Music Educator Spotlight

Steven Charity is currently in his fifth year as Director of Bands at Whitewater Middle School! Originally from Richmond, VA, Mr. Charity attended Virginia Tech University where he studied saxophone and music education. He was selected for the National Student Exchange Honors program his sophomore year of college and chose to attend the University of Georgia where he marched with the Redcoat Band and studied saxophone under Dr. Kenneth Fisher. 

Prior to his appointment as Director of Bands at WMS, Mr. Charity led successful band programs in his home state of Virginia and his adopted state of Georgia. Most recently, he was Director of Bands at Lanier Middle School in Gwinnett County. He is incredibly grateful for all of the outstanding directors and mentors along the way who showed him the value of hard work, passion and dedication. He definitely feels incredibly lucky and honored to be in the position to instill these values into his own students! Due to his genuine love of teaching students to appreciate and create great music, his bands have consistently earned top ratings and distinctions at various contests, regional and state assessments.  

Mr. Charity’s professional affiliations include GMEA, VMEA, VBODA, NAfME, Delta Omicron and Kappa Kappa Psi. While he values the countless hours spent in his band room, Mr. Charity also enjoys hanging out with good friends outside of school and his amazing Cocker Spaniels, Austin and Dakota.

How do you handle classroom management?

Fostering a positive and supportive atmosphere in the band room is key to classroom management. The first thing we tackle is creating a sense of family. It’s not Mr.Charity’s classroom, it’s OUR classroom and the decisions we all make affect us all. In our class, it's all about supporting one another and having each other's backs. Teaching nowadays is as much about nurturing respect and empathy as it is about the subject matter. Some teachers might shy away from opening up to their students, but I've found it really fosters mutual respect. I often find myself carving out class time to tackle tough issues and brainstorm solutions with my students. On top of that, I make a point to celebrate those small victories my students achieve and make sure their classmates are cheering them on too. Creating an environment where it's cool to both succeed and stumble is key for growth, especially at the middle school level. 

What do you think is the best advice for someone who wants to teach at the middle school level? 

I would say, aim high with expectations, but stay open to different paths to get there. Embrace the fun and the quirky nature of middle school minds and don’t be scared to think outside the box when teaching musical concepts. Let's face it, these kids spend all day in academic classes, so when they hit our class, they are ready for a different experience. It's our chance to shake things up so pull them out of the confinement of those concert arcs once in a while. We mix things up with games to review rhythms and musical vocabulary regularly. We also use pop songs as a metronome when clapping and counting rhythms, the kids love things like this! Oh, and whatever you do, don't box them in musically. Every year, I try to push the limits even more with my beginners, and guess what? They step up every time! Instead of saying something's hard, just throw down the challenge and ask, "Alright y’all, are you ready to slay it?" or whatever the new way to say “rise to the occasion” might be haha.

What would you tell a teacher just starting out to encourage them?

I remember starting out as a new teacher and the rollercoaster of emotions that come with it - excitement, anxiousness, self-doubt, you name it, I experienced it. Remember, no matter what anyone says, it is okay to make mistakes and believe me you will make a lot of them! Embrace the journey, stay open to learning from both successes and failures, and most importantly remember that you're making a difference in your students’ lives! On those tough days try to stay positive but remember that you’re human and it is okay to show vulnerability. Your students will have a greater appreciation for you when they realize that you’re not a robot and aren’t perfect.  

Also, as a new teacher you’re going to be excited and want to tackle everything in that first year but please be careful, doing this is a recipe for burn-out. Believe me, you don’t want to dive into an unhealthy and unsustainable work/life balance right out of the gate. Set small attainable goals and implement things slowly. Also, don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it! Seasoned teachers have a wealth of resources to share with you and are willing to provide support and guidance to make your life easier!  

How do you handle differentiation when you have students who are doing really well in a classroom with students who are struggling? 

It's extremely important to create a positive and inclusive learning environment where every student feels valued and challenged, no matter their skill level. Handling differentiation in a band class of mixed ability can be challenging but there are things that have worked well for me throughout the years. I like to mix up the activities and assignments to cater to different skill levels. For the students who are really excelling, I might give them a solo to work up or provide opportunities for leadership roles within the band. I have also had students who have shown mastery of a concept help those who need more support. In addition to this, encouraging these students to audition for All-State Band and/or outside ensembles and honor bands is a great way to keep them challenged.

For those students who are struggling, I'll provide extra support through one-on-one instruction before or after school, simplified versions of pieces, or additional practice/supplemental materials. Another approach is to incorporate chamber music where students can work together based on their skill levels. This way, everyone gets to learn at their own pace and can support each other along the way. Providing regular check-ins and individualized feedback are key to making sure each student feels supported and motivated to improve.

How do you structure your warm-up time? 

So, the first 10 minutes or so of class is warmup time. After announcements, we normally run through Flow Studies, Remington or some other long tone exercise. Once we complete this, the students have a bit of agency as I have them choose whether they will do articulation exercises, breathing, chorales, scale exercises etc. The only rule is that something new has to be selected each day from the list. After that, I will either introduce or review a concept that is present in the sheet music that I plan to rehearse or revisit something in the warmup that needed more attention throughout the week. 

Who influenced you to become a teacher? 

It's honestly tough to choose just one standout teacher when I have been lucky enough to have so many awesome ones! They all brought something special to the table that left a lasting impression on me. The thing is they probably didn’t even realize that simply being themselves got me through the toughest days. I think that is one of the coolest things about teaching, you do your thing from day to day and rarely realize that something that you said or did that was super small in your eyes may have made a huge impact on a student. I knew early on that I wanted to pay it forward and pass on the qualities of my favorite teachers to my own students in hopes that they develop a love and appreciation not only for music but each other.  

Are there any fun activities that you do with your students that you would like to share?  

Yes! Students who were able to pass off select exercises and scales within a given period of time qualified for our Pass Off Party! You know, cause ain’t no party like a Pass-Off party! We had a movie projected on the wall in the gym for the kids to watch as well as relay races, scavenger hunts, games and prizes galore! We even had parents come and cook hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill for the students. It was a blast!

For our Fall concert, all of the students dress up in their favorite costumes and at the conclusion of the concert, our awesome Whitewater High School band directors, Chad Reynold and Alex Swindle choose their top three winners! Each winner received candy and a Chick-fil-a gift card as their prize. This year, the beginners also had an Ugly Sweater contest at the end of their Winter Concert as well! The community and kids loved these performances and had a lot of fun.

We also try to implement technology as much as possible! There are so many fun games on musictechteacher.com that we play often in Beginning Band to review note naming, rhythms and music vocabulary! Many of these games offer the opportunity for healthy competition as well. We would often have the woodwind students compete against the brass and percussion with the winning team earning candy.