Hello, friends!
I’ve been fairly silent on my transition from teacher to full-time doc student, as well as silent in general in my blogosphere. A look back at my blog reveals that I really only turn to it in times of (challenging) growth. As I close in on the ending of my first semester, I have a lot on my mind. When asked how doc studies are going, I’m not sure if I should nervously laugh, admit that I feel like a total fraud, or let out a sheepish, “fine.” Well, in the thick of final papers and after nearly a semester of coursework, I think I’m finally making some connections - both personal and academic. I’m not looking for any validation here, nor am I feeling terribly pessimistic. I just want to accurately record these fleeting thoughts and grapple with them before I move on to my second semester, become comfortable, and forget how I ever felt as a brand new doc student. This is more for my own posterity than anything else, but if you truly want to know how things are going, take a read!
In full disclosure, I hid this post from anyone with whom I work or attend classes. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and helpful, but for now, I feel like writing without reservation of what my new colleagues might think. In general, there are three recurring themes throughout the major professional transitions in my relatively short career. They are 1. holy crap, I have no idea what I’m doing; 2. I’m a fraud! They made a mistake!; and 3. OK, I’m learning a lot every day, but I still feel like everyone knows so much more than me. I’ll explore similarities between this transition and my transition from IC to SJV, and comment on the differences.
1. Well, this is it. I’ve officially fallen from my prime to rock bottom. (OK, I’m being REALLY dramatic - I don’t feel like that at all). But I did transition from skating through my MM to feeling like I’m missing a TON of assumed knowledge in my PhD. How does everybody else already know how to design an intervention? Do these people constantly read research all day? Am I the only one who doesn’t know how to or when to run an ANOVA? What the hell is a theoretical framework?! Why are they such a big deal in my social dev class, but rarely discussed in MUED? Help.
Reflecting upon my first semester at SJV, I actually thought a lot of these thoughts. I remember feeling like every other teacher had it together. EVERY OTHER BAND DIRECTOR in Hawai’i knew how to lead their students to success. Their bands sounded awesome and their students were respectful. I was the only one who had no idea what I was doing. OK, so in retrospect, that’s totally normal. One of my favorite people, a third-year doc student who has so kindly taken me under her wing told me that those feelings are completely normal. A prof told me that if I’m not always confused and looking something up, I’m not a real doc student. I remember the confusion and frustration of my first year of teaching. I spent HOURS researching things online, only to feel like I knew less than when I started. Same smell. At least this time around, I hope I can keep proper perspective, and remember that this is a transition and I’ll eventually figure things out. Since starting this program, I’ve had to adjust to the fact that if I don’t know something, it’s totally on me to figure it out. That’s not a problem - I’m a go-getter - but I can’t help but feel that everyone knows so much more than me. OK, I’m the youngest MUED doc student by a decade. Still, everyone seems to have everything figured out. I can only hope that I’ll catch up and then some like I did as a young teacher. It all worked out - I figured things out, ended up with a whole new set of questions, and eventually became comfortable with the uncertainty. Waiting for that calm….any day now…
2. I’m a fraud!!!!! I’m profoundly humbled to have received the largest/most prestigious award that UMD offers. With that honor comes the crushing responsibility of not screwing up. I also feel like mayyyybe they should’ve given it to one of the other 22,000 applicants…just saying. When I realize that I have no idea what I’m doing, or feel like the dumbest person in the room, I feel pretty guilty that the university has invested so heavily in my education. I can only hope that one day, I’m able to live up to the trust placed in me and actually contribute to our field. Until then, I’m trying to ask as many questions to learn as much as possible without revealing that I actually know nothing. This is pretty much exactly how I felt especially during my first year of teaching, but also on some level, every single day. Shhh…don’t give my secret away!!
