Goodbye.... we hardly knew ye.....

Well, my student teacher's stretch at NRHS is officially over.  She stopped coming about a week ago, although she did manage to contact me to ask for a letter of recommendation... which... I'm not sure I can bring myself to write.  It doesn't help that, while I did not recommend her for a credential, the university may have pushed her through.  That's the feeling I get, anyway.


*sigh*

Probably the scariest thing throughout this experience was the extent to which she reminded me of myself in my first two or three years of teaching.  Of course, my memory is biased, and you all know I have a talent for criticizing myself.   Even so, there's a question that hovers in my mind:  How is it fair that I got a second chance to prove myself, and yet I would deny her the same?  I had a lot of the same weaknesses - lack of organization, bad classroom management, so-so musical knowledge for a music major, and non-existent pedagogy skills on anything but saxophone...  and don't even get me started on the paperwork.

I already have answers to that question (and I also already know that fairness really isn't an issue):  1) I obviously had the potential to grow, which I did, especially during my masters program.   2) Despite my weaknesses, I had some natural strengths.  When I watch her teach, she doesn't seem to have much to balance out her weaknesses, and I think she has some cognitive/processing issues that interfere with her ability to grow.  I seriously doubt her ability to survive a graduate degree.

I really don't feel bad about my final recommendation - I guess I feel a little funny denouncing her inadequacy and mediocrity, when I'm still struggling with my own.  Maybe that just means that there's still hope for me ;-)

Kinda what I thought would happen....

I tried something new this year regarding concert absences.  Got the idea from a friend of mine.
Any student who misses one of the major concerts because of illness, or is 'excused' by the administration can make up the performance points by participating in a "make-up concert."  The student in question has to show up to my room on the designated date at the designated time.  (after school) They have to bring two audience members.  We set up an impromptu performance space in the front of the room, as well as audience seating.  Every participating student will have to perform their parts in front of the assembled audience while the concert recording is played through the rooms audio system ( so that they are, in fact, performing with the group... kind of)  The students must stay until all of the make-up performances are done. I set the date and sent out the notifications to the students who were eligible.  I got replies.

Today was the day.  Not a single kid showed up.   One kid's dad and brother tried to be there as his 'audience'.... boy, was he pissed (fortunately, not at me).  That kid did finally appear... about an hour later after his father left, and I was locking up. 

I'm not sure how this is going to play out.  Administration may require me to give every kid who failed to show another chance, since their initial absence was 'excused'.    It might get messy over the next week or so - good thing finals week is actually kind of light for me. I have time to thresh it out.

It didn't quite work out this time, but I think I'll try this idea again for the next concert series.  When I announced what the 'make-up' would be for concerts, I seemed to get the reaction I was hoping for - no one wanted to do it.  It's more of a pain in the ass than the actual concert is, and not worth faking sick.

All in a days work

What an emotion-packed day....

I made one girl squeal with joy by inviting her to join our advanced choir second semester.

I crushed my students teacher's dreams by giving her a "does not meet standards" on her final evaluation.

I freaked my band out by bearing my soul a little and getting all weepy-eyed when talking about my own emotional connection with a piece of music.

Let's see what's in store for me at home ;-)

The Keys of the Kingdom

Welcome to 2014.

I'm starting the New Year by handing three of my classes over to my student teacher for two full weeks.  I'm not supposed to be in the room.  I'm kind of afraid *not* to be in the room.

:-/

....yeah....