Hello again everyone! This blog post is coming early due to the Memorial Day weekend, and since this week is short, you'd think it would be less hectic... No sir! The spring program has dominated our time and has kept me busy!
On Monday, I had my marathon teaching day with 4th grade (recorders), 3rd grade (solfege unit), and 2nd grade (sixteenth note unit). Once all of these classes were done, I put my head down on my desk to regain a little bit of sanity before moving on to the rest of the day. It felt like I had been at school for 7 hours already and it was only 11:20! In the afternoon, we had a school-wide rehearsal for the spring program. To be frank, the rehearsal went terribly. The kids were really hot on stage and had trouble focusing, and it was the first time with a lot of our props. Alissa and I looked at each other at the end of the rehearsal and swallowed hard. We were truly starting to worry that this wasn't going to go well.
Tuesday was the big day of the spring program. Alissa has this wonderful rule: She will not teach on the day of a show. Probably one of the smartest things I've heard in a long time! We spent the morning doing last minute sound things, buying new cables for ones that could use to be replaced before the show. We had a dress rehearsal for the whole school, and it was the first time we made it through the show without any stops. Scary!! It went pretty well, but the 7th and 8th grade still lacked a lot of energy. We held our breath as we went into the evening show. Alissa and I went and got dinner and hung out before the show, and at 6:30, lights were up and we were set to go. The show seemed like it went by so fast, and it went really well! There weren't any mistakes, and the energy level was very high! We were so relieved that it went well, considering the struggle it had been to get them ready. We went up on stage afterward and the kids gave both of us flowers and said thank you for all of our hard work, which felt really nice. I am so glad that the show went well!
Wednesday was still busy, but less than Monday and Tuesday. I directed Mass for the first time, which was difficult considering I still don't feel like I know all of the traditions and songs, but it went alright. The kids were gracious and forgiving when I made mistakes. The classes were pretty chill, and in the afternoon we had a student vs staff volleyball game. It was so much fun! The entire school was cheering for us and we played all of the classes of students 6-8th. I had to leave a little early though to go sign my contract with MPS as a new teacher! I officially have a position at Ronald Reagan High School as a choir director! I am so thrilled and I can't believe I'm a big girl now with a real job! Thank you for all of your prayers in this department. Afterward, Alissa and I went to celebrate with frozen yogurt. Such a good day!
Today is the last day before the weekend, and I'm heading down to Arkansas to meet my boyfriend Jon's family. I'm really excited, and please pray for safe travels! Thanks for catching up with me!!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Week 7: Schoolhouse Rock Fever
Hey friends! This was probably my most stressful week so far at my elementary placement. I am all in, teaching all of the classes, and I had something after school every day. I just felt like I was nonstop! I guess that's what happens when your big spring program is the following week!
Monday was pretty packed as usual, but with an extra dress rehearsal with the 7th and 8th grade for our spring program, Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr. I'll be frank, the rehearsal was awful. The students just couldn't stay focused now that all of the pieces are coming together. They get distracted by the dancers and actors around them and miss entrances left and right. We were so frustrated by the end of rehearsal, it made the rest of the day tough to get through. I introduced a unit on solfege with the 3rd graders and a unit of sixteenth notes with the 2nd graders. These unit intros went pretty well, but I was exhausted by the end of the day! I scooted down to MPS central office after school to see what is up with my contract, and they gave me a note to get a physical before signing my contract.
Tuesday was more relaxed, but was filled with running around preparing for the rest of the week. Funny that days that are supposed to be relaxed end up being filled with little errands and planning. I did an assessment with my 4K kids on pitch exploration and writing vocal waves representing pitch fluctuation. I went after school to get my first physical in Brown Deer.
Wednesday we had a rehearsal with the 5th and 6th graders like we did with the older ones, but the rehearsal didn't go much better. They seemed to be on the ball a little more and were definitely more quiet than the other students during transitions, but it was still rough. It got us pretty nervous about Tuesday next week when we are supposed to be putting this whole thing on. In 1st grade, I introduced Peter and the Wolf, which I have quickly found to be a staple in the 1st grade curriculum. In the afternoon, we had a prayer service where Alissa and I sang a Saint-Saens "Ave Maria." It was nice to have a little performance again.
