Good afternoon!! I've created this site so I can post and (hopefully) gain ideas for my music classroom! I am an elementary music teacher in Oklahoma, and I love my job! (I'm still new enough that I can say that and mean it.) I am in my third year of teaching, second year teaching K-5th.
I'll be honest, coming right out of college, I expected greatness. I was newly engaged and looking for a job close to my husband's, but found out that there was not much around for a music teacher. I traveled 40 minutes to a small school to teach PreK through 12th graders and 40 minutes back home. I was EXHAUSTED!! The students hadn't had a real music teacher in probably 5-10 years, so many students had no idea how it worked. The classroom teachers had to pick up the slack, unfortunately, which meant that they spent 1-2 days "covering" musical topics and called it good. Sadly, when I left, they did find another teacher that also left after the first year there, so as of this current year, they have no replacement! They went back to the classroom teachers. It is so frustrating for the arts!
Luckily, I was able to find a job in the town we live it and have been there since that first year. It has been WONDERFUL! I am able to collaborate with all our other teachers in the district, who are all rock stars!
As for today's report, I just finished up my first course in Integrating the Arts with Marcia Daft. She is amazing! I was actually the only music teacher there, and most of it was geared towards classroom teachers, but there is always room to modify! It was great to be there because she uses musical terms to help the students with their reading and writing. I was able to see what would help the classroom teachers from my music room that they could apply to reading. (Word Painting, tempo, etc.) Such a great connection!
I should be back to write sooner, rather than later, but it is our busiest season with Christmas programs, concerts, performances around town, etc. What would we ever do without such chaos and stress in our lives!
Hope you are all having a terrific Tuesday!
Always singing,
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