One Down!

I am very thankful it is Friday.  This has probably been one of the most whirl-wind weeks of my life.

As I sit here in my new apartment, I can still hardly believe that my new home is here in Virginia and that I have a full-time teaching position.  Basically, I have come to realize that I am officially a GROWN UP. And that is quite the pill to swallow. Along with all the medicine I have been swallowing to fight off whatever germ-filled-kid disease I picked up at school this week, bleh.

It is one thing to be a new teacher starting the school year with everyone else. It is yet another thing to be a new teacher starting the school year months on in.

Last week I spend a lot of time going through books and supplies trying to figure out what in the world I was going to do with my students.  The previous teacher left absolutely NOTHING behind. No files. No lesson plans. No nothing.  So I had no clue where the students are musically.  I decided the best thing to do was to work with various name games.  Turned out that my lessons were very similar across each grade level, but that almost worked out for the better because it really helped to see what abilities the students have.  I asked many of the classes point blank what they have been doing in music.  It was really upsetting to hear that nothing musical was really happening.  I could tell that the students really want to do more in music, and that was a good sign to me.

Overall, all of my classes are on the large side.  There are at least 30 students in each of my Kindergarten classes.  Thankfully I have an aide that comes with them because otherwise, I do not know what I would do.  Pull my hair out for sure.  Yes, I quickly learned who my "problem" students are but for the most part all of my students behave very well.

Thursday was ridiculous.  It seemed to be the day of pain in the rear students.  My 4th grade class that day was by far the worst.  I had to play big-bad-music-teacher.  The students were rude, disrespectful, and just all around awful.  And I let them know it.  There teacher has only been with them since September (there was an extra 4th grade class added once the school year started because there are soo many of them, and that teacher was hired for this new class) and was thrown in like me.  We are about the same age and we are both happy to have someone in the building going through the same situations.

Everyone in the building is beyond nice.  So many teachers come in and check up on me everyday.  It a very family oriented atmosphere.  I know I am lucky.

Doing my best not to become overwhelmed.  Which I know may happen soon enough.  From learning curriculum to starting up the first elementary band program in the ENTIRE county.  Things are going to get incredibly crazy incredibly fast.

Everything in life happens for a reason.  And I know that there is a reason why this job came my way now.  I know that I am more than capable to do this job and I want nothing more than my students to have fun and learn some great things about making music and to let my administrators know they made the right decision.

Oh, this month we are learning all about Tchaikovsky.
Next week I am going to do some recorder with the upper grades, sing some songs to review pitch recognition, and even start some holiday songs. I stayed at school until about 5:30 this evening to get the room set up for Monday.

More importantly, I am making sure to take time for myself.  I do not want to let myself get sucked up into only doing work-related things.  Need to keep a balance.

Seems to be a trend lately but...

NEW LIFE!

<3 RMK

It's The Little Things

In the past 24 hours I have completed the following:
1.) Found a FANTASTIC place to live
2.) Drove all around Manassas in the pouring down rain
3.) Spent a few hours in MY classroom
4.) Got my part-time job transferred
5.) Signed my contract

Did I mention it RAINED all day long? And if you know anything about when I travel, it always rains even if the forecast calls for nothing but sun.

Visited two apartment complexes.  Both of which were very nice.  Since I will be living on my own and in a completely new area, safety was my biggest issue.  So I chose the slightly smaller apartment that is all new and in a high-rise like building.  It's really nice and it will be wonderful, and not to mention safe.

My classroom is F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C! I am so lucky to have a enormous room with so many great resources.  I will have to upload some pictures soon.  The only thing I am freaking out over is that the previous teacher left absolutely nothing along the lines of lesson plans or where each grade level is at in the curriculum.  For the next week I plan on reading a book about Orff and researching some things.  I also have to make up some sweet decorations.  I do not want my room throwing up tacky decorations but my room needs a little pizazz.

I am still going to keep my job at BBB. Grant it, I can't work the 40 hours I have been but two or three days a week will be enough.  The extra cash is a great perk as well. It will also help me to meet other plus a good way to not focus on my full time job so much.

With all that is going on, I haven't had time to have a breakdown which I am sure will be happening.  It's inevitable, my perfectionist side is starting to dominate and that can mean trouble.  At least I will have time to myself once I get settled, cannot wait for that.

And A New Chapter Begins

Remember when it was cool to have a Xanga? Oh memories...

I decided to start a blog about my new journey on surviving my first full-time teaching job.  Two reasons I decided on this 1.) to help me remember everything because in the midst of it all I do not want to forget all that happens and 2.) to give others a glimpse into the world of education.  With the world as it is, the more information to learn from the better.  

Everything seems to be happening so quickly.  Just two weeks ago I was called about an elementary music position in Manassas, VA.  Two days later I went down for an interview and was offered the position right on the spot! Everything after that day has been almost a complete blur.  From various doctors appointments to moving from Morgantown it is one constant whirl-wind.  

Tomorrow I will be traveling down to VA to (hopefully) find an apartment and sign a lease.  Plus, I will be getting to spend time in my classroom in the afternoon! I cannot wait to see all of the materials I get to use.  I know I have a full set of Orff instruments plus a set of African drums. Not to mention a piano, a smart board, and tons of space!  

This is really happening...the road to being a true grown-up.