Transition.
That has been the name of the game this year. Having taught before, I thought I knew what to expect, how to handle it, and what to do if X, Y, or Z happened. Boy, was I in for a wake-up call. From the first day of my “no-nonsense” attitude (and the words “Nazi” and “psycho-b***h being thrown around behind my back), kids were not happy. They wanted the previous teacher back. I was different, and different was bad. There’s something about a music teacher’s departure, and a new teacher taking over, that strikes a bad chord with kids. It doesn’t seem to matter whether or not they like the teacher before…if it’s different, it’s bad. So, from the get-go, kids dropped. “She’s mean, she’s different, she needs to lighten up. What’s with the Gum Bucket? We don’t like her.” That hurt. No matter how much you shouldn’t take things you hear from kids too seriously, it still hurt. I recall many nights going home in tears, trying to figure out what was with these kids, and how was I going to make it through an entire school year with them?!
After a lot of soul-searching and self-evaluation, and listening to the kids, I changed a bit. I let up (a little-there are certain things I WILL NOT compromise), and things began to improve. In the process, I began to enjoy myself a little more, and the kids also began to enjoy themselves. In the process, we made music, we had fun, and ALMOST every single kid that was in band this year will be back next year. What a great victory! I’m excited about the schedule and the fact that so many kids are going to be able to fit band into their schedule, whereas the block system didn’t allow for a lot of that flexibility. I’m discovering it’s easier and more rewarding to work WITH the kids and administration, rather than fighting and wanting everything my way. Compromise is the magic word. I still think we can do a lot with every other day practices. The literature may not be as challenging, but if the kids are having fun, being productive, and putting on quality performances, that (to me) is the most important thing.
Marching Band
This was a heck of a way to start the school year. New kids, new color guard, new EVERYTHING. I’m still trying to figure out the underlying reason why kids hate marching band here. “I’ll go out for band, but do I have to do marching band?” Uh, yes! That’s part of the job! It’s like saying, “I’ll go to work, but do I have to get out of bed?” I’m working on trying to make things a little more fun…letting the kids help decide the show, new music and stands charts, and I think the biggest hit this year for marching band was inviting a local university marching band out to play with us at Homecoming. Months later, I was STILL getting compliments from students, parents, and community members about how much they enjoyed that!
Jazz Band
It was new for me having jazz band in the fall, and having non-traditional instrumentation. I’m impressed with how much the kids enjoyed jazz band. Next year may be a little difficult trying to find a rehearsal time (with college classes before school and athletic practices after school), but we’ll make it work somehow.
High School Band
Once we got settled into concert band, the kids had a better understanding of how I ran my classroom and what I expected. I had several students tell me they were happy with the way band was run. Everyone (for the most part) was quiet and respectful, and we got so much done. I have considered incorporating a music theory component, but I’m not sure if I want to do this. If there are students who want to learn more and go more in-depth, I’ll gladly help them do so. However, I doubt anyone would be heartbroken if they never learned what the differences between the three minor modes are! Kids are in band because they want to play. Yes, they have to know how to count. Yes, they have to know fingerings. But, the ultimate reason they joined was so they could play an instrument. I was disappointed with the rating we received at State Large Group Contest, but that just gives us a higher goal for next year.
Junior High Band
This was definitely new territory for me. However, I feel the JH Band grew TREMENDOUSLY. Of the four groups I taught, I think I was most proud of this one. The implementation of The Marble Jar really helped. Each day started off with 10 marbles in my pocket. By the end of rehearsal, if they had all 10 marbles out of my pocket and into the jar, they got to have the last 10 minutes of rehearsal to visit. Once those marbles accumulated, and they reached a predetermined level in the jar, they got to have a party. If they misbehaved, marbles came out of the jar. This system worked like a charm! I used it on my elementary kids as well.
Elementary Bands
This is an area where I felt I struggled the most. I really like elementary, but my organization was awful. I have to remember that this is the foundation of my program. What I do now will affect these kids and their perception of the band program for years to come.
What did I do well?
In all honesty, I know there are things I did well, but they escape me. And they are overshadowed by the things I feel I need to improve.
What do I need to improve?
Huge list here. I have a tendency to duck my head in the sand when there are things that need to be done that I don’t want to do. Most of those involve confrontations and phone calls home to parents. I need to work more on communicating with students, and making sure that when I say I’m going to do something, that I follow through. I definitely need to work on my organization skills, especially with elementary.
All in all, this was a good year. There are many things I will transition into again next year. Every year I will have to make changes and examine what has worked and what hasn’t. I’m excited for the larger groups next year (especially JH and HS), and the level of performance that will keep getting better as next year begins.
