It can be very frustrating to be halfway into a lesson and discover that a vital piece of equipment is missing, preventing you from moving smoothly through your plan.

For example, you have positioned your CD player neatly on a table, where it will be audible to all your students, and conveniently within reach of your favourite hand.  Then you discover that the lead that connects the CD player to your power supply is mysteriously not there. Where is it? O yes, you used it last Wednesday when you were demonstrating to your friends at home how nice some track sounded. And that’s where it still is – plugged into a wall socket at home.

Of course, it’s an unusual configuration, and no-one else in the school has one that they can spare right now, even if you knew whom to ask, and were willing to waste 15 minutes of your half hour lesson running around trying to locate one.

Or, as your students file in through the door, you remember that a textbook you promised to bring for that child who was away when everyone else got theirs is still sitting at home on your desk, again!

To avoid this type of embarrassment and inconvenience, I wrote out a checklist of all the things I like to have with me before I start a lesson.

Here are a few of the items:

Recorder

Your own instrument – this is essential for demonstrating exercises and pieces to your students, thereby informing and inspiring them.

Spare Recorders

Just because your are organised enough to remember to bring your recorder to every lesson, doesn't mena that all your students will be.

Always take a few spare recorders along to each lesson, so that those who do forgwt can still be happily involved. (Make them wash the recorder at the end of the lesson.)

Textbook

This is the basis of your lesson plan.  If no-one has a copy, you will be improvising your lesson structure or else teaching from memory. If you don't have your copy but the students do, it will be inconvenient (but not impossible) for you to share one of the students'.

Spare Textbooks

See “Spare Recorders” above. Omit the washing.

Music Stand

Is there a music stand in all the rooms you use for your lessons? If not you will be propping up your written material on the backs of chairs or benches. Very unprofessional.

I use a collapsible, multicolored stand that attracts comments, appreciation and admiration. It's light, and well made. You can find one here:

Link to Multicolored Music Stand

  You can download a complete version of the checklist in Excel format from here:

Link to Checklist.