http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/SEASON/5329/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/OF/6086/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/WONDER/8129/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/LIGHT/5590/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/STAR/2619/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/SHINE/4487/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/BRIGHT/3072/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/AGAINST/865/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/COLD/533/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/DARK/1190/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/NIGHT/22/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/POUR/2173/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/YOUR/501/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/DOWN/1239/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/LOVE/255/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/FROM/159/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/GREAT/3557/1
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/SKY/2523/1
Monday, November 26, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
STRESS! (a major theme of my life)
As the busiest time of year looms ahead, I'm bracing myself...I have to keep remembering to stay as relaxed as possible and to de-stress whenever I can! I bought some new sneaks, which is usually great motivation to get back out there. I used to run regularly, but haven't for the last year or so, mainly because my knees starting acting up and also because I think it can actually ADD stress to my life. However, I think it's time to start it up again, just not so intense.
(they look sort of like this...)
My main purpose of this post, however, is to get some feedback from my devoted fans... (whoever you may be...)
How stressful do you find teaching? What is "normal" stress and what are the signs that you might be happier or better suited somewhere else?
I'm not necessarily speaking about me, although there have been MANY times when I've contemplated changing jobs or switching careers. (Not that I would probably have that luxury at this time...) I'm just wondering how normal that is?
Also...what are your tricks for staying fresh and not getting burned out? I've found the following things are great distractions and hopefully relieve some stress:
- Exercise (but not too crazy!)
- Shopping (I'm contemplating starting a separate blog dedicated to my love of Vera Bradley...)
- Baking
- Yoga (ok I only did it once but I need to do it more!)
- Blogging!
...but I would love more outlets for stress relief, because it's something I will always be dealing with.
Thanks!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
good times
So this term has been pretty great so far. I know it's only Wednesday but I'm really feeling much better about everything. I think one of the main reasons is that I implemented seating charts right away. I used to only use seating charts when I felt I needed to, as a last resort in a way, but this time I decided to just start right away. It seems to set the tone immediately that I'm in control - plus it keeps them away from their friends a bit. :)
I've also FINALLY started doing singing, solfege and sight-reading with my 5th graders and I looooove it. I love how the kids are responding and how they're so eager to demonstrate exercises and sing. I used to do so much talking and now I'm starting to realize how much kids want to participate and talk and show off and be a part of the lesson, especially younger ones. I love hearing them sing!
We were also treated to a concert by the York Consort. The kids were really fascinated by the instruments and asked so many questions. (Actually they were mostly fascinated by the sheep gut strings, haha). The concert was so informative and enjoyable. It was awesome! Thanks, Nancy!
I've also FINALLY started doing singing, solfege and sight-reading with my 5th graders and I looooove it. I love how the kids are responding and how they're so eager to demonstrate exercises and sing. I used to do so much talking and now I'm starting to realize how much kids want to participate and talk and show off and be a part of the lesson, especially younger ones. I love hearing them sing!
We were also treated to a concert by the York Consort. The kids were really fascinated by the instruments and asked so many questions. (Actually they were mostly fascinated by the sheep gut strings, haha). The concert was so informative and enjoyable. It was awesome! Thanks, Nancy!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
fighting the couch potato urge...
I am soooo lazy today. This probably has something to do with the fact that I spent all day yesterday at a great wedding! I was honored to be asked to cantor at the ceremony, and then of course we all partied a lot at the reception! So that combined with the gray skies outside makes me want to sit around for the rest of the night in pajamas and do nothing productive.
But of course I can't! Why, you ask? Tomorrow starts the second arts rotation, which means I will be seeing brand new groups in my general music classes. I have to start alllll over again! This schedule is great in lots of ways. The kids have music every day for eight weeks, then switch to another arts class. If I decide I want to change or modify any of my projects or units, I don't have to wait until the next school year to do so. I get four chances to try things in different ways - so that's great. The hard part is, well, I have to start from scratch four times. So I know I have to sit down with my plan book and lesson plans and reflect upon the term and what I want to do differently or make sure I do the same. Of course if I want to make any big changes, it's Sunday at 5:30...so probably nothing drastic will be happening.
I made it one of my goals this year to keep daily lesson plans for all of my classes - like full, hand-written lesson plans with objectives and staging and all of that good stuff. I've done a decent job, but pretty much forgot about it for the last couple of weeks. It seems that it's hard to map out a unit in days (such as "Unit 1: Day 3: students will blah blah blah...") because it seems to change with every term. Different kids, different schedules, etc. But as long as I can keep the general structure, pacing and timing of a unit on record, I think it will help me a lot.
I'm quite a planner. I am not good at "winging it". Even when it's something like making a speech to my students, I always practice what I'm going to say. I just don't work well when I'm under that kind of pressure. It's like I can't think straight about what I'm trying to accomplish because I'm usually distracted by something. So it's always best for me to know ahead of time what I'm going to say or do. This can get kind of annoying though, because there are often times when I have to think on my feet. Those lessons or discussions or activities never feel like they go as well. Hopefully this is something I can work on.
