This week I began teaching private lessons in addition to teaching band and music classes. That means all of the extra free time I had last week is now gone. I knew it was coming, and I knew it would be hectic, but I did not realize I would start to crumble so much today!
When I say crumble, I mean... I started to do poorly in teaching the classes that I thought went well last week, and I started to feel super emotionally and physically drained so much so that I just felt like giving up at multiple points today. I normally need ample time to go over my lesson plan (once I finally create a lesson plan) so that I can be very aware of goals and procedures for the day's class. But holy cow. I did not get that time today. And it showed.
I feel physically drained because I was rushing from one thing to the next. Literally, a couple of times, I was RUNNING to grab things before class because I didn't have enough time to get it together and students were about to come in.
I feel emotionally drained because some of the teachers are getting irritated with kids being pulled out for lessons, me slightly running over class time, and just whatever junk I guess I do wrong.
So my conclusions for this toughest day yet: It's okay to make mistakes - just learn from them. (I just hung that sign up in my classroom) AND GET OVER IT/YOURSELF. (Rule #6 I guess, Emma!) I get really caught up in trying to do everything perfect and never make a mistake that I drive myself up the wall when I eventually do make a mistake and maybe make someone dislike me for a while. (Also, I realized that I care too much about my students liking me. Anyone else struggling with that? I need to get over it!)
My pearl for the day.... umm....making it through?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Finding the pearl
Amidst the constant and unexpected challenges and surprises of the first year of music teaching (a recurring theme here, no need to really elaborate!) I am trying to remind myself of one adage. I have heard this several times over the course of my training, and I cannot place where I heard it initially. The advice is to find a "pearl", or a single good moment in any rehearsal or class period. At times it has been hard to find these pearls but when I do, it is immensely refreshing.
I am still in the phase where I feel that I am reacting to situations with the program, instead of proactively preparing for them. I am learning way more each day than my students are, and that makes me anxious! There are instances daily where I feel unprepared, ineffective, and amazed how anyone anywhere could believe that I have some sort of skill at teaching music. At the end of a long week, I was working with my freshmen band. I am training them daily to listen for intonation; what it sounds and feels like to play flat or sharp relative to something else, and ways to adjust. I am hoping that stressing this starting day one of high school will pay off for them. Anyway, I had my flute section play a unison A against the tuner's pitch, and I simply corrected one student, improving the section's intonation. Another student's reaction was "HOW did you KNOW that??". This made me smile, and was definitely my pearl for that class. It was just a slight affirmation that I can make a difference in how these students learn and perform, and that perhaps they are starting to trust me and buy into what I am saying!
I played my trumpet this weekend for a while, and that was immensely refreshing as well. Another pearl, not from a class, but a pearl all the same.
Two delicious dinners this weekend with fellow teachers; one with my department colleagues and another with other bloggers from here! I am immensely thankful for mentors and for friends. I feel much less alone because of them, and I hope very much that we keep sharing our stories; the good and the bad.
I am still in the phase where I feel that I am reacting to situations with the program, instead of proactively preparing for them. I am learning way more each day than my students are, and that makes me anxious! There are instances daily where I feel unprepared, ineffective, and amazed how anyone anywhere could believe that I have some sort of skill at teaching music. At the end of a long week, I was working with my freshmen band. I am training them daily to listen for intonation; what it sounds and feels like to play flat or sharp relative to something else, and ways to adjust. I am hoping that stressing this starting day one of high school will pay off for them. Anyway, I had my flute section play a unison A against the tuner's pitch, and I simply corrected one student, improving the section's intonation. Another student's reaction was "HOW did you KNOW that??". This made me smile, and was definitely my pearl for that class. It was just a slight affirmation that I can make a difference in how these students learn and perform, and that perhaps they are starting to trust me and buy into what I am saying!
I played my trumpet this weekend for a while, and that was immensely refreshing as well. Another pearl, not from a class, but a pearl all the same.
Two delicious dinners this weekend with fellow teachers; one with my department colleagues and another with other bloggers from here! I am immensely thankful for mentors and for friends. I feel much less alone because of them, and I hope very much that we keep sharing our stories; the good and the bad.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
First Post!
First off, I would like to thank Sara for inviting me to contribute to this great blog! As a first year teacher in a small town, it is so easy to feel isolated. I teach 5th-12th grade band, and the only other music teachers are the choir director and general music teacher. While they are both lovely people, there are so many issues unique to BAND. I have been journaling furiously to try and curb my mounting anxiety, but it can still be a struggle navigating the unknown. Quotes from my journal include:
- "I have no classmates to 'keep pace' with. I'm not totally sure that I'm on track." (8/15/10)
- "Well, today I attended New Teacher (dis)Orientation. I do not feel as "oriented" as I would have hoped. Learned that I'm the youngest staff member... and the only real first year teacher in my buildings. So much for having a partner in commiseration..."(8/16/10)
- "I can't figure out the balance between work and... not work." (8/17/10)
- "For all the b*tching and moaning I do (in this journal), I am so grateful for my fellow new teacher friends. I really hope we continue to meet up and be close over the course of the foreseeable future." (8/28/10)
As I read the posts on the blog, I can tell that I'm not alone. There are some things that we all go through as new teachers, and what doesn't get the best of us makes us better! I think I get a little too wound up by my mistakes and failures. I would like to end my post with a story from one of my favorite books, Benjamin and Rosamund Stone Zander's The Art of Possibility:
Two prime ministers are sitting in a room discussing affairs of state. Suddenly a man bursts in, apoplectic with fury, shouting and stamping and banging his fist on the desk. The resident prime minister admonishes him: "Peter," he says, "kindly remember Rule Number 6," whereupon Peter is instantly restored to complete calm, apologizes, and withdraws. The politicians return to their conversation, only to be interrupted yet again twenty minutes later by an hysterical woman gesticulating wildly, her hair flying. Again the intruder is greeted with the words: "Marie, please remember Rule Number 6." Complete calm descends once more, and she too withdraws with a bow and an apology. When the scene is repeated for a third time, the visiting prime minister addresses his colleague: "My dear friend, I've seen many things in my life, but never anything as remarkable as this. Would you be willing to share with me the secret of Rule Number 6?" "Very simple," replies the resident prime minister. "Rule Number 6 is 'Don't take yourself so goddamn seriously.'" "Ah, says his visitor, "that is a very fine rule." After a moment of pondering, he inquires, "And what, may I ask, are the other rules?"