3. OK, so I have to admit - even though I feel behind, I am learning a ton. I know so much more than when I started just a few short months ago. However, I feel like I’m not learning fast enough, or as much as others. I feel like I should’ve learned all of this already. If I can take a page from my teaching experience, then I should figure things out soon enough and end up doing pretty well for myself. I felt like such failure during my firs year. By the time I left SJV, I realized what a profound impact I had on those around me. What happened in the middle? I can’t really explain it, but things got better. I caught up. I was by no means exemplary or a model teacher, but I figured it out enough to have some success and learn something new each day. I hope that soon enough, I stop feeling like everyone knows something I don’t know. Maybe I’ll actually feel like I got somewhere by the time my dissertation rolls around. Although I can visualize myself completing it, I have no stinkin’ idea what it’ll be on or what kinds of things I’ll have learned to prepare me to tackle that beast.
Now that I’ve considered the similarities to past transitions, I want to acknowledge and give thanks for the the differences. First of all, i miss teaching more than anything. Part of me wants to run back to the classroom where I knew I was moderately successful and felt super knowledgeable and safe. That would be the easy route. I felt the same way when I started teaching - I wanted nothing more than to go back to school, where I knew I would be successful. Hah! School would be so easy, I thought. It’s funny how I feel the same way about returning to teaching.
Despite missing the classroom, there are some pretty fantastic perks of being a full-time student. First of all, I rarely go in five days a week. Lately, I’ve bad a bunch of meetings on Mondays, but for most of the semester, Mondays were my day off. I’d wake up, hit up the local coffee shop, get ahead on work, and then go for a long run. I rarely woke up anxious for the work week because I had the opportunity to ease into it! Also, I get to work out in an incredible gym a few days of the week. I go for nice long swims, lift, or do some cardio. The facilities are beautiful, and I end up returning to my work feeling refreshed. I remember thinking that I’d give anything to have a day off or work out time during the day while I was teaching.
Additionally, I feel entirely free to make my own choices. If I have to leave early or arrive late to office hours because of a doctor’s appointment, I can do so. Nobody is micromanaging me, which is nice because I tend to put in extra work time anyway. We’re all treated as adults and get to make our own decisions. The flip side of that is that I have to make my own decisions, but hey - it’s a chance to experience something less rigid than the elementary school day.
As challenging as some of my assignments are, the biggest stress in my life is just that - homework. If I get a B (which I already have…ugh, but I’m over it), it’s only on me. I don’t let down students or families or have to worry about finding a sub if I’m feeling under the weather. I loved teaching, but it also came with the weight of the world on my shoulders. OK, that’s pretty dramatic - nobody died if I did a poor job, but even though I don’t take myself seriously, I took the job just as seriously as a doctor would take theirs.
Finally, it’s nice to be around adults. I miss the love and honesty from my kids, but enjoy the change of pace as well. My absolute FAVORITE part of the week is taking junior student teachers to a middle school. They are the greatest - they’re so thoughtful, musical, and personable. I love watching them improve each week, and feel the same satisfaction when they have an “aha” moment as when my littlest students did. Something I enjoy is that we can have really involved conversations. I love the way that I’m challenged by my students, and feel that I’m growing and learning as an educator because of them. One of the junior student teachers comes in every Friday to each lunch with me, and that’s the best part of my week. I enjoy have the very conversations that ignited my passion for teaching only a handful of years ago, albeit from the other side.
I guess that’s all I have for now. Clearly, things are good. It’s interesting to be the rookie again, but if I can take a page from my time at SJV, I know it’ll go by so quickly. Maybe I’ll figure things out - whatever that means - and won’t ever look back. Or maybe I’ll be so jaded by academia in a few years that I run straight for the elementary music classroom with my new title in hand and hopefully a nice salary bump following closely behind. Either way, I’m looking forward to getting as much out of this opportunity as I can, and to Christmas vacation/Hawaii!!! Ahhh! Three more weeks! Let’s do this!!!
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Monday, November 28, 2016
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Hawaii to New York to Hawaii to Washington, D.C.