I also want to say how much I loved my 5th grade group this time around. They were the sweetest kids ever and were genuinely sad to leave to go to their next arts class. I had them fill out a brief course evaluation and one thing I asked was for their favorite and least favorite unit. Most, if not all, said they didn't have a least favorite and liked everything! So that was great. I think it has made a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE difference this year being an advisor.
It totally changes the way kids see me as compared to last year's 5th graders. There has just been much less behavior issues than ever before. I know it's only November, but I am just so pleased with how well the 5th grade has been going this year. Even in Chorus, where I would typically count on the 6th graders to lead the way, the 5th grade has been much better behaved and more responsive overall.
I better go knock on some wood like right now.
Ok, I did.
Thanks for all of the comments last time by the way! Keep them coming!
But of course I can't! Why, you ask? Tomorrow starts the second arts rotation, which means I will be seeing brand new groups in my general music classes. I have to start alllll over again! This schedule is great in lots of ways. The kids have music every day for eight weeks, then switch to another arts class. If I decide I want to change or modify any of my projects or units, I don't have to wait until the next school year to do so. I get four chances to try things in different ways - so that's great. The hard part is, well, I have to start from scratch four times. So I know I have to sit down with my plan book and lesson plans and reflect upon the term and what I want to do differently or make sure I do the same. Of course if I want to make any big changes, it's Sunday at 5:30...so probably nothing drastic will be happening.
I made it one of my goals this year to keep daily lesson plans for all of my classes - like full, hand-written lesson plans with objectives and staging and all of that good stuff. I've done a decent job, but pretty much forgot about it for the last couple of weeks. It seems that it's hard to map out a unit in days (such as "Unit 1: Day 3: students will blah blah blah...") because it seems to change with every term. Different kids, different schedules, etc. But as long as I can keep the general structure, pacing and timing of a unit on record, I think it will help me a lot.
I'm quite a planner. I am not good at "winging it". Even when it's something like making a speech to my students, I always practice what I'm going to say. I just don't work well when I'm under that kind of pressure. It's like I can't think straight about what I'm trying to accomplish because I'm usually distracted by something. So it's always best for me to know ahead of time what I'm going to say or do. This can get kind of annoying though, because there are often times when I have to think on my feet. Those lessons or discussions or activities never feel like they go as well. Hopefully this is something I can work on.
I also want to say how much I loved my 5th grade group this time around. They were the sweetest kids ever and were genuinely sad to leave to go to their next arts class. I had them fill out a brief course evaluation and one thing I asked was for their favorite and least favorite unit. Most, if not all, said they didn't have a least favorite and liked everything! So that was great. I think it has made a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE difference this year being an advisor.
It totally changes the way kids see me as compared to last year's 5th graders. There has just been much less behavior issues than ever before. I know it's only November, but I am just so pleased with how well the 5th grade has been going this year. Even in Chorus, where I would typically count on the 6th graders to lead the way, the 5th grade has been much better behaved and more responsive overall.
I better go knock on some wood like right now.
Ok, I did.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Those 5th Graders!
This morning I attended a festival for classroom music teachers in my county. It was my first time going to this particular festival, mostly because I haven't taught younger grades before. I'll be honest and say that I'm never all that excited to go to these things. HOWEVER, I always leave with new ideas, and that's all that really matters. Getting new ideas and staying fresh with teaching is so important. I feel like I can never have enough new lessons, games, resources, etc.
It's always inspiring watching teachers who just make it look so easy. I get way too focused on myself when I teach - what am I doing, what do I look like, what could I do better? Not that these are bad things, but I feel like it takes away from the kids! I put so much pressure on myself and am constantly analyzing myself that I might be thinking about myself more than the kids in front of me. I think I just need to have more FUN and also not be afraid to try certain things. I've shied away from singing with my 5th graders, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that it needs to happen. Even though I only see them for a short time, if I want to improve on the kid's reading skills, that's the best way I know how. It's also something I (obviously) feel comfortable doing myself. What I want to do is make sure I present it to the kids in the right way - that singing is just what we do in my class. I think the best way to start this next term is to incorporate it into warm-up activities, which I was already going to do.