"There aren't any."
This week's goal for me: please remember Rule Number 6 :)
Blog Changes
I've been trying to come up with a new background/theme for this blog. Fellow contributors, let me know your thoughts on the current background. I wanted something that had something more to do with education.....sooo I picked books. But I couldn't find anything music related. Feel free to mess around with it.
Also, we welcome to the blog two new music teachers that might be contributing some - Nick & Emma, also first year teachers that graduated with Mary, Glenn, and I.
Even with five first year music teachers on this blog, none of us are teaching the exact same thing. Hope you enjoy reading our various updates! If you are a reader/follower, leave us a comment to let us know. Otherwise, guys, this can just be a fun blog for ourselves I suppose! :)
Even with five first year music teachers on this blog, none of us are teaching the exact same thing. Hope you enjoy reading our various updates! If you are a reader/follower, leave us a comment to let us know. Otherwise, guys, this can just be a fun blog for ourselves I suppose! :)
Friday, August 27, 2010
One week In!
I'm stealing Sara's idea of doing a little reflection after the first week. :) You rock, Sara. So, in "conversion diary" style, here's my 7 quick takes.
1. Kids really DO say the darndest things. (Thanks, Mr. Cosby). This week has been full of ridiculous things that kids say. They just talk and tell you just about anything! Except, of course, when you are trying to get them to tell you something specific...then it's eeriely silent, especially with the Jr. High.
2. I second Sara on this... Lesson Planning! OH MY GOSH. it's all I ever do. This week and next, I am doing about 90% ETM with my classes (with the exception of Jr. High... I'm not really sure WHAT do with them, yet..). I want to give the kids a stable base to build off of.. (and, I don't have the cable to get my projector working yet..) I really really love ETM, but I am looking forward to doing more listening activities and icon charts and stuff like that. It will be a lot easier once the projector is working. However, kids will never retain the symbols if they don't EXPERIENCE it through play first. The hardest part of lesson planning is figuring out how to build the lessons upon each other, how long to spend on a concept, how many activities to plan for one lesson, etc... Okay, so basically, all of it is hard! I have about 22 lesson plans to do for next week, and I really want to get them done this weekend.
3. Retention! One of the Resource teachers at my school has a second grade son. She told me today that he came home from school and was singing and dancing all over the place at home! He was so excited about ETM, he taught his parents the Penny Game AND Oats Peas Beans. His mom was really proud of him for remember the songs after just two classes, and I love that he was coming home and playing with his parents. His mom was just so happy! It was so good to hear from a happy parent. :)
4. 5th grade. Today was better with 5th grade. It still wasn't what it should be, but it's better. I have a really hard time with 5th grade. They are in between being an elementary student and a middle school kid... and there really is a HUGE difference. I think part of my problem with classroom management with them, is just that I don't really fit as well with their age level... It's hard for me to figure out how best to teach them.
5. "Me Time" Oh Man.... I've got to be honest... the "real world" sucks a little bit. I get to school around 7...am usually there until 5 or 6, get home and eat, and by the time I've done that, I'm so tired that all I want to do is turn my brain off and watch TV. THose of you that know me well know that I really dislike TV. I like some shows, but overall, I would prefer to do something else... I'm just so dang tired when I get home though! But like Sara said... you have got to take time for yourself.... and that's okay. If all my tired body is capable of is lying on the couch, than I need to take the time to do it (but just not in excess)
6. Every kid has a story. As I get to know my new students more and more, I am seeing that every kid has some reason that they need a little extra love! Our poor world is so broken. Currently I am figuring out how best to teach a kindergartener who is hearing impaired. She just got hearing aids for the first time, signs, barely speaks, but is the most focused little girl every. I really want her to be successful. The problem is, no one actually knows just how hearing impaired she is or what she knows. She is just a beautiful little girl. I'm sure that learning to teach her is going to cause me to grow quite a bit in my teaching and I'm excited to learn.
7. It's official! I got a name plate with my name on it on my door! It was an AMAZING feeling this morning to walk up to my classroom this morning and see it there. Our Maintenance staff put them up early this morning. I almost took a picture....in fact, I probably will on monday.
Well, those are some of my many thoughts after a very long first week... and we had early outs every day!!! Can't wait to see what next week brings.
