Like so many other teachers anticipating an new year, this week has been filled with Professional Development. Although setting the alarm clock for the first time can be an anxiety filled experience, I do appreciate the opportunity to re-connect with my colleagues and my craft for a few days before the first day of school. After the time for reflection that summer grants us, it's nice to revisit and determine our goals as a staff, as a department, and as a district... but what about individual goals? I know any time I'm usually given to work independently during our kick-off week is usually spent doing very practical, preparation tasks: printing copying paperwork, updating websites and calendars, preparing for the first day, etc. But this time, I've decided to make a little time for myself to focus on my own New (School) Resolutions for this year (and maybe see if there are any other directors/educators who are also interested in these topics...??):
- Streamline our Chamber Music Project Ensembles
Each band student in my program participates chamber music throughout the school year. I like to leave this fairly open to the students for decision making so that they feel a great sense of investment right from the beginning. However, picking music and picking ensembles can be a double edged sword. If they select a group with whom they'd like to play, it's often difficult for them to find age-appropriate music that fits the instrumentation of their ensemble. If they start with a piece of music, it's not always an easy thing to go up to people who play the instruments required for that piece if they have no prior social connections.
My goal for this year is to make some systematic changes to how our ensembles are formed right from the beginning of the year. I still want students to have the freedom to choose the music and with whom, but I want to provide them with a better sign-up structure and catalog of information from which they can select their music. This way, they are still making all the decisions, but I can better guide them to have more fulfilling experiences with their chamber music.
- Student-Run, Fundamentals-Based Warm-Up Initiative
I am a BIG believer in student ownership. The students who get the most out of learning are those who are personally invested in it; they want to be there instead of having to be there. And a big part of getting students to want to be there is the need to provide tools to them so they know their time isn't being wasted and their efforts are not in vain.
My goal is to better show students that ownership doesn't start when we start working on our concert music-- it starts from the moment they walk in the room. How they come into the room and begin playing individually and as an ensemble can make a HUGE difference in how much we can achieve as a group for the rest of rehearsal. I want to give my students specific, easy to repeat, fundamentals- based warm-ups on which they can draw upon for themselves in their own practice as well ones we can use as a full ensemble. A warm-up "tool kit" if you will, that we can then draw upon to customize our warm-up time based on the areas we determine as an ensemble need the most attention.
- Continuing developing Student Leadership Workshops
Last year, one of my professional teaching goals was to establish a student leadership program for any students. I invited anyone who might want to join us, but those interested in potentially being a leader (section leader, drum major) in one of our ensembles were specifically encouraged to come. We are already off to a great start in our Marching Band in part because of the regular Student Leadership Workshop meetings we had throughout last year. My goal is to not only continue holding these regular meetings, but continue to make the most of our Leadership Workshop time together. I want to find more relevant tools for my students to use for leading/encouraging one another, more activities and experiences for everyone to authentically connect, and continue developing this awesome new offering for the SCHS Bands.
- Be present in the current role
Being the mom of a toddler, I'm learning even more on a daily basis the importance of leaving school at school. For me, this is a real challenge. Before being a parent, I would bring work home ALL THE TIME. The change of scenery from office to couch at home was always refreshing, and the convenience of having my kitchen and other personal comforts close at hand was awesome. Anything that I could do from the comfort of home on my computer was done on my couch. But that has ALL changed. Now when I get home, my baby girl doesn't know how my day was or how much work I might need to do yet; all she knows is that she wants Mama. And she isn't going to slow down for anyone-- but she sure wants you to come along for the ride! It's an amazing thing that I wouldn't have any other way, but for the sake of my family and my personal productivity, I want to make more of an effort to make sure when I'm at school, I'm the band director, and when I'm at home, I'm Mom.
- Keep it simple, sunshine.
Band directors-- truthfully all educators -- have a LOT of responsibility. It is very easy to get caught up in it all and have it weigh you down. I know at the end of last year, I was starting to feel like I was getting buried under a burning pile of to-do lists. The idea of urgent vs. important was a saving grace. Instead of being stressed out when responsibilities pile up and situations become more complex, my goal is to simplify my priorities so I'm not spending extra energy sweating the small stuff and more energy for things that are important to me, to my family, to my students.
Bottom Line: I want this to be a FANTASTIC year. Thinking about living my best life over the summer, I really think pursuing these goals will help me keep living that life through the school year as well. I have a combination of professional and personal goals here, but like so many educators and band directors, my profession is also deeply personal-- it makes sense that there would be some overlap! Hoping that writing them down so I can return to them, I'll be able to harness some of the clarity provided to me over the summer and use it when I need it most.
Here's to making the 2018-2019 year the best yet!
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