I'd really like to see what others do with their 5th graders. My particular situation is different from most of my teacher friends in that I see the kids every day for 8 weeks and then I don't see them until next year. Many people have the kids from kindergarten through 5th - sometimes through 4th. Regardless, I'd like to spend some more time learning what other people are doing with their 5th graders. How much will 5th graders be willing to do as far as singing, dancing, etc.? What about instruments? I know it always depends on the group, but I'd still love to know more from my colleagues (which is generally the idea behind this blog). :)
As always, please comment! If you have trouble, you can always just comment anonymously. I also know those "prove you're not a robot" detector thingies can be really annoying. :)
It's always inspiring watching teachers who just make it look so easy. I get way too focused on myself when I teach - what am I doing, what do I look like, what could I do better? Not that these are bad things, but I feel like it takes away from the kids! I put so much pressure on myself and am constantly analyzing myself that I might be thinking about myself more than the kids in front of me. I think I just need to have more FUN and also not be afraid to try certain things. I've shied away from singing with my 5th graders, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that it needs to happen. Even though I only see them for a short time, if I want to improve on the kid's reading skills, that's the best way I know how. It's also something I (obviously) feel comfortable doing myself. What I want to do is make sure I present it to the kids in the right way - that singing is just what we do in my class. I think the best way to start this next term is to incorporate it into warm-up activities, which I was already going to do.
I'd really like to see what others do with their 5th graders. My particular situation is different from most of my teacher friends in that I see the kids every day for 8 weeks and then I don't see them until next year. Many people have the kids from kindergarten through 5th - sometimes through 4th. Regardless, I'd like to spend some more time learning what other people are doing with their 5th graders. How much will 5th graders be willing to do as far as singing, dancing, etc.? What about instruments? I know it always depends on the group, but I'd still love to know more from my colleagues (which is generally the idea behind this blog). :)
As always, please comment! If you have trouble, you can always just comment anonymously. I also know those "prove you're not a robot" detector thingies can be really annoying. :)
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Assessment
I need to get better about assessing my students on a regular basis. We had a faculty meeting recently and many of the teachers had so many insightful things to say about grades, assessments, rubrics, expectations, and as per usual it made me feel inadequate as a teacher! I'm not great when it comes to giving feedback and grades - which is not good! So I want to go into next term with as many rubrics and assessments ready as possible (which is the week after next - yikes!) I think it will help me keep track of student progress as well as keep students accountable and understand what is expected of them. I need to this for all of my classes.
On another note, I hate Tuesdays. I teach three 84 minute blocks plus two short Chorus rehearsals plus another 42 minute class. Especially on a rainy day...yuck. Exhausting.
On yet another note, I really need to work on making my choral rehearsals more fun. There are many excuses I could make about what's wrong with the schedule and behavior but really when it comes down to it, I need to make things more fun and also more meaningful. My kids are just not reading music at all and spending too much time talking. I wish they walked in the door with the incentive to want to sing better and put all of their personal things aside, but they don't. If I don't keep their attention non-stop, it's all over. I just want to have things ready to keep their attention and make them want to stop talking to their friend and pay attention. I know it will take time, but blech...I just want it to be better now!
On another note, I hate Tuesdays. I teach three 84 minute blocks plus two short Chorus rehearsals plus another 42 minute class. Especially on a rainy day...yuck. Exhausting.
On yet another note, I really need to work on making my choral rehearsals more fun. There are many excuses I could make about what's wrong with the schedule and behavior but really when it comes down to it, I need to make things more fun and also more meaningful. My kids are just not reading music at all and spending too much time talking. I wish they walked in the door with the incentive to want to sing better and put all of their personal things aside, but they don't. If I don't keep their attention non-stop, it's all over. I just want to have things ready to keep their attention and make them want to stop talking to their friend and pay attention. I know it will take time, but blech...I just want it to be better now!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
A typical Friday night...
Here I am on a rockin' Saturday night, wearing my favorite penguin fleece pajama pants and new favorite hoodie from school. I could not be any cooler.
I've noticed an unfortunate trend in my life that's probably been going on for years. It seems that every week, I start out feeling relaxed, hopeful and even refreshed to conquer a new week of teaching...
I HAVE gotten better about calling parents...so that's good. I used to be absolutely terrified to call parents, but it's getting easier, probably because I've done it a few times now.
I guess that's always what it comes down to...just forcing myself to do something and it'll eventually get easier. At least I hope that's the way.
I also wish I was a better "salesman". I mean so much of teaching is getting the kids to buy into what you're selling/teaching. I wish I knew how to get kids to take ownership and be more self-motivated, particularly in Chorus. I wish they were more interested in singing their parts and learning about their voices than talking to their friend next to them. I've always hoped that kids will eventually catch on and how realize how cool singing and music are, but it seems at the middle school level there has to be more fear involved.
Again, I think that over time I will figure these things out, but it's SOOOOOOOOOOO frustrating to not be there yet. I think about my students and feel guilty that they're not getting to work with a seasoned teacher. I feel like they could get so much more out of their classes if they had a teacher who was more experienced, more strict and more confident.
Blech.
And tomorrow I have to go to school anyway, so I'm planning on getting all kinds of things done. I need like 17 more hours in the day, and then I might actually feel completely prepared for the day. But probably not...
p.s. I promise I'll blog about positive things once in awhile. I just don't feel the need to sit and write about things when I'm feeling good.