1. Kids really DO say the darndest things. (Thanks, Mr. Cosby). This week has been full of ridiculous things that kids say. They just talk and tell you just about anything! Except, of course, when you are trying to get them to tell you something specific...then it's eeriely silent, especially with the Jr. High.
2. I second Sara on this... Lesson Planning! OH MY GOSH. it's all I ever do. This week and next, I am doing about 90% ETM with my classes (with the exception of Jr. High... I'm not really sure WHAT do with them, yet..). I want to give the kids a stable base to build off of.. (and, I don't have the cable to get my projector working yet..) I really really love ETM, but I am looking forward to doing more listening activities and icon charts and stuff like that. It will be a lot easier once the projector is working. However, kids will never retain the symbols if they don't EXPERIENCE it through play first. The hardest part of lesson planning is figuring out how to build the lessons upon each other, how long to spend on a concept, how many activities to plan for one lesson, etc... Okay, so basically, all of it is hard! I have about 22 lesson plans to do for next week, and I really want to get them done this weekend.
3. Retention! One of the Resource teachers at my school has a second grade son. She told me today that he came home from school and was singing and dancing all over the place at home! He was so excited about ETM, he taught his parents the Penny Game AND Oats Peas Beans. His mom was really proud of him for remember the songs after just two classes, and I love that he was coming home and playing with his parents. His mom was just so happy! It was so good to hear from a happy parent. :)
4. 5th grade. Today was better with 5th grade. It still wasn't what it should be, but it's better. I have a really hard time with 5th grade. They are in between being an elementary student and a middle school kid... and there really is a HUGE difference. I think part of my problem with classroom management with them, is just that I don't really fit as well with their age level... It's hard for me to figure out how best to teach them.
5. "Me Time" Oh Man.... I've got to be honest... the "real world" sucks a little bit. I get to school around 7...am usually there until 5 or 6, get home and eat, and by the time I've done that, I'm so tired that all I want to do is turn my brain off and watch TV. THose of you that know me well know that I really dislike TV. I like some shows, but overall, I would prefer to do something else... I'm just so dang tired when I get home though! But like Sara said... you have got to take time for yourself.... and that's okay. If all my tired body is capable of is lying on the couch, than I need to take the time to do it (but just not in excess)
6. Every kid has a story. As I get to know my new students more and more, I am seeing that every kid has some reason that they need a little extra love! Our poor world is so broken. Currently I am figuring out how best to teach a kindergartener who is hearing impaired. She just got hearing aids for the first time, signs, barely speaks, but is the most focused little girl every. I really want her to be successful. The problem is, no one actually knows just how hearing impaired she is or what she knows. She is just a beautiful little girl. I'm sure that learning to teach her is going to cause me to grow quite a bit in my teaching and I'm excited to learn.
7. It's official! I got a name plate with my name on it on my door! It was an AMAZING feeling this morning to walk up to my classroom this morning and see it there. Our Maintenance staff put them up early this morning. I almost took a picture....in fact, I probably will on monday.
Well, those are some of my many thoughts after a very long first week... and we had early outs every day!!! Can't wait to see what next week brings.
Week one - down.
Week one is done. Some highlights:
1. I'm exhausted! And I still have a lot to do this weekend.
1. I'm exhausted! And I still have a lot to do this weekend.
2. Working in an elementary school is much more uplifting for me than junior highs or high schools. You get to see really stinkin' cute little kids, and it really does lift my spirits sometimes!
3. My enemy: lesson planning. I'm working on changing that.
4. Sometimes, I just gotta let things go. Like, maybe I won't be able to get that stack of papers completed tonight. It's ok. Maybe in the future I just need to deal with the noise level in the gym (where we have class) instead of making a bad impression of myself on a couple of other teachers. It's not that big of a deal.
5. You have got to let yourself have some time to relax. You just do. And, don't feel bad about it.
6. I don't know it all, and I need to let others help me.
Very vague stuff, I know. But I'm so pooped right now I just don't feel like explaining anything else. Haha, sorry!
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
A first!
I finally did it. There is one child in the world that is scared of me. It's actually really funny. One of the 7th grade teachers at my school told me that one her students said that she was scared of me.... The teacher said she just laughed and said "seriously? Of all the teachers to be SCARED of! Why??" and she said something weird that it's because she's not an open person or something that made no sense like that....
I think it's funny..
Something else that is funny - the crazy questions that kids ask: "If we join choir, do we have to sing?" Seriously? I actually laughed out loud at that one. I didn't mean to, and I probably shouldn't have.... Ha, that's probably the girl that is scared of me.. oops.. but seriously? Jr. High is really something else..
As a new teacher, I find that I am CONSTANTLY second guessing myself. I feel like I am doing the right thing.... I mean, Classroom Management is a daily...adventure... but overall, I feel like I am at least trying to do what is best for the kids.. but sometimes I really wish I had a co-op over my shoulder again to give me advice and tell me if I reacted to situations in a good or bad way.. You know what I mean? Someone to help me analyze how I did and help me figure out how to do it better! I don't know... It's just hard to improve when it's just you in the room.. there's only so much that self analysis can do.
I need to start writing down quotes as they happen. I keep thinking "I have GOT to put that in the blog!" but I always forget..
So, this is pretty disjunct post, but that's just how my mind is working tonight... I hope my lesson plans are better put together than this post.
I think it's funny..
