10/29

Yesterday was Halloween dress-up day.

I was Nathan Detroit (Guys and Dolls)

Mrs. D was Cruella Deville (101 Dalmations)

I was monitoring some students in in-school suspension and noticed that one of them was in there for the day because she does not participate in Halloween.  It reminds me that the school did not officially refer to Halloween for this spirit day, but instead (and in the theme of an anti-drug week) as "Say 'Boo!' to drugs day."  I need to find out if the full-time suspension monitor knows if that was a parental or student decision.  I'm not particularly inclined to rant about Halloween in schools — try to stifle your disappointment.

In GM, we watched "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (because we can).  I haven't seen this video in such a long time that I got to enjoy a new discovery of how amazing it is.  Off the top of my head, it's the only kid-oriented story on film that I can think of that doesn't teach the lesson, "If you believe really hard in something, it will happen."  Linus firmly believes in the Great Pumpkin and waits for it all night and it never comes.  So instead of another "Hey kids, magic stuff is real — keep at it" movie, this is a movie that seems to say, "Hey kids, it's ok if something that you really wish for doesn't arrive, life goes on anyway, and deeper beauty and meaning exists (in friendship and in nature)."  I love it.

Imagery like this makes me happy.

I ended the day by attending a specialized meeting with representatives from different teams (Mrs. D represents the arts here) and the principal and VP.  It was...boring!  Yet, also informative.  Enough of that, I have another day to talk about...

Today was a clerical day post-marking-period.  We finalized grades and began preparation for the next marking period (we fortunately get another day, Monday, for this as well).  I worked on creating seating charts based on IEP and medical information (vision and hearing, for example).  In looking at my rosters, I know I'm going to have my hands full.  There are many ADHD students in these classes and many with IEP's, too.

One class in particular is going to be the adventure of a lifetime.  Mrs. D and I have been warned THREE TIMES about this group of students, with phrases like, "this is the kind of class that could make someone run away screaming from education."  We met with a teacher who works with these students (though not all at once, is my understanding) to figure out who to avoid sitting next to whom.  He did help with this, and he also informed us (almost one by one) about the very low-performing faculties of these students and their behavioral...let's say "quirks."  He also said to us, and I quote directly, "This is honestly the lowest set of students that I've seen."  28/30 of these students have IEP's, by the way.  Fortunately, their learning support teacher will be with us during each class.  Mrs. D will be trying to let me be entirely in control of the class but will, when needed, be a valuable presence and extra set of eyes — perhaps also an enforcer if I don't cut it some day.  My expectations for this class will, and need to be, completely different than that of others; I'll be progressing in the curriculum at a dramatically slower pace.  Some of these students read at a 2nd grade level.  I get the impression that if I can make it through teaching this class, there is absolutely nothing pedagogical that would keep me from certification.

Please forgive my late-night lazy storytelling, but I need to wrap this up.  The last memorable event of the day was hearing about a situation in which some HS seniors were found to be expecting Mrs. D to drive them between two music events on a weekend without ever having asked her.  Furthermore, she had to drive them around today due to their poor planning.  SENIORS!  WAKE UP!


The Oldest Established (Guys and Dolls)

10/8

Mrs. D and her family extended their weekend from 3 (we have Monday off) days to 4 and took today off for a short trip.  So I was on my own again today (with a sub).

I did a little bit of work with the HS Choir.  I warmed them up with one exercise that Mrs. D uses and then one that my college director uses.  I used the vowel-shaping focus of the second one to transition into working with the choir on a unison melody in a song (with a focus on vowels).  I have to give credit to many members of the choir, they were focused and intent on hearing me and trying to learn, but there was also still a lot of trouble from that notorious group of girls I've spoken of before.  There was also an expected hurdle that it seems will take more time to overcome even with the students who want to do well; they're just not used to my style of directing (one which isn't at all solidified anyway).  Compared to Mrs. D, I'm rather dry and serious — intently focused on what I want to teach.  This was evident during that second warm-up activity; it required following some conducting while singing a new thing, so their sound was very timid and unsure.  The same sort of sound was all I could get during the song rehearsal too since my use of the piano is different than Mrs. D's.  I did also identify a hurdle for myself to overcome; I can't yet digest all of the actions, sounds, and attention of so many students at once, so it's really difficult to adapt my teaching because with so many students responding/acting in so many different ways.  I feel removed and alone.

Today was school colors day at the HS and hat day at the MS.  I wore a cool tie and a fedora.  Sorry, no picture.

I somehow managed to get to the same point in the movie at the end each of the 3 GM classes.  That will make Tuesday easy.

There was a tricky incident today.  Just as students were arriving for a GM class, a girl stormed out of the room and a [rather excitable] boy followed her in haste.  I did too, and the girl told me she was going to the office to report the boy for being a persistent pest (my words, not hers).  The boy just about threw a fit (and did throw his hat), so I took them both aside, got their stories (the boy keeps bugging the girl even when she asks him to stop), made the boy apologize and understand that the real apology is in not continuing that behavior, but I left it open for the girl to go to the office.  Fortunately, she chose not to after the apology.  I felt like I was teaching elementary kids how to resolve a problem, but I'm concluding that 7th grade is about when I get to tell them that I expect them to be able to come to their own resolutions, but when they still won't get it right every time.


Nacht und Träume (Franz Schubert) - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

10/1

Well, we got out the guitars again today...oops.

It wasn't actually a mistake, but it was sure a headache to have on a Friday.  I've been working this week to quell the chaos of the GM classes and have been succeeding.  This means that we ended the week by letting them sit wherever they want and play with things that make noise.  It went as well as it could, we even got some more make-up work done, and I'm just desperately hoping that things will be back to "more attentive than usual" after this guitar unit.

I was prepared at the end of the day to stay late and grade papers and work on some things but Mrs. D convinced me to "Go home!  It's Friday!  Grade them next week."  Thanks :)

Today was "Crazy Socks Day."

This was my spirited contribution.

Variations 1-4 (Andrew Lloyd Webber) - Julian Lloyd Webber (From a student.)