Live- My wife is sick.
I don't like it.
I don't like it because there's still a bunch of stuff that she has to do that no one else can. I want to be able to take care of her and let her rest, but all the stuff she has to do, I can't do.
Things like...grading...watching the kids when I'm at work...breast feeding...
The kids got to do something really nice for her today though. They gave her a present. Sleep.
Today was probably the first time they have ever slept in in the morning. They made it until about 8:00am!
It was the first time that I've left for work and both kids have been sleeping.
I was really glad to see teachergirl in bed when I left. I know she hasn't slept well in about 2 years.
She deserved the almost 4 hours in a row.
Love- We recently had two teacher work days at work...because...where else do you have those?
The first one, I used to the fullest. I planned for approximately 7 hours. Not bad if I do say so myself.
Granted, I am a music teacher. So some of my planning was learning how to play Hava Nagila on the guitar and how to dance the Bele Kawe...But still, 7 hours is pretty good.
The thing I loved really happened in the second day. I got to actually play my instrument. I played the trombone and it was really good.
I love when you haven't played in a while and when you pick up the instrument, the slide doesn't need grease. I love it how the tone slowly gets more clear and mellow...how the lip slurs become more smooth and how, after you've made the best music you have in a long time, your top lip is swollen and you have a brass hickey.
One thing I really liked was learning a Cannonic Sonata from one of my books. I really liked it. I don't know why I liked it more this time than the other times I tried to read it...
It's probably a combination of me not hearing good musical music in a while and me actually trying.
Make Music- The music I have been listening to has mostly been at school...and in prep for the fifth grade performance coming next week! AHHH.
I was really worried this week until the full rehearsal we did today.
They sounded really good.
I don't know what it is about choirs but it always sounds better with more people. When every class but one sounds wobbly and weak in class, it apparently doesn't matter because as soon as you take those unsure singers and put them together, they sounds good.
Today, when they all sang together, I felt joy. I loved it.
Music. Rocks. Make some.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Since when is winning not enough?
Live: Kids can be really tiring... Enough said. You know what I'm talking about.
It does, however, give you the opportunity to grow, or become a heartless, raging doo doo head.
It feel like, even though the kids are using their baby telepathy to communicate and give us a hard time just to let us know who's really the boss, my wife and I are, using it to help change us into the parents and people we more want to be...
That's right, parents are people.
You're always assessing what is working and what isn't working and tweaking the processes a little every day. In that process your changing yourself and your habits and eventually, your very nature.
I think that's why raising children seems like it goes by so quickly.
I remember my time in the missionary training center. When I was there I was learning all day, every day. And when you're learning that much all the time, the days, for me anyway, seemed to take forever. It wasn't just the learning though, it was the huge anticipation of what was coming next.
When my kids are growing, from the time they're born, you are always looking forward to the next thing. You look forward to when they'll first smile at you, or for them to roll over, or to sit up, or walk, or sleep through the night, or talk or go to school so they can leave you alone some, etc. until the day comes when they're leaving...
and then all you want is for time to stop and back up.
Be where you are and be when you are.
Love: My girls are starting to play together. My oldest will talk to her sister and show her things she can do with the exersaucer and ask her how she's doing and what she's doing. She'll bring her toys to play with and try to share her strawberries. She'll tell her she loves her. Even in the middle of all the tiringness I talked about before, this stuff cuts through it all like katana through...well most things.
Make Music: Today I did some composition with my Kindergarteners and 1st graders. I got some foam hearts and put notes on them. Each group got 12 hearts and had to make 3 rows of 4 hearts to perform for the class. They did really well. It took a little for them to figure out how they were going to decide where to put them, but when they did, it was rolling. Once a group was ready, they did their lines for the class.
I also did games with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. Every time I said "and whoever (insert action here) wins," some one in my class said "so what do we get?" Since when is winning not enough?
Just more tiring kids.
It does, however, give you the opportunity to grow, or become a heartless, raging doo doo head.
It feel like, even though the kids are using their baby telepathy to communicate and give us a hard time just to let us know who's really the boss, my wife and I are, using it to help change us into the parents and people we more want to be...