Something else that is funny - the crazy questions that kids ask: "If we join choir, do we have to sing?" Seriously? I actually laughed out loud at that one. I didn't mean to, and I probably shouldn't have.... Ha, that's probably the girl that is scared of me.. oops.. but seriously? Jr. High is really something else..
As a new teacher, I find that I am CONSTANTLY second guessing myself. I feel like I am doing the right thing.... I mean, Classroom Management is a daily...adventure... but overall, I feel like I am at least trying to do what is best for the kids.. but sometimes I really wish I had a co-op over my shoulder again to give me advice and tell me if I reacted to situations in a good or bad way.. You know what I mean? Someone to help me analyze how I did and help me figure out how to do it better! I don't know... It's just hard to improve when it's just you in the room.. there's only so much that self analysis can do.
I need to start writing down quotes as they happen. I keep thinking "I have GOT to put that in the blog!" but I always forget..
So, this is pretty disjunct post, but that's just how my mind is working tonight... I hope my lesson plans are better put together than this post.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Everyone wants to switch...
First day with the students - tiring but great! They are really good kids, and I'm so thankful.
However......
EVERYONE WANTS TO SWITCH INSTRUMENTS! Why is this happening? We had a discussion about goals for the year and some students proceeded to list "switch instruments" as a goal! Bummer.
Obviously I don't want a student to play an instrument they hate. But at the same time, I don't want to start 6 kids over on a new instrument in their 2nd year of being in band, because then they will be behind everyone. And will they really like their new instrument anyway? Will they put in enough practice to actually catch up with the other 6th graders? Do I really need 6 drummers or 6 clarinet players in a band of 20? (it seems like those are the two instruments kids want to switch to the most)
How do I tell my students who so strongly dislike their current instrument and their parents, for that matter, that they have to stick it out and i'm not going to let them switch?
Anyone out there.....suggestions on how I should approach this?
In addition, I'm just throwing this out there - be careful what you put online, teachers. Read this article about some of the things teachers were fired for: http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2010/08/23/facebook-and-teachers-still-a-potentially-dangerous-combination-for-your-career/?cxntlid=cmg_cntnt_rss
However......
EVERYONE WANTS TO SWITCH INSTRUMENTS! Why is this happening? We had a discussion about goals for the year and some students proceeded to list "switch instruments" as a goal! Bummer.
Obviously I don't want a student to play an instrument they hate. But at the same time, I don't want to start 6 kids over on a new instrument in their 2nd year of being in band, because then they will be behind everyone. And will they really like their new instrument anyway? Will they put in enough practice to actually catch up with the other 6th graders? Do I really need 6 drummers or 6 clarinet players in a band of 20? (it seems like those are the two instruments kids want to switch to the most)
How do I tell my students who so strongly dislike their current instrument and their parents, for that matter, that they have to stick it out and i'm not going to let them switch?
Anyone out there.....suggestions on how I should approach this?
In addition, I'm just throwing this out there - be careful what you put online, teachers. Read this article about some of the things teachers were fired for: http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2010/08/23/facebook-and-teachers-still-a-potentially-dangerous-combination-for-your-career/?cxntlid=cmg_cntnt_rss
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Day 1!
FIrst off, I just have to say, I have sat down to update this blog about 4 times since I last posted, but never could because, well, things were just going too badly! Most of the problems were schedule related, and while they are not resolved, per se, I am handling it a lot better. It is going to be a long year, and burnout is a potential, but I love kids, and that's why i'm doing this... so on with the good stuff!!!
TODAY WAS MY FIRST DAY WITH KIDS!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! It was great, it was terrible, it was long, it was short, it was successful, it was a failure... it was everything. I had a 4th grade, a 1st grade, two 5th grades, and a 3rd grade. It was a shortened day, so on usual tuesdays I will see another two classes after that.
Here are some nice quotes from children:
"YOU SHOULD BE ON AMERICAN IDOL!!!!!" said with more enthusiasm than I have in my body
"Do you have a CD out?"
"Thank you for teaching us!" (so cute, said by about 4 third graders at the end of class.. as they hugged me.)
of course, there were some not so great quotes in my day, too.. I had a list, but I forgot them.. I'm blocking out the smarty-pants kids right now.
The third grade class was AMAZING! I can't even begin to explain how nice it is to have a class that will follow directions.
5th grade was ROUGH. There was a scheduling mix up, so I only saw one of the 5th grades for 15 minutes instead of 40... Welcome to teaching, improvise. I was a little off, but tomorrow is a new day.
So, all in all, it was a good day. Stressful and filled with expected mistakes by me, but no one got hurt, kids learned, and I think they even enjoyed it. Time for dinner! (and then more work.)
TODAY WAS MY FIRST DAY WITH KIDS!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! It was great, it was terrible, it was long, it was short, it was successful, it was a failure... it was everything. I had a 4th grade, a 1st grade, two 5th grades, and a 3rd grade. It was a shortened day, so on usual tuesdays I will see another two classes after that.
Here are some nice quotes from children:
"YOU SHOULD BE ON AMERICAN IDOL!!!!!" said with more enthusiasm than I have in my body
"Do you have a CD out?"
"Thank you for teaching us!" (so cute, said by about 4 third graders at the end of class.. as they hugged me.)
of course, there were some not so great quotes in my day, too.. I had a list, but I forgot them.. I'm blocking out the smarty-pants kids right now.