I've noticed an unfortunate trend in my life that's probably been going on for years. It seems that every week, I start out feeling relaxed, hopeful and even refreshed to conquer a new week of teaching...
...yet by Friday, I'm generally exhausted, cranky and spend most of the evening thinking about how all of my lessons went that week and everything that didn't go well and all of my weaknesses as a teacher. Like to the point where I really question if I'm doing the right thing with my life and whether or not I should find a new job and let someone else take over who would do better.
Not too fun.
I would love to have a week where I feel the majority of things went well. Perhaps after many years of teaching, this may happen. Who knows? I wonder if anyone else feels this way.
I think my main problem is that I lack confidence, particularly when it comes to dealing with conflict. For instance, it takes a LOT for me to approach a kid in the hall and ask them why they didn't come to rehearsal that day. It takes a LOT for me to sit and have a serious talk with a student about a problem. It's like, I often am aware of what or who is causing the problem, but I am not always sure how to fix it nor am I willing to step out of my comfort zone to make whatever changes are necessary.
I guess that's always what it comes down to...just forcing myself to do something and it'll eventually get easier. At least I hope that's the way.
I also wish I was a better "salesman". I mean so much of teaching is getting the kids to buy into what you're selling/teaching. I wish I knew how to get kids to take ownership and be more self-motivated, particularly in Chorus. I wish they were more interested in singing their parts and learning about their voices than talking to their friend next to them. I've always hoped that kids will eventually catch on and how realize how cool singing and music are, but it seems at the middle school level there has to be more fear involved.
Again, I think that over time I will figure these things out, but it's SOOOOOOOOOOO frustrating to not be there yet. I think about my students and feel guilty that they're not getting to work with a seasoned teacher. I feel like they could get so much more out of their classes if they had a teacher who was more experienced, more strict and more confident.
Blech.
And tomorrow I have to go to school anyway, so I'm planning on getting all kinds of things done. I need like 17 more hours in the day, and then I might actually feel completely prepared for the day. But probably not...
p.s. I promise I'll blog about positive things once in awhile. I just don't feel the need to sit and write about things when I'm feeling good.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
"Who needs sleep?"....ME! (and so do you!)
On Wednesday, after I created that very unhappy post, I got to take part in one of the best professional days ever! The best part was that at 10:30, we were able to take a yoga class with one of the dance teacher at my school! It was excellent (and I was able to check one thing off my "30 before 30" list!).
I really loved it - it was relaxing, challenging, rewarding and most importantly, stress relieving! I've since then looked up the schedule of yoga classes at my gym and am planning on trying to make that a part of my week on a regular basis. I think that it will be great for so many reasons.
I've also just kinda chilled out the last couple of nights, which is great. I've loaded up the first couple days of the week. On Monday, I teach all of my private lessons (4 voice students) and on Tuesday I have choir rehearsal for 2+ hours. So Wednesdays have become my evening of doing whatever I want. Tonight I actually fell asleep and woke up too late to go to my church choir rehearsal :-/ but I know I needed the extra nap.
It took me a few years to realize just how bad it is to not get enough sleep. It was at the point where I was teaching and would lose my voice almost completely by Thursday because I was going to some kind of rehearsal almost every single night of the week while also waking up at 6 am. I would probably get an average of 6 hours of sleep a night, which is just NOT enough for me. Besides losing my voice, being tired also makes me cranky and irrational. It makes something that normally wouldn't be a big deal seem like the end of the world.
I would love to go back in time and tell myself this. I think back to the days in college when I would be awake until well past midnight having deep conversations and making all these emotional decisions. How ridiculous! Now whenever I'm on Facebook and I see my former students posting sad or depressing messages at 3 am, I just want to shake them and say GO TO SLEEP! I guarantee whatever is on your mind can wait until tomorrow, and it will DEFINITELY be a lot easier to deal with after you get some sleeeeeeep!
So it's all about balance. I love feeling rested and relaxed, but now I have to start working in some exercise. I think yoga will be a nice way back in, because it is something physical and challenging. Plus I'll be at the gym already, so maybe I'll make the effort to walk 20 feet and hop on a treadmill!
...maybe...
I totally did that pose.
Ok no I didn't.
(I am the most inflexible person ever. I'm amazed that anyone can sit and reach their toes. Seriously.)
I really loved it - it was relaxing, challenging, rewarding and most importantly, stress relieving! I've since then looked up the schedule of yoga classes at my gym and am planning on trying to make that a part of my week on a regular basis. I think that it will be great for so many reasons.
I've also just kinda chilled out the last couple of nights, which is great. I've loaded up the first couple days of the week. On Monday, I teach all of my private lessons (4 voice students) and on Tuesday I have choir rehearsal for 2+ hours. So Wednesdays have become my evening of doing whatever I want. Tonight I actually fell asleep and woke up too late to go to my church choir rehearsal :-/ but I know I needed the extra nap.
