Life of a Substitute Teacher

the last of the slow days

Well, for the first and only time ever, I sat in the bandroom with nothing to do. SCT and I had both finished our work for the week, and did not have anything else to do. I ended up catching up on e-mails and deleted over 200 messages from my university inbox. I haven't done that in over two years (I haven't had time to do that in over two years is more like it). I am cherishing this day of organizational bliss and am glad that I had it for once. And, seeing that it's Friday, I'm lightening the mood of this blog, if only temporarily.

I slept for ten hours last night. True story also, but I'll have to jump through it a little so that you, the reader in little town, USA knows what I am talking about. A friend of mine called earlier this evening and we talked. She then asked me a question similar to ones I've been receiving all week: How are you holding up? Personally, I am doing well. All I really have to do so far that I can't do while commuting is this blog. Well, I found out why everyone has been asking me this question. My friend told me that when she student taught a year and a half ago, she was physically exhausted for the first month. Now, this friend was into sports, had endless energy, and was the kind to call you at three in the morning to go shopping. I know I should be tired, but the reason I'm tired is that I know I'm a college student, but I know I'm also a teacher; these are two completely opposite worlds of sleep. So, yesterday when I got home, I sat down after awhile and fell asleep and slept until almost 1:00 am when I went to bed. The decieving part of this is that I have no "teacher" or "student" homework other than this blog, a weekly schedule, and rehearsal plans, which are pretty easy to do.

I'm directing for 20 minutes on Wednesday, and the piece is an easy pep band thing which I was able to do score study for in five minutes. To make it even easier, most of the students already know the piece, except the freshmen who get to recite "1e a e a e a4" several times and get to scat (jazz vocalizations) it. It will be fun, easy, and I'll get to polish a group on the second day of rehearsals. SCT and I picked out all of the music for pep band, eighth grade, and the half-time show. Seeing as homecoming is on the 30th of this month, we aren't choreographing the show, however, I'm going to do a diagram of one for it anyway following our music so I have something set for the future in case I get hired somewhere a week before school starts. It's better to be prepared. SCT has been doing this now for 36 years at that school, so he has a system in place for everything, and knows what he's doing. He said that when he started teaching, he did things more in advance, however, he knows his library well now and his systems, so it is easy for him to do things fast and well. I'm adopting those systems and hope to use them as well.

I just wish we had time to prepare a choreographed half-time show at homecoming. We ordered music from The Phantom of the Opera from Hal Leonard this afternoon. We will be doing the title piece, Masquerade, and Music of the Night (in that order) and I have so many ideas. Actually, we might be able to do a little bit just by moving the group in a block for eight measures or so, and then have the back half move forward (by creating new ranks) on the second set of eight. That would work - could it be done is the question. I'll have to borrow the scores to choreograph something for myself.

The band and I are getting more used to each other now. There are some students I already know from the past from observing there and talking with them, and today they were comfortable talking with me more and now students are more willing to talk with me. The freshmen were a lot less terrified today, which is good. Meahwhile, the sense of terror that was present on Monday for me has gradually decreased as the week has progressed. I have definitely grown since Monday, and the sense that I am now a teacher is becoming more comfortable. Yes, I've always enjoyed it, but up until now it has felt as if I was the student.

Well, back to watching House, MD. I preordered the DVD from Amazon and it came today - a day earlier than the company said it would. Plus, the friend who called earlier this evening announced that she is now engaged.

posted by Amanda @ 9:05 PM