Thursday, the kids were a little wild. I think it was because the weather was so nice. I also experienced for the first time 4 year olds truly being mean to one another. It was of course among a few girls, saying that they weren't friends with another, but I was shocked. I was naive enough to think that these youngsters were too innocent to be cruel... How wrong I was! They can be right up there with 7th graders! After school, I had another physical appointment for MPS (yes, it was a two appointment sort of deal!). One step closer to my contract!
Friday was crazy. We had a 5-8 rehearsal for Schoolhouse Rock in the morning, and it was a train wreck. No one wanted to listen, they made frequent mistakes, and many changes had to be made to accommodate all of the students. It made the day seem so long knowing I still had 4 classes to teach afterward. I was observed for the final time in my third grade class with my solfege unit, and it went well. Both my supervisor and I are impressed by how quickly these students are able to learn to sightread! After school was another rehearsal, and then I high tailed it to Oshkosh.
Though this week was crazy, I feel a sense of accomplishment to know that I can juggle so many things and still be alive and functional. I really don't have very good stamina yet and I get pretty tired in the middle of the day, but I love what I'm doing. Elementary school definitely has its benefits!
Thanks for catching up with me, and next week's update should come early for memorial day weekend! Schoolhouse Rock, here we come!
Monday was pretty packed as usual, but with an extra dress rehearsal with the 7th and 8th grade for our spring program, Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr. I'll be frank, the rehearsal was awful. The students just couldn't stay focused now that all of the pieces are coming together. They get distracted by the dancers and actors around them and miss entrances left and right. We were so frustrated by the end of rehearsal, it made the rest of the day tough to get through. I introduced a unit on solfege with the 3rd graders and a unit of sixteenth notes with the 2nd graders. These unit intros went pretty well, but I was exhausted by the end of the day! I scooted down to MPS central office after school to see what is up with my contract, and they gave me a note to get a physical before signing my contract.
Tuesday was more relaxed, but was filled with running around preparing for the rest of the week. Funny that days that are supposed to be relaxed end up being filled with little errands and planning. I did an assessment with my 4K kids on pitch exploration and writing vocal waves representing pitch fluctuation. I went after school to get my first physical in Brown Deer.
Wednesday we had a rehearsal with the 5th and 6th graders like we did with the older ones, but the rehearsal didn't go much better. They seemed to be on the ball a little more and were definitely more quiet than the other students during transitions, but it was still rough. It got us pretty nervous about Tuesday next week when we are supposed to be putting this whole thing on. In 1st grade, I introduced Peter and the Wolf, which I have quickly found to be a staple in the 1st grade curriculum. In the afternoon, we had a prayer service where Alissa and I sang a Saint-Saens "Ave Maria." It was nice to have a little performance again.
Thursday, the kids were a little wild. I think it was because the weather was so nice. I also experienced for the first time 4 year olds truly being mean to one another. It was of course among a few girls, saying that they weren't friends with another, but I was shocked. I was naive enough to think that these youngsters were too innocent to be cruel... How wrong I was! They can be right up there with 7th graders! After school, I had another physical appointment for MPS (yes, it was a two appointment sort of deal!). One step closer to my contract!
Friday was crazy. We had a 5-8 rehearsal for Schoolhouse Rock in the morning, and it was a train wreck. No one wanted to listen, they made frequent mistakes, and many changes had to be made to accommodate all of the students. It made the day seem so long knowing I still had 4 classes to teach afterward. I was observed for the final time in my third grade class with my solfege unit, and it went well. Both my supervisor and I are impressed by how quickly these students are able to learn to sightread! After school was another rehearsal, and then I high tailed it to Oshkosh.
Though this week was crazy, I feel a sense of accomplishment to know that I can juggle so many things and still be alive and functional. I really don't have very good stamina yet and I get pretty tired in the middle of the day, but I love what I'm doing. Elementary school definitely has its benefits!