It took me a few years to realize just how bad it is to not get enough sleep. It was at the point where I was teaching and would lose my voice almost completely by Thursday because I was going to some kind of rehearsal almost every single night of the week while also waking up at 6 am. I would probably get an average of 6 hours of sleep a night, which is just NOT enough for me. Besides losing my voice, being tired also makes me cranky and irrational. It makes something that normally wouldn't be a big deal seem like the end of the world.
I would love to go back in time and tell myself this. I think back to the days in college when I would be awake until well past midnight having deep conversations and making all these emotional decisions. How ridiculous! Now whenever I'm on Facebook and I see my former students posting sad or depressing messages at 3 am, I just want to shake them and say GO TO SLEEP! I guarantee whatever is on your mind can wait until tomorrow, and it will DEFINITELY be a lot easier to deal with after you get some sleeeeeeep!
So it's all about balance. I love feeling rested and relaxed, but now I have to start working in some exercise. I think yoga will be a nice way back in, because it is something physical and challenging. Plus I'll be at the gym already, so maybe I'll make the effort to walk 20 feet and hop on a treadmill!
...maybe...
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Tired...
So here we are in the 3rd week of school. We have a professional day and I probably should be using this time to work on my classes or administrative stuff. But I've been itching to write for awhile, as there's lots of things on my mind since the start of this year.
I knew it would be a big transition going from part-time to full-time. So many people congratulated me when they heard the news and while I was happy about some aspects, I kept going back to thinking about how I would miss sleeping in and being able to leave in the afternoon if I was finished teaching. Those kinds of things made such a difference in my overall level of energy and happiness. And sure enough, I come home every day feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, and I wake up every morning wishing I could sleep more.
Being part-time is just so much healthier for your body, even if it's not as healthy for your bank account.
Of course I'm writing this as I'm tired, which means it will be much crankier and bitter than it would be if I was writing this on a Saturday morning at 10 am.
It just frustrates me that I'm so wiped out after a day of teaching. I mean I know it's great that I'm dedicated to my job and that I care about what I do, but I would certainly like to have more energy at the end of the day. I haven't exercised in weeks, because when I have any amount of time to myself, I seem to fill it up with either doing more schoolwork or sitting down. I used to love exercising and I felt like I needed to do it every day to feel good about myself. Now it's completely at the bottom of my list of priorities. And while I try to convince myself I'm okay with it, I'm clearly not, since I get extremely jealous and sad when I hear about someone else I know getting up early to exercise or going for a run or signing up for a race. It makes me feel like I should be doing the same thing but I can't seem to make myself to do it anymore.
I know part of it is that I'm new at this job, and therefore going a little crazy figuring out how and what I want to teach. And it's not like once I do it for the first time, I've got it down. It takes constant tweaking and revising and analyzing. And I never feel like I'm prepared enough. I can spend a lot of time getting ready for one class, but oh wait, there's three more I haven't thought about for that day!
So I guess I'm just venting. I'm sure every full-time teacher feels this way at some point. I just need to figure out what's important to me, and clearly, sleeping and exercise should get much higher ranking on my priority list! I can't wait until some time has passed and I feel more comfortable with my classes. (So, like, 25 years from now...)
I knew it would be a big transition going from part-time to full-time. So many people congratulated me when they heard the news and while I was happy about some aspects, I kept going back to thinking about how I would miss sleeping in and being able to leave in the afternoon if I was finished teaching. Those kinds of things made such a difference in my overall level of energy and happiness. And sure enough, I come home every day feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, and I wake up every morning wishing I could sleep more.
Being part-time is just so much healthier for your body, even if it's not as healthy for your bank account.
Of course I'm writing this as I'm tired, which means it will be much crankier and bitter than it would be if I was writing this on a Saturday morning at 10 am.
It just frustrates me that I'm so wiped out after a day of teaching. I mean I know it's great that I'm dedicated to my job and that I care about what I do, but I would certainly like to have more energy at the end of the day. I haven't exercised in weeks, because when I have any amount of time to myself, I seem to fill it up with either doing more schoolwork or sitting down. I used to love exercising and I felt like I needed to do it every day to feel good about myself. Now it's completely at the bottom of my list of priorities. And while I try to convince myself I'm okay with it, I'm clearly not, since I get extremely jealous and sad when I hear about someone else I know getting up early to exercise or going for a run or signing up for a race. It makes me feel like I should be doing the same thing but I can't seem to make myself to do it anymore.
I know part of it is that I'm new at this job, and therefore going a little crazy figuring out how and what I want to teach. And it's not like once I do it for the first time, I've got it down. It takes constant tweaking and revising and analyzing. And I never feel like I'm prepared enough. I can spend a lot of time getting ready for one class, but oh wait, there's three more I haven't thought about for that day!
So I guess I'm just venting. I'm sure every full-time teacher feels this way at some point. I just need to figure out what's important to me, and clearly, sleeping and exercise should get much higher ranking on my priority list! I can't wait until some time has passed and I feel more comfortable with my classes. (So, like, 25 years from now...)