The third grade class was AMAZING! I can't even begin to explain how nice it is to have a class that will follow directions.
5th grade was ROUGH. There was a scheduling mix up, so I only saw one of the 5th grades for 15 minutes instead of 40... Welcome to teaching, improvise. I was a little off, but tomorrow is a new day.
So, all in all, it was a good day. Stressful and filled with expected mistakes by me, but no one got hurt, kids learned, and I think they even enjoyed it. Time for dinner! (and then more work.)
Monday, August 23, 2010
Attitude is Everything
Today, at a meeting that didn't really apply to me, the band teacher, (what else is new?), I was able to pick out a couple of good points. The speaker was speaking about special education and that their theme for this year is "Attitude is Everything." This immediately reminded me of this new motivational speaker I found that I really enjoy listening to: Nick Vujicic. He was born without arms and without legs. Wow. He is an incredible, incredible human being. And he is also very faithful and grateful. Here is a video about him that I have been thinking a lot about in the past couple of days:
At the end, his little slogan "No arms. No legs. No worries." also kind of ties back to the meeting today. The speaker, in promoting "Attitude is Everything," she urged us to remember to "wait to worry." She asked us, "How many of you have spent a lot of time worrying over something that never even happened?" Good point. Let us trust that as long as we always do our very best, that is good enough (which is what we tell our students, too!).
Ok, that's the last cheesy inspirational video post, I promise. Keep all the teachers in your thoughts and prayers this week, folks; starting the new year is rough on a lot of teachers, especially on newbies like us!
At the end, his little slogan "No arms. No legs. No worries." also kind of ties back to the meeting today. The speaker, in promoting "Attitude is Everything," she urged us to remember to "wait to worry." She asked us, "How many of you have spent a lot of time worrying over something that never even happened?" Good point. Let us trust that as long as we always do our very best, that is good enough (which is what we tell our students, too!).
Ok, that's the last cheesy inspirational video post, I promise. Keep all the teachers in your thoughts and prayers this week, folks; starting the new year is rough on a lot of teachers, especially on newbies like us!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
The Dreaded Standard 3
So one of the neat perks of my job at my middle school is that Jazz Band is a class that I get to work with 5 days a week, as opposed to an extracurricular. Now, this jazz band has a really diverse group of learners as well as a diverse instrumentation. As per last year's auditions (don't forget, I'm the brand new teacher), they have a couple of trumpets, some saxes, a few flutes, etc. It's a real grab bag, which means that we are incredibly limited in what literature we play. Without tenor and bari saxes, trombones 2-4, a piano player, etc., we're not playing Basie charts. We're not even playing Victor Lopez charts. There are too many holes. It'd be like playing football with no offensive line.
So I've been preparing a lot to make this class more rooted in improvisation than anything else. The traditional jazz band format (which I don't dislike at all) is to build up a book thick with swing tunes, jazz waltzes, ballads, sambas, and other appropriate charts. But since that is not really possible for us, my vision for the close is some kind of exploded combo where we do learn jazz idioms and rhythms, and we learn how to read, but we also spend a lot of time trying to help kids find a creative, improvisatory voice, and just playing.
This is a daunting, scary task. I'm dealing with middle schoolers. Girl middle schoolers. The thought of sticking out in anyway can send them into a full on freak out. All kidding aside, middle school students are still in an awkward emotional and social stage, where taking risks and expressing themselves and being vulnerable is just not done. There's so much self-consciousness. Especially with me, their new, goofy teacher who they don't know.
And even more than that, it's....improv. We're all more at home teaching most any other standard. We're given a big bag of tricks and rehearsal techniques, rehearsal frameworks, strategies, etc. But teaching improvisation seems so nebulous and impossible. It seems like improvisation is just for the Bela Flecks and the Tito Carrillos (my jazz improv teacher in college) of this world. But I don't think that needs to be the case. I think we can and should teach students the deep musical, emotional, and interpersonal joy of spontaneous creation.
So in order to do this, I want to establish the right classroom tone and sequence it correctly. From day one, we are constantly reinforcing that this jazz band classroom is a safe classroom. Nobody gets made fun of. Everybody takes risks and stretches themselves. We all support each other. We're going to talk about Miles Davis' quote: "Don't fear mistakes. There are none." We're going to put an emphasis on taking risks, making mistakes, and learning from them. I realize that it's certainly going to be a long process, but the goal is to foster an environment where students overcome their self-consciousness and their fears of sticking out and just go for it, and where we all support each other in doing so.
But I also have an instructional sequence to work out. We can't start by turning on Aebersold tracks and saying "have at it." (Admit it, you just heard "One, Two, One Two Three Four" in your head.) They don't know any applicable theory. They don't know how to swing. They're still afraid to play and abandon themselves to music making. So we're going to start with some general improvisation games to try to loosen us all up and start to get a hang of the whole improvisation concept. We'll be doing a lot of "Yes, And" theatre type games during the first week. These type of games will lead into carefully limited improvisation games on our instruments (for example, we have a drummer who can play some pretty sick beats. He'll play a general groove for us, we'll get the bass player to play a simple Bb major ostinato, and we'll just trade fours throughout the class on anything in the Bb scale. From there, I hope to go pentatonic, because it's just so easy and fun sounding. And from there, blues scale).
This is dangerous, for me and my students. I hope they buy into it. If they do, we can have some amazing musical experiences where students are truly in the moment, truly creating, truly taking risks, and reaping the rewards. I'll keep you updated on how that goes throughout the year. Any comments, suggestions, or critiques are welcome!
