First Date...

with my room!

Today I went in to the district offices to learn about the employee handbook, health benefit options, sign my temporary contract (till I get board approved in 2 weeks), blahblahblah. I was chatting with the other newly hired teachers and they were all talking about how happy they were to be able to get into their rooms to unload their homes of school things.  One of the teachers who is working at my school asked if I had been to the school or able to get into my room yet.  I said no, but I was so excited to even have a room, which confused my new colleagues because they didn't realize how much of a treat it is for a music teacher to have their own space.

After that meeting and grabbing a slice of pizza I went over to my school and got into my room! It's a beaut, if I do say so myself. I have an office with windows that look into the room, there's a practice room that is currently used as a storage room, a sink, an instrument storage room with lockers, a door to the outside world, and the usual chairs, stands, cabinets, bookshelves. There were so many drawers and cabinets to go through that I spent about a half an hour just looking opening and closing things and looking in folders and binders.  It was like Christmas! One thing that was peculiar was the lack of school flutes, clarinets, alto saxes, and trumpets.  I'll have to ask for loaners from the rental stores so I have extras to demo with and for when (not if) a student's instrument breaks. I also wish there was an overhead projector so I could show things on the screen from my computer, but I'll ask for that later. Everything else was well organized but I'm excited to have time to put things where I want them. It'll be fun to organize my own space! Yay!

I had a productive day by meeting with the teacher I'll be working with for the musical. Thank heavens for this woman! She's going to take care of all the fundraising, logistics, paperwork, stage crew, lighting, sets, costumes - literally everything except the music, blocking, and dancing.  She's been doing this part of the production for 6 years and can "do it asleep and with my eyes closed".  I also met with the elementary band director. We looked through what was left by the last teacher and discussed pretty much everything I had questions about...which was pretty much everything. Now I'm really excited to get cracking with reading and playing through the show materials, putting together my syllabus for the general music class, compiling my lists of band and chorus students, and signing my name 500 times on those forms I got today.  Exciteddddd!

PS: I'm noticing that in my tags, I never used positive things. I have "frustration," "difficult students"...all negative things.  I will now tag good things as "happy". :)

A New Chapter

Hello again, world!

Much has happened since my last post. I'm now a Mrs. (still getting used to that!) and more pertinent to this blog, yesterday morning I accepted a full-time non-maternity leave job!! I just got an email about signing paperwork on Wednesday and coming in for the new teacher meetings at the end of August so I'm not afraid about jinxing it as much as I was yesterday. 

So a little about the job. It's at the middle school in the district where I went to high school. I never attended this middle school because my hometown has a Pre-K - 8 school district then we get bussed to this district for high school. Anyway, I will be teaching the 6th grade general music cycle during which I will get to teach every 6th grader for one marking period (quarter) and be the 6-8th grade band and chorus teacher.  I'm also directing the school musical that goes up in the end of November (aka super soon in terms of production/rehearsal time).  

I have always had my eye on this position and used to describe it to people when they asked about what my "perfect job" situation would be because of the blend of band and vocal music. The 6th grade general music component is awesome and I'm excited to be able to reach all of those students. Another cool thing about the band part of this  my job is that I get to work with my high school band director and the elementary band director who I knew from high school pep band and from playing shows/gigs with him.  I have so much respect for the work that the two of them do and I'm honored to be able to be a part of the system. Now time to make lesson groups, schedule band and those lessons, plan rep for all ensembles, pick a musical, and much much much more. 

Just on a side note, I believe that everthing happens for a reason but it was so bleeping hard to do that when I was taking interviews and hearing nothing. But given what you just read above about my history with and passion for this position, I think it's pretty hard to not think that in some way, shape, or form I was supposed to end up in this job at some point. Thank God I have a job - especially this one!