York. I still play electric bass and French Horn when the few opportunities arise. Performance, even including the humble gig, is demanding, requiring devotion to the craft and respect to skill needed to uphold the integrity and vision of the composer. And while music has led me down a number of paths (teaching, creative writing, and, yes, even coding and programming), it is and will always be at the heart of who I am.