Glenn
So I've been preparing a lot to make this class more rooted in improvisation than anything else. The traditional jazz band format (which I don't dislike at all) is to build up a book thick with swing tunes, jazz waltzes, ballads, sambas, and other appropriate charts. But since that is not really possible for us, my vision for the close is some kind of exploded combo where we do learn jazz idioms and rhythms, and we learn how to read, but we also spend a lot of time trying to help kids find a creative, improvisatory voice, and just playing.
This is a daunting, scary task. I'm dealing with middle schoolers. Girl middle schoolers. The thought of sticking out in anyway can send them into a full on freak out. All kidding aside, middle school students are still in an awkward emotional and social stage, where taking risks and expressing themselves and being vulnerable is just not done. There's so much self-consciousness. Especially with me, their new, goofy teacher who they don't know.
And even more than that, it's....improv. We're all more at home teaching most any other standard. We're given a big bag of tricks and rehearsal techniques, rehearsal frameworks, strategies, etc. But teaching improvisation seems so nebulous and impossible. It seems like improvisation is just for the Bela Flecks and the Tito Carrillos (my jazz improv teacher in college) of this world. But I don't think that needs to be the case. I think we can and should teach students the deep musical, emotional, and interpersonal joy of spontaneous creation.
So in order to do this, I want to establish the right classroom tone and sequence it correctly. From day one, we are constantly reinforcing that this jazz band classroom is a safe classroom. Nobody gets made fun of. Everybody takes risks and stretches themselves. We all support each other. We're going to talk about Miles Davis' quote: "Don't fear mistakes. There are none." We're going to put an emphasis on taking risks, making mistakes, and learning from them. I realize that it's certainly going to be a long process, but the goal is to foster an environment where students overcome their self-consciousness and their fears of sticking out and just go for it, and where we all support each other in doing so.
But I also have an instructional sequence to work out. We can't start by turning on Aebersold tracks and saying "have at it." (Admit it, you just heard "One, Two, One Two Three Four" in your head.) They don't know any applicable theory. They don't know how to swing. They're still afraid to play and abandon themselves to music making. So we're going to start with some general improvisation games to try to loosen us all up and start to get a hang of the whole improvisation concept. We'll be doing a lot of "Yes, And" theatre type games during the first week. These type of games will lead into carefully limited improvisation games on our instruments (for example, we have a drummer who can play some pretty sick beats. He'll play a general groove for us, we'll get the bass player to play a simple Bb major ostinato, and we'll just trade fours throughout the class on anything in the Bb scale. From there, I hope to go pentatonic, because it's just so easy and fun sounding. And from there, blues scale).
This is dangerous, for me and my students. I hope they buy into it. If they do, we can have some amazing musical experiences where students are truly in the moment, truly creating, truly taking risks, and reaping the rewards. I'll keep you updated on how that goes throughout the year. Any comments, suggestions, or critiques are welcome!
Glenn
Gonna be a great year
Ok, yes, it's hectic with the meetings and the preparations. But I must say, the Superintendent's welcome speech at the beginning of today's institute & general district meeting was GREAT! He showed us these two awesome videos to get us pumped up! I love the first one. (Momma T at 3:30!)
The superintendent's main point was that we need to forget about the bad press from the media or the lack of budget and just remember that we, as teachers, are just ordinary people doing extraordinary things! And so are our kids!
---
The more I think about making a difference in my students' lives and helping them believe in themselves, the more PUMPED UP I am getting! Let's just see how that pans out in a couple of weeks after class gets started. haha
-EDIT-
So, after reading this again, I realized how terribly corny it sounds. Haha. But I think that to a certain extent, we have to keep all of that corny and seemingly idealistic stuff in our minds and at the forefront of what we're doing as teachers to help keep the bigger picture in mind. Does anyone agree? Or am I being sucked up into a silly world of idealism?
The superintendent's main point was that we need to forget about the bad press from the media or the lack of budget and just remember that we, as teachers, are just ordinary people doing extraordinary things! And so are our kids!
---
The more I think about making a difference in my students' lives and helping them believe in themselves, the more PUMPED UP I am getting! Let's just see how that pans out in a couple of weeks after class gets started. haha
-EDIT-
So, after reading this again, I realized how terribly corny it sounds. Haha. But I think that to a certain extent, we have to keep all of that corny and seemingly idealistic stuff in our minds and at the forefront of what we're doing as teachers to help keep the bigger picture in mind. Does anyone agree? Or am I being sucked up into a silly world of idealism?
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Quick Update
Faculty meetings today... we have a great staff..
My To Do List is a page long, typed... There is just so much to do that they don't warn you about in school. Sorry Dr. Manfredo's class...but no one tells you how you have to label your binder tabs in the real world!!! haha. :)
I'm moving along and my classroom is looking great. Hopefully I will post a video tomorrow. I'm starting to feel settled in here, especially after reconnecting with a friend from the U of I who teacher around here too. I love having her here!
I will post something more coherent later.. I was at school for 12 hours today. That is just insane.
My To Do List is a page long, typed... There is just so much to do that they don't warn you about in school. Sorry Dr. Manfredo's class...but no one tells you how you have to label your binder tabs in the real world!!! haha. :)
I'm moving along and my classroom is looking great. Hopefully I will post a video tomorrow. I'm starting to feel settled in here, especially after reconnecting with a friend from the U of I who teacher around here too. I love having her here!
