Festival/Contest Season? No
Solo and Ensemble? No
Musical Production? No
The time of year I'm talking about is Scheduling Season (cue the dramatic chord). That time of year where we find out if we were successful music educators or complete failures.
Yes, I know. Complete failures sounds a little dramatic. But for every student who doesn't continue in music, we tend to feel like we've failed that kid in some way.
When we see that a student isn't on our class list here are some of the questions we ask ourselves:
- Did I make music enjoyable?
- Did I find ways to connect with that student?
- Did I screw something up?
- Were there social problems I wasn't aware of discouraging that student from coming back?
- Was there a financial issue I could have alleviated?
- Should I have spoken up more to make sure there weren't scheduling problems?
- Maybe they just didn't like me?
- Why didn't they like me?
- Maybe I didn't make music as enjoyable as I find it to be?
- Did I find ways to connect...
 |
| Me when a kid doesn't sign up for band next year. |
It's hard for us to imagine that maybe our class just wasn't what that student was passionate about. Music educators put so much of themselves into what they do. Our relationships with students are frequently measured in years, not semesters. We spend countless hours with our students at outside school events. Instead of hanging out with my own daughter this Saturday, I was at middle school honors band and I'm going to miss another bedtime on Tuesday when I go to the concert.
Additionally, our classes are called "electives" for a reason. Unlike required math or science classes, (with the exception of the "My mom made me take band again this year" kids) students make the choice to be in our ensembles. While we know there's a lot that goes into schedule selection, especially as kids get older, it's hard to take the advice of "don't take it personally." In fact, hearing that phrase usually makes me crazy because what we do is personal.
For many of us, it goes beyond our personal feelings on the matter. Our basic livelihood can be decided on the whim of adolescents. This is a possibility for teachers in many other subjects due to standardized tests. For music educators though we run into the issue that if students don't sign up for our classes we have no one to teach.
I wish I had a good fix for the mental distress we experience this time of year. Sadly I do not. What I can offer though is the knowledge that you are not alone. You the teacher are doing what you can to make being a part of a performance ensemble a positive experience. You're adjusting and adapting to what your kids need while working as best you can within your circumstances. While I'm not saying you should give up on those who aren't in your groups any more, remember the students that did choose to come back and...
(special shout out to Dory for her help with this one!)
This was a struggle for me up until a couple of years ago, when someone much wiser than me said, "teach the kids that show up." When a kid discontinues their participation (sounds better than quitting), I wish them well and move on to the kids that want to learn from me. This is more difficult to do when I know they're talented or I know they NEED band more than the band needs them. Or, if they play the TUBA! I would seriously bribe kids to play the tuba if I could. The funny thing is when I see them in the hall later, even years later, and I say hello to them they act so surprised I'm nice to them and that I remember them.
ReplyDeleteI always find myself feeling anxious during scheduling season. Always. I may not have a solution, but acknowledgement is good, right? :-)
ReplyDeleteI have to remember that every moment I spend worrying about who might sign up or who didn't sign up is a moment I am not being present with those who are in front of me, which doesn't help anything!
Here's to hoping for another year of full classes, good instrumentation, and lots of friendly, eager young musicians!