That's right, parents are people.
You're always assessing what is working and what isn't working and tweaking the processes a little every day. In that process your changing yourself and your habits and eventually, your very nature.
I think that's why raising children seems like it goes by so quickly.
I remember my time in the missionary training center. When I was there I was learning all day, every day. And when you're learning that much all the time, the days, for me anyway, seemed to take forever. It wasn't just the learning though, it was the huge anticipation of what was coming next.
When my kids are growing, from the time they're born, you are always looking forward to the next thing. You look forward to when they'll first smile at you, or for them to roll over, or to sit up, or walk, or sleep through the night, or talk or go to school so they can leave you alone some, etc. until the day comes when they're leaving...
and then all you want is for time to stop and back up.
Be where you are and be when you are.
Love: My girls are starting to play together. My oldest will talk to her sister and show her things she can do with the exersaucer and ask her how she's doing and what she's doing. She'll bring her toys to play with and try to share her strawberries. She'll tell her she loves her. Even in the middle of all the tiringness I talked about before, this stuff cuts through it all like katana through...well most things.
Make Music: Today I did some composition with my Kindergarteners and 1st graders. I got some foam hearts and put notes on them. Each group got 12 hearts and had to make 3 rows of 4 hearts to perform for the class. They did really well. It took a little for them to figure out how they were going to decide where to put them, but when they did, it was rolling. Once a group was ready, they did their lines for the class.
I also did games with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. Every time I said "and whoever (insert action here) wins," some one in my class said "so what do we get?" Since when is winning not enough?
Just more tiring kids.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Termites gave us one good thing...Didgeridoos.
Live- This past week was my first "Professional Development" day. It was way fun.
While my colleagues were talking about curriculum planning and common core standards, which probably would have been very helpful for me since I'm a first year teacher who's coming in half-way through the school year...but that's neither here nor there, I was dancing and moving to music and learning these awesome improv games! I really liked it.
We did a couple different games and then used them to make a framework to create an improv dance performance that can definitely be used for a performance. One was called, I see but I want to do. In that one, some one does a movement and says " I want to do..." The next person then says "I see..." and does the movement of the last person and then says "but I want to do..." and makes their own movement.
The second game was called I go, You go. In it, you're in partners. Both begin frozen in a shape. When the music starts, the first partner moves in shared space (close but not touching). Then they freeze and say "You go." Then the next partner goes.
The third game was follow the leader...you know the one...
The fourth was called flocking. In this game, there were three partners in a triangle. It would, however, work with more people in another shape (4 in a square/diamond etc.). Whoever was in front was in front was the leader. Everyone behind them in their group copied them. When they wanted to pass off being leader they simply turned to face another person in the group. When they do this, everyone also turns that direction and whoever is in front is now the leader. It provides essentially seamless transition.
Love- My wife is my best friend and my favorite person in the world. I think she's amazing. She broke her leg while she was really pregnant with our youngest daughter. It was like...oh hello bones...nice to see you...kind of bad break... and now she's almost walking normal. During all that, she also dealt with having a toddler and having a new born (a few weeks later of course) by c-section and still teaching like 5 to 7 classes a semester and doing physical therapy and on top of all that, she had to deal with me not being home because I was students teaching.
My wife is a super hero and she amazes me.
I love her with all of me.
Make Music- As I'm sure everyone knows, next Saturday is Australia day.
I mean...who doesn't know that?
Because of this, I'm making my lessons this coming week Australian based. In K/1 I'm going to do a song that I wrote in college. It's the Kangaroo Song. It's pretty awesome.
I'm also doing the Kookaburra song in the upper grades. I'm just going to continue to add more an more difficult Orff parts for the higher grades.
I'll start with singing and then singing in a round. For second grade, I'll have them TRY to do c-g-c'-g-c :|| with the song. If not, they'll do hands together on c and g to ta-ta-ti-ti-ta. In third, we're doing the c-g-c'-g-c:|| for fourth, I'm going to add in a so-fa-mi-re-do on beat three of every measure. It'll come on kookaburra sits in the OLD gum tree. Merry merry king of the BUSH is he...etc. SHould be awesome.