Thanks for catching up with me, and next week's update should come early for memorial day weekend! Schoolhouse Rock, here we come!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Week 5: It all comes to and end... sort of.
Hello again everyone! This week was another short one, which made it go by very very fast! Monday I taught all of the classes, which was overwhelming because it was one of our marathon days and it began too soon after Erin had the baby! It snuck up on me, and though I was prepared, I felt really anxious on Sunday, like I had a lot of things to do and wasn't sure how got about getting them done. Once Monday was over, it made the rest of the week seem a lot more bearable. On Monday, the 2nd graders were really crazy, which made my project that I was doing with them really difficult. We were trying to figure out the form of "Never Smile at a Crocodile" and then make a listening map of the song. The kids figured out the form quickly, but truly struggled to follow directions afterward. I talked to Alissa about it a little and she reminded me that I need to have them all stop what they are doing and look at me. Otherwise they will just keep working and miss my directions. It seems simple enough, but it was really hard for me to do in the moment for some reason. I guess it is a skill I will continue to work on.
Tuesday was a slower day, but I got observed again, which put a little more weight on my usually easy day. My supervisor observed my 4K class, which has never been my strong suit. I can never quite gauge what they are capable of doing or what will be too easy for them. I did a lesson on pitch exploration where they identified pitch representations through lines and created the lines themselves. It was a good lesson, but again, I underestimated what they needed to be successful. I used a piece of paper with 6 boxes on it at the end of the lesson for them to draw what I did with my voice. I wanted some kind of formal assessment to see who was understanding, and I thought this would be the best choice, until I realized that they are four years old. I wondered to myself as I was passing out the papers, "Do they even know how to use pencils?" How could I have not thought of this before!? I pass out all of the supplies and we begin the activity, and I also realized I had not put any indicator in the boxes where they should start, so the kids started in any box they wanted... not so great for my formal assessment. I walked around and got to see what they were doing, and it was good practice for them, but I immediately threw all of the assessments out after the lesson. I'll try the assessment again after I put some kind of numbers or something in the boxes to help them out. My supervisor didn't seem too concerned and appreciated that I was self-reflective, but too bad it was during the lesson and not anticipated before! Lessons learned, I suppose!
Wednesday was a half day for the kids, so the day seemed to fly by. There were teacher meetings in the afternoon, but I am taking on all of the classes again next week, so Alissa let me stay in the room and work on stuff. I was really grateful because I got a lot done! I also started "Peter and the Wolf" with 1st grade, which is apparently a staple in the 1st grade curriculum. I can see why! It is such a good example of theme and the kids love it!
Thursday I taught 4th grade and 8th grade in the morning, but I left school at noon to come to Oshkosh for a rehearsal. I am singing at this Saturday's (today's) graduation ceremony as well as walking, so I had to rehearse with the other singers. The morning flew by, as we rehearsed with the 8th grade all of the songs for the musical and helped them feel much more secure in their pieces. Friday, Alissa took a personal day and told me to take one too to get ready for graduation. I'm so grateful, because boy am I stressed! I can't believe I'm graduating today. It feels too soon, but at the same time, I feel too old for all the youngsters that go here and I'm sick of taking classes. It's a strange feeling, but I'm sure I'll feel accomplished once I walk across that stage. Unfortunately, the big ending ceremony is for naught because I still have 4 weeks left of student teaching! So it is the end of my time at UW-Oshkosh, but not really. lol
Thanks for continuing to catch up with me and see how I'm doing. Your support means a lot to me. I've gotta go graduate now! Woo!
