Yesterday was a really rough day in my teaching career. It seemed like every class got worse and worse and as the day progressed my frustrations were taking over.
Being a teacher is extremely hard in today’s society. There are so many other things that we are teaching along with our area content and so many hats that we have to wear. I remember being in my elementary music methods class at Evangel and reading a book, called ” My many hats” by Richard Weymuth, which discussed the many roles of the music educator and all the different hats that they would have to put on at any given time. And although I read it and went through all the classes, until you are really in it, you can not comprehend the good days and the bad.
Anyone remember this book?!
Now, I have really great days with my students and I truly love teaching, but yesterday was one of those days that I thought ” Am I in the right profession?” I want to make a difference in student’s lives every day, I want to inspire them, I want to push them to achieve greatness, I want to help them become leaders, BUT some days it is just hard to see the growth and the impact you are making.
Here’s some advise from me to you if you find yourself in that same circumstance:
( This is also the advise that I am giving myself and trying to make myself believe.)
If your heart is in the right place
If you love what you teach
If you are passionate
If you try your hardest
If you know your content and try to make it relevant and easier for the students
If you want to inspire and help students
If you care about students …
THEN YOU ARE A GREAT TEACHER!!!!
Not every student will be on board with what you are teaching, or what you are doing in class that day, or even try, but if you know that you have done all you can and you have tried to help them… then you are a good teacher. * This is the biggest thing I am trying to remind myself.
Today was a much better day, although I have a hard time not carrying the baggage from the day before… ” Cast your cares on Him…” ( I had to keep telling myself this today 😉 )
Here are some great things that happened in class today!!!!
- My 8th Graders played their solo and ensemble pieces today and many of the students played well… we have 2 more days to get them performance ready, and I think we can do.
- I helped my 7th Grade students who are going to solo/ ensemble contest this weekend get their pieces better. We worked on the rhythms and found problem passages and devised a plan of action for the next 2 days!
AND I HAD SOME STUDENTS FINE ” BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” ONLINE AND TRY TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT!
- My 6th Graders are getting better at staying quiet when I’m talking or working with a certain group… AND THEY WERE THE TEACHERS TODAY!!!
I make my groups work on leadership skills no matter where they sit in the sections. we have daily warm ups that we play each day in class and i rotate through the roster for who’s turn it is to lead. The students have to count off the rhythmic passage or the small excerpt the
y want the group to play. They must be loud enough, know their part well, and think about the tempo in which they want the group to play the passage and how that affects their count off. I have recently introduced this to my 6th graders and they are doing great! Today one of my students, who is actually quite shy was the leader and she was smiling and looked like she enjoyed standing on my podium giving the cues. Success!
Then I had each student work with their stand partner and work through a new piece. They had to go section by section, first clapping the rhythms, then playing the rhythms on their A or D String, then trying to play the actual written part. They did awesome and looked like they enjoyed working together! Success!
Thank you to all my friends who prayed for me and wrote me encouraging notes via Facebook yesterday, text message and voice mails! You all are so sweet and I needed that encouragement! And Shout out to my Principal who took time out of her day to call me on my cell phone and leave me a message telling me what a great teacher I am…. I needed that!
Extras: Funny Quotes from my students
“I am performing a piece by J.S. Batch” ( Supposed to be Bach).
“Be happy.. jump off a cliff…. well only if there is water at the bottom… and no rocks.”
Happy Wednesday Everyone! Share with me some of your stories…
