maybe i am a good teacher
I had our Spring Concert tonight at the high school, and now I'm listening to the concert.
I always get very contemplative after these kinds of events. I know I've only been teaching for a year now, but I really feel like I'm making progress in a lot of ways. The students definitely respond to me differently than they used to. A lot of kids who resented me for being there have changed. I guess they see that I know how to get them to sing better. I almost typed "get them to sing well" but I don't know if I would say that. I don't think they all sing well, yet. Too many bad habits have been learned in the past few years to drop so quickly. But things are definitely changing, slowly but surely.
It's weird, at the beginning of the year, i HATED being in the room without the other teacher (let's call her "Pat") there. I did not like being in charge at all. But now it is becoming much more natural. I think it's because I don't worship the ground that Pat walks on anymore. I had no confidence in myself and therefore did everything the way she did, but now I'm starting to find my own style and am trying different ways of getting things done.
All I know is next year, I think I will be the only official chorus teacher, and that would have terrified me last year, but now I'm really looking forward to the challenge. I know that I was so set on going away to grad school soon but I'm really enjoying what I'm doing now...getting kids interested in music and expanding a very small music department into something better. Not that it matters to much, but I would love to eventually be known around the Western New York area as a school with a good music tradition. That takes years and years, I know, but maybe I'm up for it?
I always get very contemplative after these kinds of events. I know I've only been teaching for a year now, but I really feel like I'm making progress in a lot of ways. The students definitely respond to me differently than they used to. A lot of kids who resented me for being there have changed. I guess they see that I know how to get them to sing better. I almost typed "get them to sing well" but I don't know if I would say that. I don't think they all sing well, yet. Too many bad habits have been learned in the past few years to drop so quickly. But things are definitely changing, slowly but surely.
It's weird, at the beginning of the year, i HATED being in the room without the other teacher (let's call her "Pat") there. I did not like being in charge at all. But now it is becoming much more natural. I think it's because I don't worship the ground that Pat walks on anymore. I had no confidence in myself and therefore did everything the way she did, but now I'm starting to find my own style and am trying different ways of getting things done.
All I know is next year, I think I will be the only official chorus teacher, and that would have terrified me last year, but now I'm really looking forward to the challenge. I know that I was so set on going away to grad school soon but I'm really enjoying what I'm doing now...getting kids interested in music and expanding a very small music department into something better. Not that it matters to much, but I would love to eventually be known around the Western New York area as a school with a good music tradition. That takes years and years, I know, but maybe I'm up for it?