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Private Voice Studio
Looks like I have 3 private students for the next school year so far. I'm expecting at least 2 more. I think that will be plenty on top of full-time teaching. I like teaching privately but it can get overwhelming.
I remember when I was in college, I used to think about teaching privately full-time. Now that I'm an actual adult in the working world, I imagine that would be an interesting lifestyle. I mean people can cancel anytime, and unless you have a strict cancellation policy, that's money you just won't get. Plus, you usually have to work when other people are off, such as the evenings and weekends. I don't think I'd be cool with that, especially if I have kiddos someday.
Last year I had a really young student - a 5th grader - and I was hesitant at first about it. I feel like a lot of my training was geared towards more "advanced" singers, plus I'd been working with high school students for the last 5 years. But as the year went on, I realized that it's actually kinda cool to teach younger kids, because, for the most part, you get a fresh start. I like that I can teach them the basics in a way that I think will help them as they get more advanced, especially with sight-reading. This student in particular got a perfect score on her sight-reading at Solo Fest in the spring and I was super excited for her! (And for myself, of course). Younger singers don't really have a lot of preconceived notions or bad habits to deal with, and I think I'm going to enjoy teaching this age group a lot. Plus the songs are easier to play on the piano. :)
Speaking of piano, I'd like to take a moment to remind myself that Idislike despise teaching piano lessons. I know this is true because all of my piano students have been good kids. I just don't feel like I know what I'm doing and I certainly don't enjoy it. Therefore, I will stick with what I know and enjoy.
I remember when I was in college, I used to think about teaching privately full-time. Now that I'm an actual adult in the working world, I imagine that would be an interesting lifestyle. I mean people can cancel anytime, and unless you have a strict cancellation policy, that's money you just won't get. Plus, you usually have to work when other people are off, such as the evenings and weekends. I don't think I'd be cool with that, especially if I have kiddos someday.
Last year I had a really young student - a 5th grader - and I was hesitant at first about it. I feel like a lot of my training was geared towards more "advanced" singers, plus I'd been working with high school students for the last 5 years. But as the year went on, I realized that it's actually kinda cool to teach younger kids, because, for the most part, you get a fresh start. I like that I can teach them the basics in a way that I think will help them as they get more advanced, especially with sight-reading. This student in particular got a perfect score on her sight-reading at Solo Fest in the spring and I was super excited for her! (And for myself, of course). Younger singers don't really have a lot of preconceived notions or bad habits to deal with, and I think I'm going to enjoy teaching this age group a lot. Plus the songs are easier to play on the piano. :)
Speaking of piano, I'd like to take a moment to remind myself that I
Sunday, August 5, 2012
August, WHAT?!
Well, it's August. Usually about this time I start getting back into school mode.
Yuck!
This September brings on two new classes for me. Last year I taught 5th and 6th grade music, and this year I'll be adding on 7th and 8th grade music. While last year went pretty well overall, I want to revisit the classes and restructure the curriculums (curricula?) for each.
My plan is to spend this week figuring specifics out, such as a general outline for the courses and overall goals for each. I'll start with a little brainstorming below.
By the way, I love the Olympics. Except for the commercials.
5th Grade
Composition - we did a project last year in which students set the text of a haiku to music, using pianos. It was pretty successful, but I want to add on a technology piece in which students use Finale to create the final product. The nature of Finale, however, makes creating the music almost too free and they end up changing the piece once they realize how easy it is to make changes. So I want to stick with this overall concept but tweak the requirements.
Research - The 5th graders at my school do a big research project, and the music teacher before me always gave the students a type of "headstart" by doing a modified project in music class. I stuck with that idea and had the students research a famous composer of their choice. While I want to continue with a research project, I would like to make it more meaningful to them. Part of the issue was that I never had them do any kind of presentation, so I think that will make it a lot better and mean more to them. I might go back to what they used to do, which was choose a medieval instrument, which ties into the overall 5th grade curriculum.
Music Reading - I need to continue adding music reading into the curriculum all the time. I want the kids to read music EVERY DAY in some way. I had too many days last year where they stayed in their seats and we would discuss things, instead of making music! So I need to get a whole bunch of exercises ready to pull out every day - singing, a rhythm game, etc.
Listening Journals - I had the kids do a listening journal this year and they had listening quizzes after a certain number. I don't want to do that exact journal again next year, but I'd like to stick with some kind of listening journal overall. Perhaps I can make it a blog-style type journal, and they can respond to listening examples through comments on a blog, and then I can respond to those comments.
What's my overall goal for this class? What's the theme?
6th Grade
I was overall really pleased with the 6th grade curriculum this year. Basically, it's a piano class. Depending on the class, they would play the whole class! The last term was a lot tougher, and needed more direction. The only things I would like to tweak about this class is changing the music to being "real" notes instead of "easy music" type cheater notes. I also want to work on how to grade them and perhaps create overall rubrics and guidelines for each song.
