Musicians with Chutzpah!

Hang up already! Cell phones have become very important, however, this alpha double dollar sign deserved this in spades!

This is just nuts...

I would not believe it if I didn't see it - and I'm still not too sure!
A traffic cam caught this - it looks contrived but supposed to be real.
Reminds me of my band room. Pretty crowded and I have no choice but to navigate about, narrowly missing instruments along the way!

Live By...Die By

Yesterday's power-outage brought our dependence upon things electronic into sharp focus.

In our school district, as with many others I'm certain, we keep virtually all of our records via in-class computers. Attendance, discipline issues, and grades are all entered and managed exclusively on our computers. Even our daily objectives are projected onto our "Promethean" boards via the computer.

Many teachers and students became totally disoriented in their unlit, disconnected environment. Some of us simply did our best to get light into the room with open doors or uncovered windows. If we, as teachers, refused to panic our students pretty much did the same.

For some it was absolutely work-stopping - for others it was just a minor, temporary inconvenience.

Oh, well...Live by electronics, Die by electronics.

Hangovers in Middle School?

I mentioned in yesterday's blog entry that the kids have "checked out." Upon reflection, it seems I overlooked an important component in their lack of focus.

They're all hung over.

No, I don't think they all got plastered over the weekend (at least I'm pretty certain my 6th graders didn't). Their hangovers were caused by an entire week of intense testing the week before. They're spent. Wiped. Toast.

The timing of the testing could have been worse but it would have taken careful planning to cause more disruption. (Shh, don't tell the powers that be...they might make it worse.)

As I mentioned yesterday, we're approaching the end of the year. However, there is still much to be accomplished; concepts to learn, concerts to play, and in-house testing to do.

Should the timing of the AIMS test be changed? This author thinks so. If the testing occurred much later in the year - closer to the end of school and after many important functions have already occurred - the "hangover" would have much less of an effect on learning...virtually all of the learning for the year would be finished. In the week or so prior to the testing teachers could focus on the upcoming examinations and coach the students toward their best performance. Afterward, the last week of school could be used for wrapping up the year and for the inevitable final festivities.

AIMS administrators, please review your timing...our kids can't handle the extended hangover.

They've checked out and left no forwarding address...

This time of year the students are already home, messing around, and wasting time (at least in their minds). Those with ordinarily good behavior and attitudes are starting to lose it - and those with poor behavior and attitudes are, um, disappointing (read, pains in the posterior) at best.

The special challenge for the music educator is that the music program cannot wind down because, well, the music programs have yet to occur. That is, we still have our concerts to finish preparing for and presenting. If non-music students check out they could receive a poorer grade than they might otherwise but that does not affect the other students. In the music ensemble even one ne’er-do-well, malcontent, or just plain airhead can ruin it for everyone. The student musicians must remain steadfast until the performances are "in the can." Even the Titanic musicians held out to the very end. (Although I'm not suggesting that my music students and I remain on the deck as the ship slips beneath the first waves of summer.)

Funny profession, this. As music educators we don't really fit in with the so-called, "academic" subjects (although I would challenge any naysayer of music's importance to a duel of research) and while we don't directly influence test scores we have an incredible indirect effect on students' academic prowess.

We often are the artsy type, with second jobs that require odd hours and co-mingling with other interesting folk. For our music programs to succeed we must, as such, require some of this oddness of our students. Part of that oddness is remaining at our posts, playing our instruments, while the rest of the party-goers are, shall I say, temporarily incapacitated.

It can be tough being the outsider, both in the role of educator and of student - so I will give them just a bit of slack. They can check out...but they still have to stay in the lobby and perform.

Ouch...this must be the new english

Bear in mind that I am a music teacher...To borrow a phrase from "Lost In Space"..."Oh, the Pain, the Pain!"

They'll Surprise You

In middle school teaching one runs across a plethora of different personalities - some delightful, some shy, some complete pains in the portions of one's body often reserved for sitting.

Then one of these knuckleheads will blindside you.

One talented but troubled - and troublesome - young man has "issues" with his male teachers. He loves to draw them into his little game, tick them off, then play the victim. The textbooks call this "passive-aggressive behavior." (I have worked with many administrators, some very good and some very bad. If you look up "passive-aggressive" in the psych texts you'll find my photo.)

But, I digress.

This young man has a girlfriend for whom he appears to care for a great deal. (I'll avoid the whole age-appropriate issue for now.) Upon learning that this young man had "issues" the choir teacher (a female) offered to give him the vocal lessons he desired if he could clean up his act. He asked her if, in exchange for his improved behavior, she could give his girlfriend the lessons in his stead. The choir teacher wasted no time in reporting this selfless behavior to me.

I still get a bit misty thinking about the conversation I had with this young man, being able to tell him how impressed I was at his selflessness (and chuckling to myself a bit having to explain "selfless" to him.) Certainly, some of this behavior must have been prompted by his desire to impress the girlfriend but it runs deeper. It had to have come from a place no one (certainly his other teachers nor I) had seen.

This posterior paining student gave me hope for him and a few others.

Yep, they'll surprise you.