Tuesday was a slower day, but I got observed again, which put a little more weight on my usually easy day. My supervisor observed my 4K class, which has never been my strong suit. I can never quite gauge what they are capable of doing or what will be too easy for them. I did a lesson on pitch exploration where they identified pitch representations through lines and created the lines themselves. It was a good lesson, but again, I underestimated what they needed to be successful. I used a piece of paper with 6 boxes on it at the end of the lesson for them to draw what I did with my voice. I wanted some kind of formal assessment to see who was understanding, and I thought this would be the best choice, until I realized that they are four years old. I wondered to myself as I was passing out the papers, "Do they even know how to use pencils?" How could I have not thought of this before!? I pass out all of the supplies and we begin the activity, and I also realized I had not put any indicator in the boxes where they should start, so the kids started in any box they wanted... not so great for my formal assessment. I walked around and got to see what they were doing, and it was good practice for them, but I immediately threw all of the assessments out after the lesson. I'll try the assessment again after I put some kind of numbers or something in the boxes to help them out. My supervisor didn't seem too concerned and appreciated that I was self-reflective, but too bad it was during the lesson and not anticipated before! Lessons learned, I suppose!
Wednesday was a half day for the kids, so the day seemed to fly by. There were teacher meetings in the afternoon, but I am taking on all of the classes again next week, so Alissa let me stay in the room and work on stuff. I was really grateful because I got a lot done! I also started "Peter and the Wolf" with 1st grade, which is apparently a staple in the 1st grade curriculum. I can see why! It is such a good example of theme and the kids love it!
Thursday I taught 4th grade and 8th grade in the morning, but I left school at noon to come to Oshkosh for a rehearsal. I am singing at this Saturday's (today's) graduation ceremony as well as walking, so I had to rehearse with the other singers. The morning flew by, as we rehearsed with the 8th grade all of the songs for the musical and helped them feel much more secure in their pieces. Friday, Alissa took a personal day and told me to take one too to get ready for graduation. I'm so grateful, because boy am I stressed! I can't believe I'm graduating today. It feels too soon, but at the same time, I feel too old for all the youngsters that go here and I'm sick of taking classes. It's a strange feeling, but I'm sure I'll feel accomplished once I walk across that stage. Unfortunately, the big ending ceremony is for naught because I still have 4 weeks left of student teaching! So it is the end of my time at UW-Oshkosh, but not really. lol
Thanks for continuing to catch up with me and see how I'm doing. Your support means a lot to me. I've gotta go graduate now! Woo!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Week 4: Colds, Jobs, and Babies, Oh My!
Hello again everyone! This week has been short, but a good week! I can't believe that after next week I will be halfway done with my elementary placement! This semester has flown by...
This week was a little strange starting on Sunday. I was feeling really feverish, tired, and achey all day and layed in bed most of the afternoon. I thought I would wake up on Monday and feel tons better, but I woke up Monday morning feeling worse than on Sunday. I spent the day recuperating in bed, and by Monday night, I was feeling ok. I still had a pretty difficult time waking up on Tuesday and I've had a wicked cold all week, but I powered through it. It made this week pretty tough though!
Tuesday was the choir concert at my high school placement, so after choir practice, Alissa and I went out to dinner together and went to the concert. I guess I can finally announce considering the high school did... At the concert, Erica called me on stage and announced me as the new choir teacher! I got the job about two weeks ago, but I have yet to sign my contract, so I've been a little reluctant to make the announcement until I have my name on some papers. But I figure if the principal is allowing Erica to announce it to all of the parents at the concert, I can fill you all in! Thanks for all of your prayers! The kids flipped out and were so excited, which made me excited for next year. I'll be teaching Men's Choir, Women's Choir, team teaching Concert Choir, will have an audition only women's choir of my own (yet to be named), and two sections of music appreciation. I'm so excited, and I'm so thankful for all of your prayers and support in my job hunt! The night was amazing, and it was so fun to see all of the kids again.
Wednesday was pretty smooth, but was reflective of what Alissa and my brains are filled with: MUSICAL! We have a lot of work to do for our musical in three weeks, and the kids are starting to feel the pressure. We are going over musical material in class as well as after school Wednesdays and Fridays. There are some groups that seem pretty prepared and will be absolutely fine for the performance, but there are others who are pretty disinterested and are the ones who are scaring us with their casual approach to rehearsal... Alissa did a good job of putting the show into perspective by bringing the kids out on stage to reveal exactly where their memories lie. I got to conduct a few of the pieces, and the kids didn't seem to follow me, despite the fact that I was mouthing all of the words. Alissa let me in on the tip that the kids don't respond to the beat pattern very well at the early stages. I need to make big gestures for entrances, and that's about it. Once I started doing that, they followed me immediately. It made me wonder- when and how do you introduce the beat pattern?
