Well, week one is finished. It feels like it's been a night and a year since this placement has started. It has been a very fulfilling, but exhausting week. Runnymede PS has an impressive music program. In grade 4 they spend eight weeks in each of the string, wind and vocal/drama streams before they decide which they will stick with for the rest of their time at Runnymede. By grade eight they manage to attain a fairly high level of proficiency. I'm teaching the string stream for this placement. I've never conducted a large group before, and I haven't played my viola in about a decade.
Once again, I've found it tricky to reconcile the demands of home life with the demands of school. The week has gone surprisingly well, although Wednesday fell pretty flat because I was exhausted. I got a good night sleep Wednesday night and Thursday went much better. I'm getting along with my AT and she's given my a lot of very positive feedback. Then I got run over by Friday.
My AT was gone to a music conference in norther ontario today. We had a supply teacher, that I know from my old private music school, and the students know quite well. But regardless, 7s and 8s on a Friday with a supply and what they see as another student was a crowd control nightmare. Despite knowing that I had a class list with a seating chart they decided today was the day for fake names and an energetic game of not-so-musical chairs. Two of the 8s even got into a fight/arguement over who's violin was who's. I spent the week feeling like a superstar, but it didn't take very long to remind me just how inexperienced I really am. COME BACK MRS McLEOD!!!!
Kevin, it's been a year, but only one night? :P What a super amazing school you seem to be teaching at! I am so jealous that I didn't go to this school with this amazing music program. It starts in grade 4!! My mother went to university on the euphonium. I think if there had been a month to experiment with instruments, perhaps she would have chosen otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI feel ya on the subs. Omg it's chaos. a sh*t show..... unless of course you can get your principal to be your sub. That seems to reign em in.