Encourage good musicianship as much as possible. Focus on steady beat, correct fingers, etc.
7th Grade
The 7th graders learn guitar, which is going to be interesting for me. Guitar is certainly not my strength. I'll just need to make sure I'm always a few steps ahead of the kids (other than the kids that take lessons!) and to not get myself freaked out.
Keep them engaged, update the songs, and work on your own guitar technique and skills.
8th Grade
The 8th graders will be taking a class that focuses on film scoring. In the past, students have done activities such as take a clip from a movie and add classical music to it. They also choose a children's story to record and add sound effects to it. They also watch various films and take notes on the music. I'd like to continue with this general theme but update a few of the elements. I would love for them to take a video and add original music, but I don't know if there's time. Having them write music is a whole different level. I think what I'd really like to do is get them using Garageband instead of stupid Windows Movie Maker, which is all I have. UGH. I think what I really just need to do with this class is look at the previous curriculum and materials used, and update it and make it my own.
What's the overall goal for the class? What aspects of film scoring and multimedia do you want them to focus on?
I also need to get more comfortable and familiar with my super cool SmartBoard! There's so much I can do with it and I'm a SmartBoard dummy.
Here's to a productive week...well, not toooooo productive...it is summer still! :)
Yuck!
This September brings on two new classes for me. Last year I taught 5th and 6th grade music, and this year I'll be adding on 7th and 8th grade music. While last year went pretty well overall, I want to revisit the classes and restructure the curriculums (curricula?) for each.
My plan is to spend this week figuring specifics out, such as a general outline for the courses and overall goals for each. I'll start with a little brainstorming below.
By the way, I love the Olympics. Except for the commercials.
5th Grade
Composition - we did a project last year in which students set the text of a haiku to music, using pianos. It was pretty successful, but I want to add on a technology piece in which students use Finale to create the final product. The nature of Finale, however, makes creating the music almost too free and they end up changing the piece once they realize how easy it is to make changes. So I want to stick with this overall concept but tweak the requirements.
Research - The 5th graders at my school do a big research project, and the music teacher before me always gave the students a type of "headstart" by doing a modified project in music class. I stuck with that idea and had the students research a famous composer of their choice. While I want to continue with a research project, I would like to make it more meaningful to them. Part of the issue was that I never had them do any kind of presentation, so I think that will make it a lot better and mean more to them. I might go back to what they used to do, which was choose a medieval instrument, which ties into the overall 5th grade curriculum.
Music Reading - I need to continue adding music reading into the curriculum all the time. I want the kids to read music EVERY DAY in some way. I had too many days last year where they stayed in their seats and we would discuss things, instead of making music! So I need to get a whole bunch of exercises ready to pull out every day - singing, a rhythm game, etc.
Listening Journals - I had the kids do a listening journal this year and they had listening quizzes after a certain number. I don't want to do that exact journal again next year, but I'd like to stick with some kind of listening journal overall. Perhaps I can make it a blog-style type journal, and they can respond to listening examples through comments on a blog, and then I can respond to those comments.
What's my overall goal for this class? What's the theme?
6th Grade
I was overall really pleased with the 6th grade curriculum this year. Basically, it's a piano class. Depending on the class, they would play the whole class! The last term was a lot tougher, and needed more direction. The only things I would like to tweak about this class is changing the music to being "real" notes instead of "easy music" type cheater notes. I also want to work on how to grade them and perhaps create overall rubrics and guidelines for each song.
Encourage good musicianship as much as possible. Focus on steady beat, correct fingers, etc.
7th Grade
The 7th graders learn guitar, which is going to be interesting for me. Guitar is certainly not my strength. I'll just need to make sure I'm always a few steps ahead of the kids (other than the kids that take lessons!) and to not get myself freaked out.
Keep them engaged, update the songs, and work on your own guitar technique and skills.
8th Grade
The 8th graders will be taking a class that focuses on film scoring. In the past, students have done activities such as take a clip from a movie and add classical music to it. They also choose a children's story to record and add sound effects to it. They also watch various films and take notes on the music. I'd like to continue with this general theme but update a few of the elements. I would love for them to take a video and add original music, but I don't know if there's time. Having them write music is a whole different level. I think what I'd really like to do is get them using Garageband instead of stupid Windows Movie Maker, which is all I have. UGH. I think what I really just need to do with this class is look at the previous curriculum and materials used, and update it and make it my own.
What's the overall goal for the class? What aspects of film scoring and multimedia do you want them to focus on?
I also need to get more comfortable and familiar with my super cool SmartBoard! There's so much I can do with it and I'm a SmartBoard dummy.
Here's to a productive week...well, not toooooo productive...it is summer still! :)
Monday, July 30, 2012
Well, howdy.
Hiiiiiii.
