Name 
Rebekah Psihountas
School & School System Where You Work
Mount Tabor High School, Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools
Number of Years Teaching
8
Teaching Area(s)
Band, Orchestra
Grade Level
Hiogh School
What do you love most about teaching music?
I love watching students enjoy what they are learning. It brings me joy watching them get excited over playing hard passages correctly or when they want to brag about finally getting a scale right that they have been working on for a while. I love getting to interact with the students at the level that I do instead of feeling like I am lecturing the whole time.
Who inspired you to be a music educator and how did they inspire you?
My middle school and high school band directors (Travis Tingle, John Herndon, and Chris Shumick). They were always so encouraging. Watching them create music from the podium made me want to experience the same thing.
What did you need the most when you started teaching?
Reassurance on the tough days that teaching is a learning curve and I was not expected to be perfect my first year teaching. I compared myself a lot to my peers that were having more success than I was. It would have been nice to have someone in my corner telling me that my program isn’t the same and that success looks differently for each program.
Describe the biggest challenge to teaching music education and how you have worked to overcome this challenge?
My biggest challenge has been fundraising and budgeting for my program. It feels like instruments keep breaking and repair prices keep going up. I’m not entirely sure I have overcome this challenge yet. I am still finding different ways to fundraise without it seeming like the students have to keep selling things. What has been working decently for me is creating relationships with the parents and familes of my students. You never know what family may own a resturant or business that is willing to donate or become a sponsor.
How do you advocate for your program?
First I advocate for the students. They know my room is a safe space and that I care about their well-being. I let students have a say in what they want to play for concerts/performances. My priorty is for students to feel successful.
What is one piece of advice you would give to beginning teachers?
Ask for help! Doing this job alone is hard. Utilize and learn from your collegues. There are always people around willing to help.
How do you build relationships with students and parents?
Communication is key. Always be in contact with parents about everything you tell students. Send out reminders about upcoming concerts so parents aren’t surprised. Ask them to volunteer for different things. Reach out to parents to brag about their children. Don’t only call parents for negative purposes.