Re: Defending what I do

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Music Teachers Chatboard

Defending what I do

by bec

Nov 6, 2015

We are rehearsing for a school wide veteran's day program and yesterday got the whole grade level together (6 classes) to practice on the stage. This means that some of them missed their PE class or art class and the emails are coming in about "choir" cutting in to their "specials" time. "Is this true? Please clarify."

Fourth and fifth grade went to the symphony and we have been studying concert etiquette. They are writing (in class time) a short paper about concert etiquette. Admittedly, to encourage participation in our program I told them that if they came to the program and performed that they would not have to write the paper because they would be demonstrating their knowledge in a more authentic way. So now I a punishing the children who do not volunteer to come and sing.

The teachers at our school think that we don't do anything and have complained to the principal that we don't have to tutor so we now have to sub for them when th...See MoreWe are rehearsing for a school wide veteran's day program and yesterday got the whole grade level together (6 classes) to practice on the stage. This means that some of them missed their PE class or art class and the emails are coming in about "choir" cutting in to their "specials" time. "Is this true? Please clarify."

Fourth and fifth grade went to the symphony and we have been studying concert etiquette. They are writing (in class time) a short paper about concert etiquette. Admittedly, to encourage participation in our program I told them that if they came to the program and performed that they would not have to write the paper because they would be demonstrating their knowledge in a more authentic way. So now I a punishing the children who do not volunteer to come and sing.

The teachers at our school think that we don't do anything and have complained to the principal that we don't have to tutor so we now have to sub for them when they "can't be there" to tutor their own students. One teacher required a sub nine times during the sememster. Yet when I had choir scheduled at 7:15 am and woke up throwing up I had to go in anyway because no one else would be at the school to let them in and they would be standing outside unsupervised.

Last year we had a parent threatening to go district level because we moved their precious son into a different class so that he would not be constantly playing around with his best friends. He did beautifully in the new class and was finally learning and allowing others around him to learn too. But that didn't matter because we singled him out and he was the only one who had to change classes and that wasn't fair. That wasn't really true because we shifted classes often, but of course belligerent parents don't know that.

It isn't really representative of our community because many parents love music and that their children are learning and performing. But the vocal few make we wonder why I try so hard to have a good program when people just don't value it. Our Music supervisor is always trying to get us to advocate for music, but again, do the English teachers have to constantly tell parents how important their subject is? I really don't like telling people how important I am - it just seems so .....desperate?

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