Last time I blogged, it was around this time last year. Interestingly, the post was largely about what's going on in my life now. In the past, I’ve used blogging to help me work through challenging transitions. The most challenging transition for me, by far, was my first year of teaching. Blogging helped me to organize my thoughts, reflect on my challenges and successes, and make sense of that unusually difficult time in my life. Eventually, things got better and the blogging took a back seat. I’m just about halfway through my fourth (!!) year of teaching, and realized that it’s time to pick it up again.
Next month, my incredible fiancé (!!!!!!!!) and I will move across the country to Washington, D.C. A bit of history: he’s a naval aviator who wanted a more stable set of shore tour orders. I’ve always loved the east coast, and in order to pursue the career I ultimately want, I, too, needed to seriously consider moving out of Hawaii. We love this place and it will always be our first home together. You can bet your dollar that our pets will have Hawaiian names and that we’ll return as often as possible to this special place so that our kids will come to know and love it as we have. That being said, there are many reasons why we want to start a family back east. First of all, great public schools should not be the exception - they should be the norm. Second, the types of jobs we both ultimately want rarely exist in Hawaii. Third, $$$$$$$$$ does not grow on trees. The best solution that we could come up with for our situation was to move to the Washington, D.C. area. Government/military jobs are plentiful, the arts and education are strongly supported, and it is a beautiful, safe, and enriching place to raise a family. I’m sure that most naval aviators and most music educators would not make the same choice that we have. But then again, he is not a typical naval aviator, and I am not a typical music educator. We march to the beat of our own drum, and this works for us.
That’s the exciting part, and BOY are we super excited! This is exactly what we’ve both wanted for a very long time, and we’re jumping with joy that it actually all worked out. The scary part is the uncertainty. He doesn’t know for sure that he will love this job, and I do not know for sure that a PhD program will even consider accepting me. Beyond that, who’s to say that there will even be a job in the area for a newly-minted PhD? Who’s to say that there will be jobs for someone with his credentials? We are taking risks, and that’s scary. But if you don’t pursue the life you want, then what kind of life is that?
I know that in the near future, we will be very happy. We will live in a super fun and safe young neighborhood. We will participate in a ton of races. We will constantly be in Washington, D.C. to enjoy the sights and attractions of one of the neatest cities on earth. We will eat and drink to our hearts’ content, catch the metro back home, and stumble into our trendy apartment. We already have a ton of our very good friends in the area, and are just a drive away from immediate and close family. Our parents and friends will visit often. We will try new activities, meet new people, and have at least three years sans deployments and crazy work hours. It will be awesome!!
But then there are the first 4-6 months where things will be totally new for me. I’m giving up a job I LOVE. Love is an understatement. I have a program of adoring students, parents, colleagues, and administrators that support me to no end and work together to make incredible musical feats a reality. I run the show, contribute to the larger purpose of our community, and walk away every day feeling fulfilled. Life has become grand, and this job is no longer difficult, but a rewarding challenge. In that sense, it’s time to move on; if the job is no longer pushing me out of my comfort zone, then it probably is time for me to step out of my comfort bubble. I have also forgotten what it is like to not be a full-time, salaried employee with a very stable job and an assistant. Let me clarify: my school and principal are AWESOME, and I will still have a job. I will have part-time, remote work supporting the school in a variety of ways, including throughout the reaccreditation process. I will have things to do and Chris and I will not be starving or struggling. I have saved diligently and if I am so lucky, in the fall, will possibly have the opportunity to pursue what I’ve wanted to pursue since junior year of my undergrad: a PhD in music education. We will get married, honeymoon, I’ll finish my MM, and then we’ll both be busy during normal working hours. But for me, not having something meaningful to do during working hours makes me feel uneasy and restless. He had a great solution: volunteer! I don’t need to get rich, but I need to make the world a better place, one person at a time. I’m not fortunate enough to be born into wealth, so if I must work, I feel the need to be a truly productive member of society. Volunteering would fit that bill. I’ve looked for some part-time, flexible work to complement my other commitments. I can’t take on something full-time because we’ll have SO MUCH to do in order to get settled. I’ll also have other work, and don’t want to be doing it on top of full-time work. I also don’t want to look for a long-term job, as my goal is to immediately pursue further education. I’m trying to balance keeping busy and bringing in a little more income with staying flexible enough to get settled in a new area. If there is one thing I learned from going through the move on this end, it’s that preparing to move (or unpack) as a military significant other is a full time job. I already feel like I’m not getting anything done outside of work here, and can’t imagine trying to get settled in our new location with a new job on my plate that I plan to quit in a couple short months WHILE TRYING TO GET MARRIED AHHHHHH.
