2nd year crossroads

I hear they pay well in government jobs?? Military??? Less headache bigger salary! I've gotta say that that I've hit this years low point teaching in the UK. My two big hang ups are a) kids aren't making a great amount of quality music - 99% classroom music is learning about different kinds of world music, playing the recorder and Latin percussion instruments & composing, but besides some extra curricular stuff I don't see a musical product of the same musical caliber as teaching large ensemble music. b) Cultural motivation is so different here - the general public doesn’t have the same ambition to learn and many complain they don't care to learn about music. I do feel that pupils should elect what arts subjects they study in greater detail - so that the ones who couldn't care less don't ruin the practical lessons for the one's who do. Students can't fail and many put the responsibility of learning upon the teacher rather than taking the onus of success upon themselves. I strongly believe that dishing off personal responsibility to achieve is the fastest way of losing ambition.

The other headache I've been facing is classroom discipline. It's so difficult to be consistently stern. I naturally want to get into a quick flowing lesson and have the students creating music with everyone involved. It's been said that perhaps I want pupils to like me, but in reality I just want to teach and move forward. I can't do this when I have so many kids talking, not prepared for the lesson, not participating or distracting others who are making an effort. As a result they are slowing down the lesson as I'm forced to deal with the problems. I admit I still want to teach before I police, but perhaps one of the biggest lessons teachers give is routine and appropriate behaviour. I'm approaching this from the beginning of the lesson where the start of every class is consistently compliant without any discipline problems. This sets the tone and with repetition, I can slowly move this expectation into the middle and end of every lesson. To survive teaching I must consistently police every class. Policing must also be cost effective so I'm not always putting myself into detention.

The final hiccup I've had in the last month is total bureaucracy. Up until now I've generally always had a pretty positive response to my ability to meet deadlines, follow instructions and work in a team. My confidence in these aspects has taken a bit of beating as I've recently been told I've "dropped the ball" in the music dept. This has made me reflect a lot about what I'm doing, if I’m being proactive enough, whether requirements of me are clearly defined, who is responsible and is that clearly understood by all, if I'm asking for help when needed and whether I’m projecting insecurities upon the situation. The reason behind this has to do with sending off externally moderated coursework, debriefing with planning for success, and rehearsing the school musical. I could write 1000 words about the details but what it comes down to is lack of two-way communication. I didn't do what someone expected, I did what I thought was correct without questioning it. Things were left last minute where they became a problem. Hard lessons learned, but I've come out of the situation with a better idea of how I am managed best, I now know what I’m currently responsible for, and I’ve also gained insight as to how I would manage others in the future. When I've achieved things like "most outstanding recruit" at military basic training, top staff member & top band division at summer music camp, and graduating with distinction from University I can fall back upon these successes knowing I will pull through. I make mistakes and am not perfect, but I'm quick to learn and will champion obstacles in my path.

I'm definitely ready for some positive energy as the summer approaches. It's easy to get caught up in the heavy stuff, but the point of this blog is to be a record of my experiences good & bad. Bring on some good!!!