Ok, so I haven't written in awhile...but I've been very busy and unsure of what to write. I've made some major changes in my life recently, one of those changes being going back to school and forgoing the teaching profession. This makes my classroom blog basically null and void. Oops.
However, I've recently decided to revamp the whole thing. I'm going to make this blog about music (my true love in life), since that's what I'm going back to school for. I still do sub every once in awhile and I have a job in retail, so I'm sure there will be a few stories about that. I hope to change my picture as well as the background around here too, so look for those in the near future...that is, if there's anyone even reading this. In any case, I'll try to write more often and make my posts at least a little bit interesting!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Parting is such sweet sorrow...
As I sit here at my desk, surveying my nearly empty classroom, I can't help but feel a sense of sadness at the passing of the school year. Sure, I'm looking forward to summer vacation - swimming, reading, doing another show, not running around from place to place like a nut - but there's something about an empty, bare classroom that makes me a little wistful.
Looking back on the semester I've spent teaching music, I realize that I've learned just as much as the students have (especially since this isn't my certification area!). I've really enjoyed teaching them about a subject that I'm truly passionate about, and I hope it has shown in my work. I can't believe how fast this semester has gone, and I wonder where the time goes. Can it really be June 3rd already? Have I really been doing this since January 3rd?
Overall, I would say that despite the hardships, this has been a fruitful year. I'll really miss my students over the summer (although I don't doubt for a second that I'll run into them), and from the way they acted today, they'll miss me too. I'm sad that I won't get to see these kids next year, because as of Friday, my job at this school is over. They'll have their regular music teacher back, and I'll (hopefully) have a job somewhere else.
Am I meant to be a teacher? Maybe, maybe not; I still don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that I am certainly wiser for having spent the past year being a teacher, and the knowledge and experience I've gained from it cannot be gained from any book, any person, or any other profession.
Looking back on the semester I've spent teaching music, I realize that I've learned just as much as the students have (especially since this isn't my certification area!). I've really enjoyed teaching them about a subject that I'm truly passionate about, and I hope it has shown in my work. I can't believe how fast this semester has gone, and I wonder where the time goes. Can it really be June 3rd already? Have I really been doing this since January 3rd?
Overall, I would say that despite the hardships, this has been a fruitful year. I'll really miss my students over the summer (although I don't doubt for a second that I'll run into them), and from the way they acted today, they'll miss me too. I'm sad that I won't get to see these kids next year, because as of Friday, my job at this school is over. They'll have their regular music teacher back, and I'll (hopefully) have a job somewhere else.
Am I meant to be a teacher? Maybe, maybe not; I still don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that I am certainly wiser for having spent the past year being a teacher, and the knowledge and experience I've gained from it cannot be gained from any book, any person, or any other profession.
Monday, April 27, 2009
No time to blog!
Wow, I seem to have been ignoring my blog. Life has been busy, and although I have plenty to write about, I lack the time to write it. Hopefully once school gets out my life will settle a bit. Look for future posts about school lunches, bad parents, school policies, and other random things that have nothing to do with education. Oh yes, and of course...
LET'S GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
And so ends another show...
Has it really been over a month since I've written in this blog? Oops! I guess I've just been so busy lately that blogging has fallen by the wayside. That's to be expected, though, considering I've been working every day, singing a lot on weekends, and rehearsing for a show four times a week.
However, now that show is over; I must admit that I'm feeling a little sad tonight, knowing that I won't get to see the cast and crew every night anymore. I don't think I've ever had as much fun doing a show as I did doing The Fantasticks. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this show, from blocking to choreography to even tech week. The cast was absolutely phenomenal to work with (here is our cast picture, minus one) and the crew did their jobs very well. Everyone was so wonderful, and I made so many new friends and met so many new people. Between the outtakes at rehearsals and the fun we had at cast parties, I don't know if I've ever laughed so hard so often. With such a small cast and crew, it's no wonder that we all got along so well and became close. I've never worked with such a small cast, but I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to do so and work with such talented people. I can't even express how blessed I feel to be involved in theater again.
So I'll be sad for a little while, and then I'll move on to the next project. Between work, grad school, and surely more shows on the way, I'm sure I'll have plenty to keep me occupied. However, I will never, ever forget this amazing show and the wonderful memories I've made here. I really hope that I have the opportunity to work with all of these people again!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
For the Love of Theater
I'm going to take this post to branch out from my usual commentary on school and teaching and instead write about one of my true loves: theater.