Also, hello? Didgeridoo? I'm so playing one for the classes.
While my colleagues were talking about curriculum planning and common core standards, which probably would have been very helpful for me since I'm a first year teacher who's coming in half-way through the school year...but that's neither here nor there, I was dancing and moving to music and learning these awesome improv games! I really liked it.
We did a couple different games and then used them to make a framework to create an improv dance performance that can definitely be used for a performance. One was called, I see but I want to do. In that one, some one does a movement and says " I want to do..." The next person then says "I see..." and does the movement of the last person and then says "but I want to do..." and makes their own movement.
The second game was called I go, You go. In it, you're in partners. Both begin frozen in a shape. When the music starts, the first partner moves in shared space (close but not touching). Then they freeze and say "You go." Then the next partner goes.
The third game was follow the leader...you know the one...
The fourth was called flocking. In this game, there were three partners in a triangle. It would, however, work with more people in another shape (4 in a square/diamond etc.). Whoever was in front was in front was the leader. Everyone behind them in their group copied them. When they wanted to pass off being leader they simply turned to face another person in the group. When they do this, everyone also turns that direction and whoever is in front is now the leader. It provides essentially seamless transition.
Love- My wife is my best friend and my favorite person in the world. I think she's amazing. She broke her leg while she was really pregnant with our youngest daughter. It was like...oh hello bones...nice to see you...kind of bad break... and now she's almost walking normal. During all that, she also dealt with having a toddler and having a new born (a few weeks later of course) by c-section and still teaching like 5 to 7 classes a semester and doing physical therapy and on top of all that, she had to deal with me not being home because I was students teaching.
My wife is a super hero and she amazes me.
I love her with all of me.
Make Music- As I'm sure everyone knows, next Saturday is Australia day.
I mean...who doesn't know that?
Because of this, I'm making my lessons this coming week Australian based. In K/1 I'm going to do a song that I wrote in college. It's the Kangaroo Song. It's pretty awesome.
I'm also doing the Kookaburra song in the upper grades. I'm just going to continue to add more an more difficult Orff parts for the higher grades.
I'll start with singing and then singing in a round. For second grade, I'll have them TRY to do c-g-c'-g-c :|| with the song. If not, they'll do hands together on c and g to ta-ta-ti-ti-ta. In third, we're doing the c-g-c'-g-c:|| for fourth, I'm going to add in a so-fa-mi-re-do on beat three of every measure. It'll come on kookaburra sits in the OLD gum tree. Merry merry king of the BUSH is he...etc. SHould be awesome.
Also, hello? Didgeridoo? I'm so playing one for the classes.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Teaching Elementary School
Quick update.
I graduated and got a job...and not necessarily in that order...
My family has moved to another state and I'm teaching music at an elementary school. It's going well so far.
Live: Today was a hard day. I woke up very tired. I'm not sure why...probably going to bed late. I had to get in that Spanish lesson in so I could keep my goal for the year...anyway...tired.
Today was also my first day with an elementary chorus. Just FYI, at my school, there are three vocal ensembles...yes it is an elementary school...and the chorus is the one that is NOT auditioned. There were a lot of people there. I think I collected the cards at the end and there were 91 today. After it was over, actually during, I realized that I was not at all prepared. It didn't seem to go well to me. I did, however, get ideas of what I need to do for next time. It's going to be much better.
I remember something that another teacher I know said. He said, "I learn a whole lot more from falling flat on my face than when everything goes perfectly"...or something like that. So...lesson learned...in part anyway.
Today I also had a great idea! It was, of course, too late to implement it today but it was good nonetheless. Almost all my classes were rowdy today. It was not what I expect of my students. I made one kid cry...and couple were fighting it back...oh, second grade...anyway...my idea was that I'm going to keep a reward in my shirt pocket to give to students who are doing awesome amidst the AAHHHH!!! that way, when the class is all "oh we're talking because were too cool to pay attention and we like the attention from everyone else" I can see someone doing super good and be like "here you go! you're great and you get a dollar!" not a real one but you know...
