In this episode of Band Director Boot Camp, host Lesley Moffat welcomes Bridget Stepan, a 6th grade beginning band director from North Dakota. Bridget shares her unique journey in music education, from her own experiences as a student with a revolving door of band directors to her current role as a teacher. She discusses the challenges she faced in teaching combined classes and how she found innovative solutions to engage her students and promote their growth. Bridget emphasizes the importance of being the person she needed when she was her students' age, modeling vulnerability, and fostering a culture of progress over perfection. She also shares practical advice for new band teachers to make their work more sustainable.