I will post something more coherent later.. I was at school for 12 hours today. That is just insane.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Why I Teach
During my student teaching, there was a little girl that changed my life. For the sake of anonymity, let's call her Tiffany. Tiffany was in kindergarten, and was possibly the shyest, saddest child I have ever met. Tiffany and I developed a strange and special bond. In her shy, never-quite-look-you-in-the-eye way, she would wait until I sat down before she would sit down, so she could be close to me. She would lean into my lap, but only if she thought I wasn't paying attention. She barely talked in class, and when she did it was more of a whisper, but it was the look in her eyes that drew me to her so much. She just looked so vulnerable, so in need of love, and so scared. Don't get me wrong, it's not that she was tremendously different from all the other kids. She participated in class, played with others on the playground, etc...but you get my drift. It seemed like she was out of school more often then not, and I knew that her home life was way less than ideal. I don't know any details, but one can tell that this little girl had been through a lot. Even though she had all this going on, there was still just something special about her... I can't quite put my finger on it.
Tiffany and I had a major breakthrough on my last day teaching her class. My co-op and I both noticed her getting more and more confident in music class throughout the 9 weeks I was there. I think she really just needed someone to sit by her and show her that she was special! On the last day of class, we were playing an ETM game, (look it up if you don't know what that is) and I glanced over at Tiffany to see her smiling and singing away. LOUD! Later on in the class, she actually talked in a loud voice and contributed to a conversation without being called on. It was like nothing I had seen from her, and I was proud!
So, those aren't all the details on the Ms. Blazier/Tiffany relationship, but I could probably write a book if i were to include those, so I'll just leave you that bit of backstory. Let's continue. My last day at my elementary school was her last day...well it was supposed to be. Mom was moving in with a boyfriend in another town a couple hours away, so tiffany was going with her. I found out a couple days before our last day, but Mom pulled her out of school the day after our great music class, so I never got to say goodbye. I was heartbroken. I mean, I wanted to adopt this kid, I didn't want to never see her again!
I learned a lot from this experience, about teaching, about faith, and about God. Ultimately, I learned that I can make a different in kids lives through teaching. I don't know why it was me that helped her, I don't why she let me help her, but I saw a change in her, and that gives me hope. I also learned that there comes a point where I can do no more. After many prayers and even some tears, I realized that I had done all I could do for Tiffany, and that God had to be the one to take care of her. I would say that leaving her in the hands of the one that spoke her into being is a pretty safe bet, but it's still hard to let go. I know it probably seems like I am being over dramatic about this girl, maybe I am, maybe i'm not... but to me, her moving was SO SAD. I will never ever forget this little girl, and the pure but dampened light inside her!
Two days ago I walked into a restaurant with my family. Walking past a table I heard cries of "MS BLAZIER!!!!!!!" Haha, one of my second graders and one of my 1st graders were seated at a table near us. We made some small talk and everybody was happy to reconnect after several months. Once I sat down, I looked over at another table near us. There, smiling, laughing and talking with the people with her, was a little girl with wavy blonde hair and a special look in her eye. At first I didn't think it was Tiffany, just someone who looked like her. Already, I was starting to get a little emotional. I hadn't thought about her in a little while, and just the thought of the her filled me with bittersweet emotions. Eventually the little girl caught my eye, and once I realized that she recognized me, I knew for SURE that it was her. I started smiling like you wouldn't believe! I almost cried when I heard her laugh. She was so happy! We started playing our "I'm going to pay attention to you, but ooonnnly so much" game again. Eventually, heart pounding because I didn't know the two adults she was with, I walked up to her table to say hello. I had seen them looking over at me, so I knew she had been telling her guardians about me. But, Zap, Tiffany went back into shy mode. I said hi and she barely looked at me, and it was just like in the classroom. I met her dad, and he is an very genuinely nice person! I liked him a lot! We had a nice little conversation - I told him how special she was to me and how much I loved having her in class, and went back to my table.
About ten minutes later, Tiffany got out of her chair holding a piece of paper. She took one step towards me, then went back to her chair. This went on for a good 5 minute, each time she got a little closer to me, before she got scared. She eventually got to me, and handed me a note, one side from her dad, and one side from her. The side from her says, "Thank you, love Tiffany"
The side from her dad was beautiful, it spoke of how much she "adores" me, and how shy she is, and other really touching things, including mention of her rough life. I won't lie, I cried right in the middle of the restaurant when I got it. So, I wrote her a little note back and went to say thank you to her dad. Tiffany gave me a hug (which was really meaningful, because I had wanted to give her a hug goodbye when I left my school), and her dad and I agreed that there was just something special about this girl!
On this post it may just sound cheesy, or over dramatic, or crazy, but even my family who had heard only a little about Tiffany was moved to tears by this experience. It was so sad and yet so happy. To see her smiling and laughing filled me with so much joy and hope, but her shyness reminded me that her road to healing will be a long one. This experience was truly an gift from God. I had made peace with the fact that I was probably never going to see her again, and there she was. It was the perfect closure to my student teaching (ironically on the same day that I finally got around to turning in my keys to my other school!) right before I moved to Springfield for good. Who knows if she will remember me in 5 years, but I can feel that the love I showed her has helped her, even in just a small way. I can't put in into words (even though this is a really long post.... if I had it all figured out, it wouldn't be this long!), but for some reason, this little girl has changed me. She has strengthened my resolve to nurture and love kids in a way that will help them become stable and loving people. She has helped me to realize that God is the ultimate teaching and nurturer, and i can only do what I do because of Him. She has helped me tremendously.