Love: I have a new baby. It's another daughter. She looks a little like my first. She is such a happy little baby. She loves to smile and she's just started talking. By that I mean that she yells all smiley for an extended period. It's very cute. I just got finished laying on the floor with her. She's rolled from front to back but not back to front yet. When I was laying with her, I was just talking to her and pointing out things and telling her "this is your belly. belly, belly, belly, belly..." or "head shoulders knees and toes." She just was smiling and looking at me like what I was saying was the most insightful and wonderful thing ever. Love it.
Make Music: In my classes today and some of last week, we went ice skating in the lower grades. It was great! they think it's so cool. I guess it's not really making music. It's really moving to music. What they do is stand on two paper plates and, if you don't lift your feet up, you can slide around on them like you're ice skating.
When they are "ice skating," it's like they're really doing it. They let out little squeaks and squeals when they slip and some of them hold hands to keep balance. It's a great idea and you should try it for your kids if you live somewhere where there is no ice or it's not ice season. It works on linoleum and carpet. I think really short carpet works best.
Also, we did some improv for the first time on instruments. It was good. Most of them were super short or they were just random. I think they'll be a lot more comfortable with it when they do it more though. some were really good. I think we might try putting an improv section in with the song we did last week...or with a new song. we'll figure it out.
I graduated and got a job...and not necessarily in that order...
My family has moved to another state and I'm teaching music at an elementary school. It's going well so far.
Live: Today was a hard day. I woke up very tired. I'm not sure why...probably going to bed late. I had to get in that Spanish lesson in so I could keep my goal for the year...anyway...tired.
Today was also my first day with an elementary chorus. Just FYI, at my school, there are three vocal ensembles...yes it is an elementary school...and the chorus is the one that is NOT auditioned. There were a lot of people there. I think I collected the cards at the end and there were 91 today. After it was over, actually during, I realized that I was not at all prepared. It didn't seem to go well to me. I did, however, get ideas of what I need to do for next time. It's going to be much better.
I remember something that another teacher I know said. He said, "I learn a whole lot more from falling flat on my face than when everything goes perfectly"...or something like that. So...lesson learned...in part anyway.
Today I also had a great idea! It was, of course, too late to implement it today but it was good nonetheless. Almost all my classes were rowdy today. It was not what I expect of my students. I made one kid cry...and couple were fighting it back...oh, second grade...anyway...my idea was that I'm going to keep a reward in my shirt pocket to give to students who are doing awesome amidst the AAHHHH!!! that way, when the class is all "oh we're talking because were too cool to pay attention and we like the attention from everyone else" I can see someone doing super good and be like "here you go! you're great and you get a dollar!" not a real one but you know...
Love: I have a new baby. It's another daughter. She looks a little like my first. She is such a happy little baby. She loves to smile and she's just started talking. By that I mean that she yells all smiley for an extended period. It's very cute. I just got finished laying on the floor with her. She's rolled from front to back but not back to front yet. When I was laying with her, I was just talking to her and pointing out things and telling her "this is your belly. belly, belly, belly, belly..." or "head shoulders knees and toes." She just was smiling and looking at me like what I was saying was the most insightful and wonderful thing ever. Love it.
Make Music: In my classes today and some of last week, we went ice skating in the lower grades. It was great! they think it's so cool. I guess it's not really making music. It's really moving to music. What they do is stand on two paper plates and, if you don't lift your feet up, you can slide around on them like you're ice skating.
When they are "ice skating," it's like they're really doing it. They let out little squeaks and squeals when they slip and some of them hold hands to keep balance. It's a great idea and you should try it for your kids if you live somewhere where there is no ice or it's not ice season. It works on linoleum and carpet. I think really short carpet works best.
Also, we did some improv for the first time on instruments. It was good. Most of them were super short or they were just random. I think they'll be a lot more comfortable with it when they do it more though. some were really good. I think we might try putting an improv section in with the song we did last week...or with a new song. we'll figure it out.
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