(no subject)
This week I'm home in Morton working at Limestone Community High School's marching band camp. They don't have enough funding to go away for camp so they do it at school from 8am-6:30pm. It's about 20 minutes away on the interstate from Morton. I'm getting $500 for the whole week, which is about how much I'd make if i busted my ass at Krannert and Pekara for a week, so i figure busting my ass here at least looks better on my resume, and it's good experience.
I'm making an entry because today I had one of those teaching moments where I kind of swelled with a bit of pride and was really thrilled with the work my students were doing. It's kind of funny it was today, or maybe it was just right. This morning I took the pit out to basic block because only two of the seven kids (which is a HUGE pit for this HS) have ever marched before, so they need to get some marching basics in. Anyway, they really slacked off, didn't pay attention, broke attention and made the same mistakes repeatedly. So afterwards I gave them a very stern talking to, very out of context for myself, because I'm usually a huge pansy. I told them how disrespectful it was to the band to do so poorly at basic block, and that they need to get it together, and because they did so poorly they have to go out again tomorrow morning again, then I assigned several of them laps to run because of various infractions of this or that.
So, they all ran, even though some of them didn't have to, which was step one of greatness. However, the section leader, DJ, had a pretty bad attitude about it. One kid, Brock, had to run two extra laps for x and y, and I told everyone to wait until Brock finished, but DJ left anyway. One girl needed to go back and get her inhaler, and I sent Jill with her asking DJ to get his toosh back out to the field, but he didn't come.
Needless to say, when Brock finished up and the rest of us returned to the band room, I pulled DJ aside and told him that he was really slacking. I gave him a stiff talking to about how he needs to be a leader, and look out for all of the kids in his section. He needs to set the good example, he needs to help out, because that's what a leader does, etc, etc. It apparently really upset him and sent him over some edge. He's a drama queen, and I found out later he's been having some issues at home. He left our sectional while we were busy moving our equipment, and went and talked to the band director, guard instructor (who's also his cheerleading coach), and a counselor at the school.
While he was gone, the others obviously noticed his absence (as he's the section leader, has some key parts and tends to draw attention to himself), and asked where he was repeatedly. I told him that I talked to him and he's probably mad at me, but he's gone and where he is is his business and that's that. He's gone, he'll be back, and when he gets back we don't need to ask where he's been because that's not important, and if he wants to tell us he will. Etc. However, despite the stern talk I gave them this morning, running laps, and DJ's obvious absence, everyone was quite energized and full of vinegar.
He came back while we were taking a short break (we have short breaks and long breaks. frankly, 10 hours a day on music with these guys is not quite plausible. they need a bit more downtime to be able to keep mental clarity), and we didn't ask and he didn't tell. After we stopped for lunch he hung back and apologized for not being in rehearsal this morning, and told me there's just stuff going on in his life, etc.
Now, finally, he's the point that I am prideful about. We rehearsed music and ran some warm up drills this afternoon and then I gave them some time to work on individual parts. I gave each of them things to work on - DJ and Eli work on their cymbal parts for the parade tune, Jill work on her marimba parts that she's struggling with, Brock a timpani part and then mallet drills, Kayla on mallet drills, Austin on mallet drills and I asked Mitch to work on memorization.
What happened was really awesome. DJ and Eli worked out their parts really well together and only had to call me over once. Brock nailed a timpani part with my help and then went and worked on mallets with Kayla. Jill had already made me proud today by stepping up and being a leader when DJ was gone, and then she really worked hard learning her parts. I was most proud of how hard Kayla and Brock worked to help and encourage each other. What astonished me and made me write this entry was that Mitch didn't want to work on his memorization, he wanted to help Austin with his scales.
Mitch just up and decided to join band, doesn't play a band instrument, but apparently is an excellent pianist. He's been a bit cocky and has silently given an air of "I rock" all week, but he did an awesome job helping Austin with learning the mallet stuff. Mitch is only a sophomore, and again, has never been in band. I was just so impressed at how well he helped Austin really learn. Mitch was so patient with him and definitely clicked with Austin. Austin is a flute player who joined really late and didn't even come to the first day of camp. Austin also can't read music. I think he can kind of read rhythm, but definitely can't read notes (which is odd as he plays the flute). Austin is learning, but slowly. So Mitch working so hard on teaching him the scales and helping him learn other drills was so awesome.
One other thing that gave me some pride is how the group's attitude toward Brock has changed. Brock is a freshman (most of them are), but he has ADHD, and is extremely active, can't stand/sit still long and has a really hard time not talking and not playing. Finally today I asked him if he had ADD or something, and he told us all, with no reserve, that he has ADHD and doesn't take his medicine during the summer. The group had all been getting really annoyed with him and his comments and lack of attention had really been trying their nerves. After we found out he had a legit reason for being the way he was, I really felt like the group started to cut him some slack and be more accepting of him.
In general, I'm really proud of the work they've done this year. The last two years there were only four people in the pit, and this year there are seven, and only two of them are girls. Today was the second day that we went out to the field and put their music with the band and marching, which is usually still a really rough ordeal. I cannot recall the addition of the pit to the band to have ever been as smooth as it was today. Without sets, they almost always knew where the band was, and the phasing was virtually nonexistant. The band has really got a better fundamental sound this year than they have in the past two years also.