I'm currently playing the character Luisa in a community theater production of The Fantasticks and I must say, I'm having such an incredibly fun time. I absolutely love the music in the show and the rest of the cast is hilarious and a lot of fun to work with. I'm so glad to be involved in theater again!
I've been thinking about why I love acting, singing, and theater in general. The show is, at times, very silly, yet eight full grown adults have no complaints about - in fact, we even enjoy - partaking in the frivolity and ridiculousness that is this show. This includes but is certainly not limited to dancing, climbing out of boxes, dying, fainting, sword fights, kissing, and of course singing, all while pretending to be someone else. Why do we do this? We all have real jobs and real lives, yet we all excitedly come to rehearsals four times a week and gladly get on stage, waiting for our next direction. Well...I have a theory. It might be totally wrong, and maybe not even make sense, but I'll tell you anyway. My theory is that actors are people who never stopped wanting to play pretend. Remember when we were kids, how much fun it was to play house, tea party, cowboys and indians, etc? Essentially, that's what acting is - playing pretend on a grander scale. At some point between childhood and adulthood, we lose that desire to play pretend and move on to grown up things (and often harsh reality). Perhaps actors never lost that love of playing; perhaps our love of theater stems from that part of us that still has a little kids inside wanting to play pretend. Perhaps we are all so good at playing pretend that we want to show everyone just how good we are.
After all, how else could one get eight grown ups to go onstage and perform without pay?
I'm currently playing the character Luisa in a community theater production of The Fantasticks and I must say, I'm having such an incredibly fun time. I absolutely love the music in the show and the rest of the cast is hilarious and a lot of fun to work with. I'm so glad to be involved in theater again!
I've been thinking about why I love acting, singing, and theater in general. The show is, at times, very silly, yet eight full grown adults have no complaints about - in fact, we even enjoy - partaking in the frivolity and ridiculousness that is this show. This includes but is certainly not limited to dancing, climbing out of boxes, dying, fainting, sword fights, kissing, and of course singing, all while pretending to be someone else. Why do we do this? We all have real jobs and real lives, yet we all excitedly come to rehearsals four times a week and gladly get on stage, waiting for our next direction. Well...I have a theory. It might be totally wrong, and maybe not even make sense, but I'll tell you anyway. My theory is that actors are people who never stopped wanting to play pretend. Remember when we were kids, how much fun it was to play house, tea party, cowboys and indians, etc? Essentially, that's what acting is - playing pretend on a grander scale. At some point between childhood and adulthood, we lose that desire to play pretend and move on to grown up things (and often harsh reality). Perhaps actors never lost that love of playing; perhaps our love of theater stems from that part of us that still has a little kids inside wanting to play pretend. Perhaps we are all so good at playing pretend that we want to show everyone just how good we are.
After all, how else could one get eight grown ups to go onstage and perform without pay?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Are We Failing Our Children?
The first two days of this week, I spent my days subbing for the Learning Support teacher in one of the schools I sub at. I must say, I'm truly worried about some of the students I had. I realize that I was working with the kids with lower abilities, but really...what I saw really made me think. How do students get to 5th grade and barely know how to read? Why are they still counting on their fingers? Why can they not do 2nd and 3rd grade math problems?
I'm not sure who exactly is at fault here. Is it the parents who don't work with their children enough? Could it be the district for not catching this problems sooner? Are the teachers incompetent? Is the child him/herself just not putting in enough effort?
Regardless of the reason, it is the duty of the school and the teachers to help those children who struggle. Everyone can learn; they just learn differently. These kids can't slip through the cracks, because things will only get worse for them as they get older. I ask myself, what can I do to help? I'm only there for a day here and there; I can't make much of a difference.
However, I do what I can. I offer my help and support where ever I happen to be, for whatever it's worth. I don't want society to fail our children, and I'll do what I can to prevent it.
I guess that's why I became a teacher in the first place.
I'm not sure who exactly is at fault here. Is it the parents who don't work with their children enough? Could it be the district for not catching this problems sooner? Are the teachers incompetent? Is the child him/herself just not putting in enough effort?
