I got ten minutes up the freeway this morning when I realized I left my glasses on my dresser. "Well, at least my eye makeup is decent," I said to myself.
The point when I decided I was going to like today was when I was standing in the hallway as students were bustling in, and a gaggle of seventh grade choir girls (from both third and fourth hour) flocked around me asking where my glasses were and saying how nice I looked today. I explained that I left my glasses at home on accident.
"But can you see?" was the anxious question.
"...I drove here, didn't I?" And then we laughed and they went on their way. I had to explain it to every class, and even got to "blame" it on a student who got glasses yesterday and was wearing them today for the first time.
My first real lesson with the new sixth grade class went well! I kept them guessing on my questions for a bit too long, so that's something I'll have to gauge in the future. However, I kept them active and forced them to get involved, and they seemed to enjoy themselves (some of them against their better judgement, but I'll take it).
I moved a couple of seats around, namely that of a boy in the front row who had been sitting all the way on the end yesterday. In order to better keep him in my line of sight, I switched him with someone two seats over, and he was more actively involved during the whole class. He gave thoughtful, insightful answers to the questions I asked, and while I showed him that I really loved his contributions, I think I can take that even further in the future! If I can get him on my side, this class will be that much easier.
Today we discussed the definition of music (or at least the one we have in this class). Lizzy gave a really great definition, which is "sound organized in time." We differentiated between rhythm and beat, and practiced moving to the beat in a couple of songs. We even learned the patsch-clap-snap-snap pattern that will be used during the name game next week, and I was pleased with how quickly all but a few of the students caught on.
Something I loved about this class was that when one student suggested that sound was part of music, and I asked if the sound of a coffee maker was music, one of the other potential trouble students suggested that it would be music if it were set to a beat. That made my little heart endlessly joyful. I've seen Lizzy go round and round in circles with her classes, trying to get them to tell her what they think qualifies as music. Right off the bat, I think this class is going to go well. I just need to make sure I keep hold of the reins and get the right students on my side.
Lizzy kidnapped me after first hour and bought me coffee at a little place up the road that is just divine. We got back for third hour refreshed and ready to go. It was a more laid-back day with all the choirs...well, as laid-back as Lizzy could get two weeks before festival. I sat in with the seventh grade choirs, and got to work one-on-one with a girl who's having trouble navigating her head voice. Third hour was wonderful as usual, but fourth hour completely stepped up their game and was AMAZING. Seriously, the sounds were so unified, and the guys and girls were each supportive of each other that it all worked! It was really magical, as cheesetastic as that sounds.
Lizzy and I went to dinner at a great pizza place 5-10 minutes from the school. We talked for a solid two hours about everything: how I felt earlier this week, our personal lives, things I've figured out, things she's figured out, plans for the afternoon/evening after festival, Michigan wines, and finally how I'm doing this semester.
Lizzy's had about eleven student teachers (keep in mind they usually only stay with her for eight weeks). She's asked every one of them to take over for a sixth grade mini, like the one I just took over yesterday.
Apparently I am the first one to actually grab the bull by the horns and go for it. The other students either caved and wouldn't do it, or underprepared and completely fell on their faces the first day. She told me she was proud of me not just for taking it over so confidently, but for actually taking the time during the school day to separate myself, organize my thoughts, map things out, and really strongly consider my reasons for the choices I was making.
Example: the seating chart. I was tempted to do what Lizzy did, which was let all the students sit where they want, then that day rearrange them alphabetically by last name (apart from some potential problem students). Then I considered my mom's option when she was teaching: alphabetically by first name, to help her better remember names. To me, both of these options (particularly the former) seemed like something the kids would be sick to death of by now, and honestly alphabetical by first name would probably mess me up even more.
Instead I took a note from The First Days of School by Harry Wong, and handed each student a card with a number on it as they walked in the door on day one. This card happened to be their Day One Quiz they were to fill out during class and get points for. They were to find their number on a seat and sit there. I left the seats as they were yesterday, choosing to change a few today instead.
Tonight Lizzy told me that she was thinking, "Oh, I wouldn't do it that way," and then stopped herself from saying something because she knew that I had thought about options and had reasons for wanting to try this one. And at the end of class she was impressed by how well it had turned out.
Overall, even though this week had a rocky start, I came out of it stronger and more sure of my abilities and my place in the classroom. Everything has really started to just...click.
