Bring the Extra Batteries

There's still a calendar month left on the school year, but I'm hitting that combination of reflecting/looking ahead that comes with the end of the school year. In no particular order, some thoughts as I look back:

• Classroom management is something I've always taken some pride in, but this year was kind enough to kick me in the pants on that one. Not only have I hit a point where I'm starting vocal therapy due to blowing out my voice over the last year (mostly due to bad habits of talking over kids and singing parts out while the band plays), I'm still having very frustrating moments with some of my groups and I blame myself for much of it. Next year will bring clearer expectations and follow through for the sake of both my students and me.
• Much of our scheduling of events is still based around what used to be a fall season for state tests. Some things need rearranging now that tests have shifted to Spring.
• I am an educator. But sometimes I forget that I need to educate beyond the students in my classroom. Families, colleagues, and others sometimes need help in understanding some of the unique challenges and benefits of a performance ensemble. 
• If some part of me thinks I should pack something for a field trip, such as extra AAA batteries just in case a student's insulin pump starts to fail, I should definitely bring them.
• My grading still needs an overhaul.
• With the exception of a few cases here and there, emails can wait until Monday, and I need to stop feeling guilty for not doing more school stuff at home.
• Some email responses are best done after waiting for a bit anyway so that I'm responding rationally and not emotionally.
• It's the end of my ninth year of teaching and even though there could be 100 things going right, I'll still obsess over the one that's going wrong.
• I really enjoyed working with student teachers this year, even though it was only one day a week. It helped me look more closely at my teaching and rehearsal habits and I'm looking forward to having them full time in the future.
• I love my job. Seriously. My alarm is too early. I get stressed. I sometimes miss things like Moms and Muffins with my daughter because it's the morning of our Spring Concert. My students drive me nuts on occasion. But I really love getting to make music with kids every day and the relationships I get to form with them over time.

There are still a few weeks to learn new things and reflect, but that's where I stand right now. What are some of your big takeaways from this year?