Time to post again...

I taught my last music class of the year today, and I have mixed feelings about that. The smallest, teensiest twinge of sadness, but a HEAP of relief. I am very ready to be done planning music lessons, trying to manage and control 15 rambunctious kids, and still come out feeling like I actually accomplished something other than being the "bad guy". In honor of it being our last music class, I asked them what were some of the things they learned. These were some of their answers:

"Funny songs!"
"Rhythm".
"How to use our articulators."
"That you can be really strict."
"That you don't know anything about music!"

That last comment of course was followed by fits of giggles, so I couldn't be sure if they really meant it, and I can only hope they didn't. But the one about being strict was definitely spot on, because I certainly became stricter as the year progressed, and I'm sure the kids noticed that. After all, if you remain a softy and try to teach, one of two things will happen. No one will learn anything, or you will go clinically insane. So....

I have a WHOLE, NEW-FOUND APPRECIATION AND RESPECT for my high school music teacher, Norma Miller. I'm sure she doesn't read this, but I must give a tribute to her anyway. I can only imagine the hours of effort, time and energy that went into helping us prepare for conventions, internationals, programs and performances. How she dealt with our shenanigans I may never fully understand, but somehow she put up with all of it, and did a wonderful job. I remember feeling like a real, honest-to-goodness singer in some of our large ensembles and choirs. I will never forget participating in our female only, small ensemble when we sang the "Halleluiah Chorus" at convention and snagged a command performance, back when those still meant something!
Mrs. Miller, your hard work will not be forgotten! I may not have appreciated it much when I was in school, but I most certainly appreciate it now! I am surprised music teachers haven't gone the way of the do-do bird, after seeing what their students can put them through. :)

I was going to take some pictures, but of course, I didn't get any. Thursday is the school graduation and we will sing a couple of songs in the program, so perhaps I will get a few pictures then.

And one last thing before I go...if you are still in school, go to class one day and treat your music teacher like a king/queen! Listen scrupulously to anything they tell you to do, and do it immediately with enthusiasm. Just do it for the shock factor. He/she will have no idea who kidnapped their students and replaced them with well-mannered gentlemen and ladies! You might even get them to faint.:)