So, once I again I have to give her to God. I hope she lives with a parent who will love her and take care of her. I hope she has teachers who don't just look over her because of her shyness. I hope she knows that she is worth loving.
Maybe our paths will cross again someday.
~Mary
Tiffany and I had a major breakthrough on my last day teaching her class. My co-op and I both noticed her getting more and more confident in music class throughout the 9 weeks I was there. I think she really just needed someone to sit by her and show her that she was special! On the last day of class, we were playing an ETM game, (look it up if you don't know what that is) and I glanced over at Tiffany to see her smiling and singing away. LOUD! Later on in the class, she actually talked in a loud voice and contributed to a conversation without being called on. It was like nothing I had seen from her, and I was proud!
So, those aren't all the details on the Ms. Blazier/Tiffany relationship, but I could probably write a book if i were to include those, so I'll just leave you that bit of backstory. Let's continue. My last day at my elementary school was her last day...well it was supposed to be. Mom was moving in with a boyfriend in another town a couple hours away, so tiffany was going with her. I found out a couple days before our last day, but Mom pulled her out of school the day after our great music class, so I never got to say goodbye. I was heartbroken. I mean, I wanted to adopt this kid, I didn't want to never see her again!
I learned a lot from this experience, about teaching, about faith, and about God. Ultimately, I learned that I can make a different in kids lives through teaching. I don't know why it was me that helped her, I don't why she let me help her, but I saw a change in her, and that gives me hope. I also learned that there comes a point where I can do no more. After many prayers and even some tears, I realized that I had done all I could do for Tiffany, and that God had to be the one to take care of her. I would say that leaving her in the hands of the one that spoke her into being is a pretty safe bet, but it's still hard to let go. I know it probably seems like I am being over dramatic about this girl, maybe I am, maybe i'm not... but to me, her moving was SO SAD. I will never ever forget this little girl, and the pure but dampened light inside her!
Two days ago I walked into a restaurant with my family. Walking past a table I heard cries of "MS BLAZIER!!!!!!!" Haha, one of my second graders and one of my 1st graders were seated at a table near us. We made some small talk and everybody was happy to reconnect after several months. Once I sat down, I looked over at another table near us. There, smiling, laughing and talking with the people with her, was a little girl with wavy blonde hair and a special look in her eye. At first I didn't think it was Tiffany, just someone who looked like her. Already, I was starting to get a little emotional. I hadn't thought about her in a little while, and just the thought of the her filled me with bittersweet emotions. Eventually the little girl caught my eye, and once I realized that she recognized me, I knew for SURE that it was her. I started smiling like you wouldn't believe! I almost cried when I heard her laugh. She was so happy! We started playing our "I'm going to pay attention to you, but ooonnnly so much" game again. Eventually, heart pounding because I didn't know the two adults she was with, I walked up to her table to say hello. I had seen them looking over at me, so I knew she had been telling her guardians about me. But, Zap, Tiffany went back into shy mode. I said hi and she barely looked at me, and it was just like in the classroom. I met her dad, and he is an very genuinely nice person! I liked him a lot! We had a nice little conversation - I told him how special she was to me and how much I loved having her in class, and went back to my table.
About ten minutes later, Tiffany got out of her chair holding a piece of paper. She took one step towards me, then went back to her chair. This went on for a good 5 minute, each time she got a little closer to me, before she got scared. She eventually got to me, and handed me a note, one side from her dad, and one side from her. The side from her says, "Thank you, love Tiffany"
The side from her dad was beautiful, it spoke of how much she "adores" me, and how shy she is, and other really touching things, including mention of her rough life. I won't lie, I cried right in the middle of the restaurant when I got it. So, I wrote her a little note back and went to say thank you to her dad. Tiffany gave me a hug (which was really meaningful, because I had wanted to give her a hug goodbye when I left my school), and her dad and I agreed that there was just something special about this girl!
On this post it may just sound cheesy, or over dramatic, or crazy, but even my family who had heard only a little about Tiffany was moved to tears by this experience. It was so sad and yet so happy. To see her smiling and laughing filled me with so much joy and hope, but her shyness reminded me that her road to healing will be a long one. This experience was truly an gift from God. I had made peace with the fact that I was probably never going to see her again, and there she was. It was the perfect closure to my student teaching (ironically on the same day that I finally got around to turning in my keys to my other school!) right before I moved to Springfield for good. Who knows if she will remember me in 5 years, but I can feel that the love I showed her has helped her, even in just a small way. I can't put in into words (even though this is a really long post.... if I had it all figured out, it wouldn't be this long!), but for some reason, this little girl has changed me. She has strengthened my resolve to nurture and love kids in a way that will help them become stable and loving people. She has helped me to realize that God is the ultimate teaching and nurturer, and i can only do what I do because of Him. She has helped me tremendously.
So, once I again I have to give her to God. I hope she lives with a parent who will love her and take care of her. I hope she has teachers who don't just look over her because of her shyness. I hope she knows that she is worth loving.
Maybe our paths will cross again someday.
~Mary
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)