So yeah, that’s my dilemma. I think in the mean time, I need to work at being flexible and patient. I’ll begin looking for volunteer opportunities and will do my best to remember all of the exciting things ahead in the midst of all of the sad and difficult things left to do here. Transitions are challenging for me, but this will be the gateway to the life that we want to build together. Here goes nothing!
Next month, my incredible fiancé (!!!!!!!!) and I will move across the country to Washington, D.C. A bit of history: he’s a naval aviator who wanted a more stable set of shore tour orders. I’ve always loved the east coast, and in order to pursue the career I ultimately want, I, too, needed to seriously consider moving out of Hawaii. We love this place and it will always be our first home together. You can bet your dollar that our pets will have Hawaiian names and that we’ll return as often as possible to this special place so that our kids will come to know and love it as we have. That being said, there are many reasons why we want to start a family back east. First of all, great public schools should not be the exception - they should be the norm. Second, the types of jobs we both ultimately want rarely exist in Hawaii. Third, $$$$$$$$$ does not grow on trees. The best solution that we could come up with for our situation was to move to the Washington, D.C. area. Government/military jobs are plentiful, the arts and education are strongly supported, and it is a beautiful, safe, and enriching place to raise a family. I’m sure that most naval aviators and most music educators would not make the same choice that we have. But then again, he is not a typical naval aviator, and I am not a typical music educator. We march to the beat of our own drum, and this works for us.
That’s the exciting part, and BOY are we super excited! This is exactly what we’ve both wanted for a very long time, and we’re jumping with joy that it actually all worked out. The scary part is the uncertainty. He doesn’t know for sure that he will love this job, and I do not know for sure that a PhD program will even consider accepting me. Beyond that, who’s to say that there will even be a job in the area for a newly-minted PhD? Who’s to say that there will be jobs for someone with his credentials? We are taking risks, and that’s scary. But if you don’t pursue the life you want, then what kind of life is that?
I know that in the near future, we will be very happy. We will live in a super fun and safe young neighborhood. We will participate in a ton of races. We will constantly be in Washington, D.C. to enjoy the sights and attractions of one of the neatest cities on earth. We will eat and drink to our hearts’ content, catch the metro back home, and stumble into our trendy apartment. We already have a ton of our very good friends in the area, and are just a drive away from immediate and close family. Our parents and friends will visit often. We will try new activities, meet new people, and have at least three years sans deployments and crazy work hours. It will be awesome!!