Regardless of the reason, it is the duty of the school and the teachers to help those children who struggle. Everyone can learn; they just learn differently. These kids can't slip through the cracks, because things will only get worse for them as they get older. I ask myself, what can I do to help? I'm only there for a day here and there; I can't make much of a difference.
However, I do what I can. I offer my help and support where ever I happen to be, for whatever it's worth. I don't want society to fail our children, and I'll do what I can to prevent it.
I guess that's why I became a teacher in the first place.
Monday, February 16, 2009
I Wonder As I Wander
Some days when I sub, I float around between classrooms in the school. The reasons for my doing this vary. Sometimes it's to cover classes for a half hour so while the teachers are in a meeting; other times it's because I sub for one person in the morning and a different person in the afternoon. Either way, I tend to notice different things as I walk around the different floors of the school.
On this particular day, a lovely former-holiday-turned-snow-makeup-day, I noticed that elementary school lockers are just not big enough for adult sized things. At least, the lockers in this building aren't. While most elementary schools have cubbies instead of lockers, this school actually does have lockers for most of the students. However, they're very small. They might be able to fit a bookbag, coat, and lunchbox, but try doing that if you're an adult! It took me about five minutes to squeeze in my coat, lunchbox, purse, and teacher bag, thus prompting me to think that teachers should have their own grown-up sized lockers. It would make sense, right? And it would be a lot better than throwing my coat over my chair like I usually do. But I know, I know...great idea in theory, but it's not going to happen. Most schools were built a long time ago and either can't fit or can't afford teachers' lockers. However...on the new schools, they should really implement the idea.
Another thing I noticed today was the definite odor of prepubescence that was wafting about on the 5th grade floor. It's about that time in life when kids cease to be kids and begin their journey to adulthood. In other, less poetic words...they should really start wearing deodorant, because the smell will only get worse in the spring. That's right, warm weather = sweaty, stinky kids. It's simple logic, really. One can only hope that their parents will realize this too and buy the kids some deodorant. If that doesn't happen (and sometimes it won't; one often wonders where the hell some people's brains are), the next hope is that the unfortunate stinky kids will take the hint from the little Rico Suave who has been dousing himself in too much Axe since the end of 3rd grade. I don't know about the other teachers, but I certainly would rather have my eyes water a bit from inhaling cologne than have to attempt to tactfully ask a student if they could please do something about their B.O. I haven't had to do that yet, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that I'll never have to!
Tomorrow I'm in a different building, but supposed to be in for two different teachers once again. I wonder what I'll notice tomorrow...
On this particular day, a lovely former-holiday-turned-snow-makeup-day, I noticed that elementary school lockers are just not big enough for adult sized things. At least, the lockers in this building aren't. While most elementary schools have cubbies instead of lockers, this school actually does have lockers for most of the students. However, they're very small. They might be able to fit a bookbag, coat, and lunchbox, but try doing that if you're an adult! It took me about five minutes to squeeze in my coat, lunchbox, purse, and teacher bag, thus prompting me to think that teachers should have their own grown-up sized lockers. It would make sense, right? And it would be a lot better than throwing my coat over my chair like I usually do. But I know, I know...great idea in theory, but it's not going to happen. Most schools were built a long time ago and either can't fit or can't afford teachers' lockers. However...on the new schools, they should really implement the idea.
Another thing I noticed today was the definite odor of prepubescence that was wafting about on the 5th grade floor. It's about that time in life when kids cease to be kids and begin their journey to adulthood. In other, less poetic words...they should really start wearing deodorant, because the smell will only get worse in the spring. That's right, warm weather = sweaty, stinky kids. It's simple logic, really. One can only hope that their parents will realize this too and buy the kids some deodorant. If that doesn't happen (and sometimes it won't; one often wonders where the hell some people's brains are), the next hope is that the unfortunate stinky kids will take the hint from the little Rico Suave who has been dousing himself in too much Axe since the end of 3rd grade. I don't know about the other teachers, but I certainly would rather have my eyes water a bit from inhaling cologne than have to attempt to tactfully ask a student if they could please do something about their B.O. I haven't had to do that yet, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that I'll never have to!
Tomorrow I'm in a different building, but supposed to be in for two different teachers once again. I wonder what I'll notice tomorrow...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
