School’s out!
I finally had a chance to collect my thoughts after what’s been an absolute whirlwind of a year so I thought I would share.
As some of you know, I took on an extra music teaching gig with the school board. I was unsure of it at first because it was extremely out of my comfort zone, it was 2 months into the school year and it involved jumping right into a system I had very little experience with. I had an alternating schedule with the existing music teacher as she was on short-term leave, so this meant I was the main music teacher. I had to create a music program for all the primary students from Kindergarten to Grade 3 because it was the first time music was added to their curriculum. It also involved teaching drama and dance to grade 7’s (yikes!). Also, I had only 1 day to decide whether to take the position. Challenge accepted. BOOM.
Though I teach private lessons to all ages, my group teaching has centered mostly on the littles- preschool, school age. This was the ultimate challenge- Kindergarten, grade 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7……and let’s be clear, the challenge was the grade 6 and 7’s. 100%. I was also running my music teaching business at the same time and building a new band- Music Machine Live. There were so many days when I just wanted OUT. I am used to being my own boss and all the freedoms it brings. All of sudden I had to learn to adapt to systems in place from the other music teacher, being inundated with staff emails, procedures and formats that I had no clue about: google classrooms, creating written assignments, quizzes, marking with letter grades and writing REPORT CARDS!
What I learned as I went along was that many music teachers in the school board setting only use instruments starting in grade 6, teaching Recorder or Ukulele formally. This blew my mind. If the kids aren’t using the instruments, what exactly are they doing? WORKSHEETS?!?!?! No chance I was going to follow that lead. Instruments can and should be experienced at every grade level. Kids want to have FUN when they learn- and in music classes that means playing instruments, experimenting with movement, teaching them a 1 chord song on the Ukulele, dancing with scarves, using a real microphone to sing or tell jokes in, or creating a rap with their friends to present to the class. They just want to have FUN. FUN = LEARNING. From day 1 that was my mission. It involved a complete overhaul of the music department, but I had the most supportive admin and staff I could have ever asked for. Perfect.
There were 2 challenges. making every lesson FUN and disciplining students that were disruptive, name calling etc. The burning question everyday?: How do I get my 12/13 year old grade 6/7 students to have fun and enjoy music, drama and dance while keeping the material relatable and also following curriculum requirements? That was the mandate for me. Truthfully, there should be fun in every subject, not just music. But that’s a post for another day……
It was apparent early on that students have their own agenda. A lot of them were too cool for school and didn’t hand any work in. Also, there was a lot of “raising my voice” to get them to pay attention. So much so that I had to use a mini amp and microphone headset just to be heard over all the instruments. All of this was out of my comfort zone, especially the discipline part. I always let kids be free, but there is always that one student that pushes the limits and has to be sent to the office. THAT was difficult for me to navigate; trying to keep calm on days when my class was totally out of control.
Through trial and error I realized that I was the student in this setting, not the other way around. I had many days where my lessons totally bombed and that was part of my learning curve. Re-work the lesson plan and add more FUN. Push the envelope. My students taught me something valuable every day. It reinforced what I already believed before this experience: When you love what you do, you can make a difference. It’s a whole vibe, and it spreads.
It started out with the students assuming I was a rotating supply teacher there for just 1 day. They had a wall up and I had to break through it. Once I announced I was officially their music teacher, everything shifted. A relationship developed. They had consistency. They began to show enthusiasm, they stopped me in the halls to say they couldn’t wait for music class, they were upset about PA days that landed on a music day(!), they made instruments, they gave me lesson ideas, they experimented, they laughed, they played and they had fun. Also, THEY LEARNED. Because even the most epic lesson plans are useless if they don’t involve anything fun.
Despite all of this challenges I wouldn’t trade the bad days in. Not for a second. They were the days I learned the most. Yes, there was a lot of venting to friends and family because I was overwhelmed, but this was truly the most valuable learning experience I have ever had. Now that its over I can say with confidence that the biggest takeaway from this was that kids are truly the best part of teaching. It’s not the pay, it’s not the benefits, it’s not any of the perks (even though there was no air conditioning- whaaa?!?). It’s the kids. It’s being able to share something you love with kids and hope to put a smile on their face even for 40 minutes a week. Let them escape their problems. Give them the outlet they need.
As I write this I have a table full of cards, letters and gifts beside me with the kindest words of thanks. One thing is consistent in every single message; “Thanks for all the fun in music class. Thanks for always letting us play the instruments”.
Mission Accomplished.