But then there are the first 4-6 months where things will be totally new for me. I’m giving up a job I LOVE. Love is an understatement. I have a program of adoring students, parents, colleagues, and administrators that support me to no end and work together to make incredible musical feats a reality. I run the show, contribute to the larger purpose of our community, and walk away every day feeling fulfilled. Life has become grand, and this job is no longer difficult, but a rewarding challenge. In that sense, it’s time to move on; if the job is no longer pushing me out of my comfort zone, then it probably is time for me to step out of my comfort bubble. I have also forgotten what it is like to not be a full-time, salaried employee with a very stable job and an assistant. Let me clarify: my school and principal are AWESOME, and I will still have a job. I will have part-time, remote work supporting the school in a variety of ways, including throughout the reaccreditation process. I will have things to do and Chris and I will not be starving or struggling. I have saved diligently and if I am so lucky, in the fall, will possibly have the opportunity to pursue what I’ve wanted to pursue since junior year of my undergrad: a PhD in music education. We will get married, honeymoon, I’ll finish my MM, and then we’ll both be busy during normal working hours. But for me, not having something meaningful to do during working hours makes me feel uneasy and restless. He had a great solution: volunteer! I don’t need to get rich, but I need to make the world a better place, one person at a time. I’m not fortunate enough to be born into wealth, so if I must work, I feel the need to be a truly productive member of society. Volunteering would fit that bill. I’ve looked for some part-time, flexible work to complement my other commitments. I can’t take on something full-time because we’ll have SO MUCH to do in order to get settled. I’ll also have other work, and don’t want to be doing it on top of full-time work. I also don’t want to look for a long-term job, as my goal is to immediately pursue further education. I’m trying to balance keeping busy and bringing in a little more income with staying flexible enough to get settled in a new area. If there is one thing I learned from going through the move on this end, it’s that preparing to move (or unpack) as a military significant other is a full time job. I already feel like I’m not getting anything done outside of work here, and can’t imagine trying to get settled in our new location with a new job on my plate that I plan to quit in a couple short months WHILE TRYING TO GET MARRIED AHHHHHH.
So yeah, that’s my dilemma. I think in the mean time, I need to work at being flexible and patient. I’ll begin looking for volunteer opportunities and will do my best to remember all of the exciting things ahead in the midst of all of the sad and difficult things left to do here. Transitions are challenging for me, but this will be the gateway to the life that we want to build together. Here goes nothing!
Friday, July 13, 2012
When we were young, and full of life, and full of love
It's been a while since my last post. I actually had a draft in the works, full of complaints about the cost of being an adult. I was going to chronicle the woes of paying for my own work physical because it's not covered by insurance, buying a bus pass, blah blah blah. Instead, I have a better idea for a post. Here goes.
Yesterday, I was reminded of the transformative power of music. Obviously, I've experienced this power myself, or I wouldn't have majored in music education. That being said, it is easy to lose perspective. Long story short, there is a kid at summer school who is a little rambunctious. To say he has had some behavioral issues would be an understatement. All in all, though, he's a sweet kid, and my friends and I can easily see through to the good in him, knowing full well that the other kids he gets tangled up with aren't little saints either. The other day at recess, he came into my room while I was playing piano, along with his friends (in my class) who were showing me some posters they made for our upcoming concert. He seemed very interested in what was going on in the room, so I asked him why he didn't join our class. He is older than this group of students (all girls!), but a middle school section of the course WAS offered, but didn't run due to low enrollment.
Anyway, our principal came into the room five or ten minutes into rehearsal, saying she needed to talk to us now. I was like huhhhhh? Now?! In the middle of rehearsal? What could possibly be so important?! It turns out that this student was sick of his other classes and wanted to join Glee. NOW. This second. We briefly discussed it, and we're in favor of it. Of course, there's no way we could teach him six weeks worth of music and choreopgraphy in the week before our performance (eek!), but he could certainly learn a dance or two, and participate in other ways. All of a sudden, we had a slightly older boy coming into this class of 12 girls. We quickly informed them of the change, reacquainted everyone with the expectations and classroom procedures, and kept moving.
In short, he did great. He picked up the thriller dance way quicker than the girls did the previous day, and the girls were all super helpful and were very supportive. He is reluctant to sing, but has a beautiful voice. He is shy - it's tough to be the only boy in a show choir class full of girls, but he held his own, caught up, and contributed to the ensemble. After he danced to Thriller with music for the first time, he was beaming. When we asked him how it was, his response was simple: "exciting". After class, he told me he is so glad that he switched. Apparently his face also lit up when my friend spoke with him about joining glee and learning dances. Also, behavioral issues, at least so far, cease to exist. If that's not why we do this, then I don't know what is. Today he was a little reluctant with the singing, but so I pushed him a bit, but I think that I just need to build up his confidence more. He's a great kid, and for the rest of our short time together, I'm going to focus on encouraging him to the ends of the earth and back. It's obvious that he just needs someone to tell him he is capable, and to encourage him to try something new. Pretty cool, no?