Thursday, my sister went into labor, and I zipped over to Beaver Dam after school to be with her to welcome my neice into the world! I spent all day Friday with her and my family, cooing and snuggling the new little treasure of our family. So in reality, this week was pretty short for me. It still felt like a long week because of my cold, but I can't believe how fast all of this is going!
Prayer requests: That my sister and baby Emery will have a good transition home from the hospital, that my paperwork from MPS for my new job will move quickly, and that I will be able to manage my stress well and put my worries on the Lord. Next week is going to be crazy because I'm graduating next Saturday! Ah! I'm feeling really stressed and spread thin, but I know that the Lord will give me the strength to get through everything I need to get through.
Thanks for reading, and I'll be posting late or early next week due to graduation! :D
This week was a little strange starting on Sunday. I was feeling really feverish, tired, and achey all day and layed in bed most of the afternoon. I thought I would wake up on Monday and feel tons better, but I woke up Monday morning feeling worse than on Sunday. I spent the day recuperating in bed, and by Monday night, I was feeling ok. I still had a pretty difficult time waking up on Tuesday and I've had a wicked cold all week, but I powered through it. It made this week pretty tough though!
Tuesday was the choir concert at my high school placement, so after choir practice, Alissa and I went out to dinner together and went to the concert. I guess I can finally announce considering the high school did... At the concert, Erica called me on stage and announced me as the new choir teacher! I got the job about two weeks ago, but I have yet to sign my contract, so I've been a little reluctant to make the announcement until I have my name on some papers. But I figure if the principal is allowing Erica to announce it to all of the parents at the concert, I can fill you all in! Thanks for all of your prayers! The kids flipped out and were so excited, which made me excited for next year. I'll be teaching Men's Choir, Women's Choir, team teaching Concert Choir, will have an audition only women's choir of my own (yet to be named), and two sections of music appreciation. I'm so excited, and I'm so thankful for all of your prayers and support in my job hunt! The night was amazing, and it was so fun to see all of the kids again.
Wednesday was pretty smooth, but was reflective of what Alissa and my brains are filled with: MUSICAL! We have a lot of work to do for our musical in three weeks, and the kids are starting to feel the pressure. We are going over musical material in class as well as after school Wednesdays and Fridays. There are some groups that seem pretty prepared and will be absolutely fine for the performance, but there are others who are pretty disinterested and are the ones who are scaring us with their casual approach to rehearsal... Alissa did a good job of putting the show into perspective by bringing the kids out on stage to reveal exactly where their memories lie. I got to conduct a few of the pieces, and the kids didn't seem to follow me, despite the fact that I was mouthing all of the words. Alissa let me in on the tip that the kids don't respond to the beat pattern very well at the early stages. I need to make big gestures for entrances, and that's about it. Once I started doing that, they followed me immediately. It made me wonder- when and how do you introduce the beat pattern?
Thursday, my sister went into labor, and I zipped over to Beaver Dam after school to be with her to welcome my neice into the world! I spent all day Friday with her and my family, cooing and snuggling the new little treasure of our family. So in reality, this week was pretty short for me. It still felt like a long week because of my cold, but I can't believe how fast all of this is going!
Prayer requests: That my sister and baby Emery will have a good transition home from the hospital, that my paperwork from MPS for my new job will move quickly, and that I will be able to manage my stress well and put my worries on the Lord. Next week is going to be crazy because I'm graduating next Saturday! Ah! I'm feeling really stressed and spread thin, but I know that the Lord will give me the strength to get through everything I need to get through.
Thanks for reading, and I'll be posting late or early next week due to graduation! :D
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