Overall, I'm just really proud of what my students and what the whole band has accomplished. I'm disappointed that I'll have to miss out on most of the rest of the season because I'll be back in Champaign.
And apparently, days like today are the reason I'm going to school to be a teacher.
I'm making an entry because today I had one of those teaching moments where I kind of swelled with a bit of pride and was really thrilled with the work my students were doing. It's kind of funny it was today, or maybe it was just right. This morning I took the pit out to basic block because only two of the seven kids (which is a HUGE pit for this HS) have ever marched before, so they need to get some marching basics in. Anyway, they really slacked off, didn't pay attention, broke attention and made the same mistakes repeatedly. So afterwards I gave them a very stern talking to, very out of context for myself, because I'm usually a huge pansy. I told them how disrespectful it was to the band to do so poorly at basic block, and that they need to get it together, and because they did so poorly they have to go out again tomorrow morning again, then I assigned several of them laps to run because of various infractions of this or that.
So, they all ran, even though some of them didn't have to, which was step one of greatness. However, the section leader, DJ, had a pretty bad attitude about it. One kid, Brock, had to run two extra laps for x and y, and I told everyone to wait until Brock finished, but DJ left anyway. One girl needed to go back and get her inhaler, and I sent Jill with her asking DJ to get his toosh back out to the field, but he didn't come.
Needless to say, when Brock finished up and the rest of us returned to the band room, I pulled DJ aside and told him that he was really slacking. I gave him a stiff talking to about how he needs to be a leader, and look out for all of the kids in his section. He needs to set the good example, he needs to help out, because that's what a leader does, etc, etc. It apparently really upset him and sent him over some edge. He's a drama queen, and I found out later he's been having some issues at home. He left our sectional while we were busy moving our equipment, and went and talked to the band director, guard instructor (who's also his cheerleading coach), and a counselor at the school.
While he was gone, the others obviously noticed his absence (as he's the section leader, has some key parts and tends to draw attention to himself), and asked where he was repeatedly. I told him that I talked to him and he's probably mad at me, but he's gone and where he is is his business and that's that. He's gone, he'll be back, and when he gets back we don't need to ask where he's been because that's not important, and if he wants to tell us he will. Etc. However, despite the stern talk I gave them this morning, running laps, and DJ's obvious absence, everyone was quite energized and full of vinegar.
He came back while we were taking a short break (we have short breaks and long breaks. frankly, 10 hours a day on music with these guys is not quite plausible. they need a bit more downtime to be able to keep mental clarity), and we didn't ask and he didn't tell. After we stopped for lunch he hung back and apologized for not being in rehearsal this morning, and told me there's just stuff going on in his life, etc.
Now, finally, he's the point that I am prideful about. We rehearsed music and ran some warm up drills this afternoon and then I gave them some time to work on individual parts. I gave each of them things to work on - DJ and Eli work on their cymbal parts for the parade tune, Jill work on her marimba parts that she's struggling with, Brock a timpani part and then mallet drills, Kayla on mallet drills, Austin on mallet drills and I asked Mitch to work on memorization.
What happened was really awesome. DJ and Eli worked out their parts really well together and only had to call me over once. Brock nailed a timpani part with my help and then went and worked on mallets with Kayla. Jill had already made me proud today by stepping up and being a leader when DJ was gone, and then she really worked hard learning her parts. I was most proud of how hard Kayla and Brock worked to help and encourage each other. What astonished me and made me write this entry was that Mitch didn't want to work on his memorization, he wanted to help Austin with his scales.
Mitch just up and decided to join band, doesn't play a band instrument, but apparently is an excellent pianist. He's been a bit cocky and has silently given an air of "I rock" all week, but he did an awesome job helping Austin with learning the mallet stuff. Mitch is only a sophomore, and again, has never been in band. I was just so impressed at how well he helped Austin really learn. Mitch was so patient with him and definitely clicked with Austin. Austin is a flute player who joined really late and didn't even come to the first day of camp. Austin also can't read music. I think he can kind of read rhythm, but definitely can't read notes (which is odd as he plays the flute). Austin is learning, but slowly. So Mitch working so hard on teaching him the scales and helping him learn other drills was so awesome.
One other thing that gave me some pride is how the group's attitude toward Brock has changed. Brock is a freshman (most of them are), but he has ADHD, and is extremely active, can't stand/sit still long and has a really hard time not talking and not playing. Finally today I asked him if he had ADD or something, and he told us all, with no reserve, that he has ADHD and doesn't take his medicine during the summer. The group had all been getting really annoyed with him and his comments and lack of attention had really been trying their nerves. After we found out he had a legit reason for being the way he was, I really felt like the group started to cut him some slack and be more accepting of him.
In general, I'm really proud of the work they've done this year. The last two years there were only four people in the pit, and this year there are seven, and only two of them are girls. Today was the second day that we went out to the field and put their music with the band and marching, which is usually still a really rough ordeal. I cannot recall the addition of the pit to the band to have ever been as smooth as it was today. Without sets, they almost always knew where the band was, and the phasing was virtually nonexistant. The band has really got a better fundamental sound this year than they have in the past two years also.
Overall, I'm just really proud of what my students and what the whole band has accomplished. I'm disappointed that I'll have to miss out on most of the rest of the season because I'll be back in Champaign.
And apparently, days like today are the reason I'm going to school to be a teacher.