So far, I've been mostly concerned with getting the glee girls to perform to the best of their abililities (which is quite good). This reminds me that while that is important, other things are equally important. Mastering musical skills and concepts is what we're after, but that's not the whole package.
In other news, I've been a little nervous about starting my year-round job in ALMOST ONE WEEK, but after meeting today with my co-worker (and former music teacher) and the principal, I'm feeling a lot less overwhelmed. I'm definitely teaching literature, but apparently my math teaching is more to supplement the program, not a requirement for me to get my hours. So, I might end up team-teaching, just helping out, or even not teaching it at all. I said that of course, I'm willing to help out, but if possible, I don't want to teach it solo. We also worked around the schedule, and it looks like I'll be working with 5th and 8th grade general music, and two levels of band and orchestra. Right now, the ensembles only meet twice a week, if that. I'm going to work a schedule to see if we can get four rehearsals per week and sectionals in. Also, a form of pull-out lessons, if that's possible, is another thing I'd like to add. My co-worker was concerned about me giving up half an hour after school for rehearsals since I should be home by noon everyday, but I realized that I don't care about the time loss. I care about these kids feeling confident playing their instruments because they have enough time to build good habits. One hour a week is not cutting it, and I would give up all of my free time if it meant that we can invest in the program and they can have a successful experience. It hit me - my heart is in this, and I love it. I seriously can't wait.
I also learned that most of my responsibilities will involve preparing for the monthly mass. I need to prepare students for their annual school mass choral performances, prepare the responsorial psalms, the liturgical band, teach all students the songs the congregation will be singing, and be able to play the mass and accompany the congregation on piano. It's a lot, but I'm excited to learn it. I think to that end, I'll begin private piano study in August and really work for a year or two to build my chops up. I'm seriously so excited, cause I love playing piano, and I want to get better! I am also eager to learn more about the catholic mass so that I can choose appropriate songs. I'm really excited to learn to play the mass (the composer wrote it with a Hawaiian flare, and it seriously rocks!), and to get my chops up enough to accompany everyone. It's a lot, but I'm so excited, and so, so ready.
After our meeting, I walked the one block to the nearby Starbucks. Hellz yeah. So happy. Also, the school campus has come a long way since I was a student there - it's looking awesome, and I just love how friendly everyone is!
This weekend is going to be full for me - cleaning/preparing for the arrival of my pals on Tuesday, finishing up several misc. tasks, beginning to plan and schedule for the school year, and starting to pull together some items for our glee concert. Busy? You bet. Fun? Hellz yeah. Catch me on the flip side and I'll tell ya how it went!
DA
Yesterday, I was reminded of the transformative power of music. Obviously, I've experienced this power myself, or I wouldn't have majored in music education. That being said, it is easy to lose perspective. Long story short, there is a kid at summer school who is a little rambunctious. To say he has had some behavioral issues would be an understatement. All in all, though, he's a sweet kid, and my friends and I can easily see through to the good in him, knowing full well that the other kids he gets tangled up with aren't little saints either. The other day at recess, he came into my room while I was playing piano, along with his friends (in my class) who were showing me some posters they made for our upcoming concert. He seemed very interested in what was going on in the room, so I asked him why he didn't join our class. He is older than this group of students (all girls!), but a middle school section of the course WAS offered, but didn't run due to low enrollment.
