School Days

Here's my school schedule. Included is what I've been doing, big ideas, small ideas, and probably some bad ideas. Let's get started.

First, school here is from 9-3. For someone used to attending school from 7:35-3:10, I thought this was going to a breeze. Honestly, the hours are great. On of the best parts of being a teacher. There are 6 periods. Tuesday through Thursday are Block days so there are only 4 periods. It's kinda nice, but it makes you really plan. If I forget something, I might not be able to make it up for a few days. There is no prep during the day. I am expected to be at school at 8 and do school related activities till 9. I thought I was going to like that alot more than I am. I do get a lot done in that hour, but often I have no time to reset during the day for elementary or junior high. It's not a big deal, but it means more clean-up at the end of the day. I am expected to stay at school till about 3:30.

MONDAY
8-9: Prep!
Period 1: HS Music -
This class is 16 students strong and has the potential to be a very good band. They are just young and have suffered from having a billion music directors in their time. We spend quite a bit of time on fundamental stuff and learning the same musical language. Lots of scale work and chorales. I also have to teach choir in this class. I figured getting band up and running would take the most time so I started with that and hope to start getting choir going more and more. We are going to sing the SSB for the "Homecoming Volleyball Game" this week. Ought to be exciting. Due to the fact I lose 7 of my students to volleyball, pep band isn't a possibility yet. So, we started a drumline. It is mostly improv so far, but we have had a few rehearsals to have clean endings and beginnings and to learn to follow my cowbell conducting. It has gone extremely well. The students and crowd love it. We've been doing some fundraising by doing a 50/50 raffle at the volleyball games. We are hoping to start a morning cafe from 8-9 selling coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fruit, yogurt, and muffins. Ideally, it will just turn into a constant money-making machine. This year I am hoping for my students to have success at solo/ensemble and at large band festival. Also, I want to get to Anchorage to see the symphony and maybe to some other cool things in the area. I'm going to try to talk to some of the Freshmen about starting to plan a big trip when they are seniors. Like to Disneyland or something. Our first concert is Tuesday, October 26.

Period 2: HS Theater
This is the only class I am not highly qualified to teach, but it is also the one I am usually most excited to teach each day. For the first few weeks, we've been working on three very basic fundamentals of acting: Trust, Relaxation, and Exuberance. Getting these 9 students out of their comfort zones just a bit has been a blast. We are now working on analyzing Goals vs. Obstacles of characters as well as adding Others, Tactics, and Expectations. Once these basic principles are down, we will start with some basic scenes and proceed from there. My goal is to do a 1-Act Festival the first weekend in December (2 to 3 one-act plays with some monologues and/or improv games in between). Then we can try a larger production up to spring break and finish the year with acting in other medias (movies, tv, etc...) and improv. I'm so excited. I'm taking these kids to see Pride and Prejudice (the play!) in Wasilla this next Sunday. I'm not necessarily excited to see that particular production, but the kids are excited and Falon and Sabryna said they'd make Puppy Chow...so it should be good. Also, in two weeks we are performing Fire Safety skits we wrote for the elementary's in the district. The principal is helping chaperone so I hope things go well!

Period 3: JH Music
Another combined band/choir class. This one has taken a little longer to get the 15 kids all set to play band stuff. Also, there are a few kids brand-new to music so I have to catch them up. It's hard teaching so many skill levels in one class. On the one end, I have students making their first sounds and on the other I have students taking private lessons and performing in the community. It's rough. We're moving fast though. My plan is to cruise through their beginning band book as fast as we can until we reach something challenging for all and then give extra help to those it might be extra challenging for. We've started singing a few songs too, but they are kinda rambunctious. It'll all come together and now that I've started to collect practice charts I'm hoping to see (and hear) real improvements.

Early Afternoon: 5th Grade
These kids are on beginning band. We will do that for most of the year, but I also do want to sing with them since there are quite a few great songs out there most kids should know! I might have them write an opera later on. These kids are SUPER excited to be doing band. They take their instruments home, ask questions, listen when I talk, etc...It is great!

Later: 6th Grade
The issue with this class is that this year, one of the elementaries cut 6th grade and so all of the would-be 6th graders at Copper Center, now come up to Glennallen. Therefore, I again have students in their second year of playing instruments and some making their first sounds. Also, many of the families from Copper Center do not seem to be all that supportive of music and are slow/struggling to get their kids instruments. I wish I had enough to hand out to everyone, but I just don't. The class has a crew of boys that all try to out-do each other on the class-clown-o-meter. That or they all have ADD or ADHD or iCAN'TStandStilliosys. It sucks. Most of the boys just sit in the back and pretend to sing. I think for the concert I am going to have them sing a song. Just them. I'll let them pick it out and everything. We'll see how that goes. Since they can't seem to all get instruments, it's going to be a choral-heavy class. Which means those who choose to do music next year (when it is an elective) will be a year behind where they ought to be. Maybe I just need to make some phone calls home?

That's it for Monday! This schedule repeats on Fridays. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are spent 45 miles south of town at Kenny Lake. Wednesday afternoons are spent with K-4. I am still trying to solidify an elementary curriculum. 4th grade is going to do some musical science experiments and then get into some handbells and recorders. 3rd grade is going to try and work out a distance project with Emily Strazzinski. K-2 will just have fun I think. Learn a lot of basic songs and explore music.

Now on to Kenny Lake!

Tuesdays 1:00-1:40: 4th-6th Band
Talk about a spread in abilities. I have so many ideas of how to run this class next year. It will mainly involve spending a week in Kenny Lake doing music lessons for incoming 4th graders on their instrument so they know how to work it, how to practice, and can make some basic sounds before coming to school on Day 1. Also, I am going to find a place for the 6th graders to practice and play something on their own so they are not bored to tears with the review. Last Thursday, most students were able to play their first 5 notes on their horns. That was success for most of the students but I feel I have wasted a month of music for the 6th graders. I'll get it all figured out. I don't have to worry about choir here because a lady volunteers her time Wednesday afternoons to sing with them.

1:40-2:20: 7th-12th Band
This really isn't as big of an issue as it may seem. For the most part, I can put the junior high students on the lower parts and they are fine. The trickiest part about this is the fact that we have only one brass player, a baritone. Besides that there are 6 flutes, some clarinets, 2 saxes, an oboe, a bass, and I've got the violin player (that's right, a violin) playing the trumpet part. I'm hoping to find/have money to purchase some woodwind quintet or sextet stuff and then just adapt it for what we are doing. These students are absolutely awesome. They are so well-supported by their families and all seem to really love music. I love teaching there.

2:20-3:00: 7th-12th Band
This is almost the same class. I lose a flute and a sax player, but gain 4 boys and switch to choir. They are pretty good about picking up music quickly. I was inspired by a recent performance of the African Children's Choir in Kenny Lake to do an African-style theme for their concert. We'll start with some songs actually in African and show the progression of African music to America and gospel and soul and such. It has potential. I really do like teaching there. I wish I could do it more. Or feel closer to those students.

So, that's what I do each and every day. More on ambitions and stuff to come. Got "Homecoming" this week and I am chaperoning the dance Friday night...lucky me! Should be fun!

Let me know how you like your music team!