You may ask yourself, why did MK decide to start a blog?
Or you may not.
Regardless, I'm going to tell you.
It's partially because it's summer vacation, and despite how much I claim to love this time of year, I inevitably start to get antsy, which leads to stressing out, which leads to anxiety, etc., etc. I know, boo hoo, you poor teachers, you don't have to work for 2 months. But not feeling like I'm accomplishing anything important makes me feel like this inside:
I also realized that I really don't have any hobbies, or rather, any quality hobbies. For instance, when I have time to myself, I tend to either go shopping, play on my phone, or eat. And while those are fun temporarily, they rarely bring me any sense of accomplishment. So I figured, let's get some hobbies. I've started gardening, reading, re-kindling my love of exercising, and boom, I also started this blog.
This isn't my first blog, but it's the first one I've made that actually has a purpose other than just me blowing off steam or complaining about something.
I've been teaching for 6 years now (WHAT?!). The first few years of my career, I kinda went...crazy. I spent a zillion hours a week at school, started new ensembles, bonded with my students...typical young teacher with a zillion ideas (and talented kids to work with as well.) :)
Then after awhile, I realized that I was starting to get burned out. My mentality started to become, "It's just a job and this isn't your life. Just put it away when you go home and go live your 'real' life."
Which in some ways is true. Your job shouldn't be your life.
BUT
...when I'm happy at work, I'm happy overall.
Even though it's "just your job", don't they say that you spend like 4907294% of your life at work, or something like that? So wouldn't it be sad to just sort of "get by" when you have the opportunity to make something great?
Now, I'm also lucky. My life is music. Something that I love and can do well. Not everyone gets to spend their time doing something that actually interests, excites and challenges them at the same time.
SO ANYWAY...
I'm hoping to use this blog to reflect on my life as a teacher. Some days are great, some days are not, and I think it's healthy to reflect and learn from your successes and not-as-successful-successes. I tend to doubt myself way too much, and am constantly worried about what others think of me. I'm really hoping to try to change these things about myself, and the best way to do that is to have confidence - to find what works for me as a teacher and go with it.
It would also be great to get some feedback and chat going with some of my other teacher friends. :)
If you made it this far through the post, thanks! I really hope that I can keep up with this throughout the school year, even as it gets crazy.
Leave a comment if you'd like. This page will keep growing. I'm hoping to put up some cool links a.k.a. stuff that I've pinned on Pinterest and other things that are great for teaching!
Thanks again. :)
You may ask yourself, why did MK decide to start a blog?
Or you may not.
Regardless, I'm going to tell you.
It's partially because it's summer vacation, and despite how much I claim to love this time of year, I inevitably start to get antsy, which leads to stressing out, which leads to anxiety, etc., etc. I know, boo hoo, you poor teachers, you don't have to work for 2 months. But not feeling like I'm accomplishing anything important makes me feel like this inside:
I also realized that I really don't have any hobbies, or rather, any quality hobbies. For instance, when I have time to myself, I tend to either go shopping, play on my phone, or eat. And while those are fun temporarily, they rarely bring me any sense of accomplishment. So I figured, let's get some hobbies. I've started gardening, reading, re-kindling my love of exercising, and boom, I also started this blog.
This isn't my first blog, but it's the first one I've made that actually has a purpose other than just me blowing off steam or complaining about something.
I've been teaching for 6 years now (WHAT?!). The first few years of my career, I kinda went...crazy. I spent a zillion hours a week at school, started new ensembles, bonded with my students...typical young teacher with a zillion ideas (and talented kids to work with as well.) :)
Then after awhile, I realized that I was starting to get burned out. My mentality started to become, "It's just a job and this isn't your life. Just put it away when you go home and go live your 'real' life."
Which in some ways is true. Your job shouldn't be your life.
BUT
...when I'm happy at work, I'm happy overall.
Even though it's "just your job", don't they say that you spend like 4907294% of your life at work, or something like that? So wouldn't it be sad to just sort of "get by" when you have the opportunity to make something great?
Now, I'm also lucky. My life is music. Something that I love and can do well. Not everyone gets to spend their time doing something that actually interests, excites and challenges them at the same time.
SO ANYWAY...
I'm hoping to use this blog to reflect on my life as a teacher. Some days are great, some days are not, and I think it's healthy to reflect and learn from your successes and not-as-successful-successes. I tend to doubt myself way too much, and am constantly worried about what others think of me. I'm really hoping to try to change these things about myself, and the best way to do that is to have confidence - to find what works for me as a teacher and go with it.
It would also be great to get some feedback and chat going with some of my other teacher friends. :)
If you made it this far through the post, thanks! I really hope that I can keep up with this throughout the school year, even as it gets crazy.
Leave a comment if you'd like. This page will keep growing. I'm hoping to put up some cool links a.k.a. stuff that I've pinned on Pinterest and other things that are great for teaching!
Thanks again. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)