Anyway, our principal came into the room five or ten minutes into rehearsal, saying she needed to talk to us now. I was like huhhhhh? Now?! In the middle of rehearsal? What could possibly be so important?! It turns out that this student was sick of his other classes and wanted to join Glee. NOW. This second. We briefly discussed it, and we're in favor of it. Of course, there's no way we could teach him six weeks worth of music and choreopgraphy in the week before our performance (eek!), but he could certainly learn a dance or two, and participate in other ways. All of a sudden, we had a slightly older boy coming into this class of 12 girls. We quickly informed them of the change, reacquainted everyone with the expectations and classroom procedures, and kept moving.
In short, he did great. He picked up the thriller dance way quicker than the girls did the previous day, and the girls were all super helpful and were very supportive. He is reluctant to sing, but has a beautiful voice. He is shy - it's tough to be the only boy in a show choir class full of girls, but he held his own, caught up, and contributed to the ensemble. After he danced to Thriller with music for the first time, he was beaming. When we asked him how it was, his response was simple: "exciting". After class, he told me he is so glad that he switched. Apparently his face also lit up when my friend spoke with him about joining glee and learning dances. Also, behavioral issues, at least so far, cease to exist. If that's not why we do this, then I don't know what is. Today he was a little reluctant with the singing, but so I pushed him a bit, but I think that I just need to build up his confidence more. He's a great kid, and for the rest of our short time together, I'm going to focus on encouraging him to the ends of the earth and back. It's obvious that he just needs someone to tell him he is capable, and to encourage him to try something new. Pretty cool, no?
So far, I've been mostly concerned with getting the glee girls to perform to the best of their abililities (which is quite good). This reminds me that while that is important, other things are equally important. Mastering musical skills and concepts is what we're after, but that's not the whole package.
In other news, I've been a little nervous about starting my year-round job in ALMOST ONE WEEK, but after meeting today with my co-worker (and former music teacher) and the principal, I'm feeling a lot less overwhelmed. I'm definitely teaching literature, but apparently my math teaching is more to supplement the program, not a requirement for me to get my hours. So, I might end up team-teaching, just helping out, or even not teaching it at all. I said that of course, I'm willing to help out, but if possible, I don't want to teach it solo. We also worked around the schedule, and it looks like I'll be working with 5th and 8th grade general music, and two levels of band and orchestra. Right now, the ensembles only meet twice a week, if that. I'm going to work a schedule to see if we can get four rehearsals per week and sectionals in. Also, a form of pull-out lessons, if that's possible, is another thing I'd like to add. My co-worker was concerned about me giving up half an hour after school for rehearsals since I should be home by noon everyday, but I realized that I don't care about the time loss. I care about these kids feeling confident playing their instruments because they have enough time to build good habits. One hour a week is not cutting it, and I would give up all of my free time if it meant that we can invest in the program and they can have a successful experience. It hit me - my heart is in this, and I love it. I seriously can't wait.
I also learned that most of my responsibilities will involve preparing for the monthly mass. I need to prepare students for their annual school mass choral performances, prepare the responsorial psalms, the liturgical band, teach all students the songs the congregation will be singing, and be able to play the mass and accompany the congregation on piano. It's a lot, but I'm excited to learn it. I think to that end, I'll begin private piano study in August and really work for a year or two to build my chops up. I'm seriously so excited, cause I love playing piano, and I want to get better! I am also eager to learn more about the catholic mass so that I can choose appropriate songs. I'm really excited to learn to play the mass (the composer wrote it with a Hawaiian flare, and it seriously rocks!), and to get my chops up enough to accompany everyone. It's a lot, but I'm so excited, and so, so ready.
After our meeting, I walked the one block to the nearby Starbucks. Hellz yeah. So happy. Also, the school campus has come a long way since I was a student there - it's looking awesome, and I just love how friendly everyone is!
This weekend is going to be full for me - cleaning/preparing for the arrival of my pals on Tuesday, finishing up several misc. tasks, beginning to plan and schedule for the school year, and starting to pull together some items for our glee concert. Busy? You bet. Fun? Hellz yeah. Catch me on the flip side and I'll tell ya how it went!
DA
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