Heat Stroke.

I just finished week 4 of school. This week was a crazy one like last week, but I felt I handled it much better. I am starting to find routines and am getting to know my physical abilities much better now. Oddly enough, I find that letting myself shower and go to bed at 9:30pm or 10pm and get up at 4am to get work done is so much easier than staying up until midnight like I have done all my life. I realized that my brain just can't handle it. I hereby call a truce with the 4 o'clock hour.

Like I said, it's been a pretty eventful week- but yesterday was definitely the main event. During the day I had some major revelations about teaching/kids/my teaching style. At night I had to put my new revelations to the test and think on my feet. Here are the highlights:

-Kids need structure. Duh. What I learned is that structure does not necessarily mean being "mean". I don't have to yell and lecture them for them to fall in line. It was recommended to me that I do the "mean" teacher thing for a day just to set the stage... but that is just not me. I can't be that way knowing that there are a handful of really wonderful kids that will also have to feel the wrath for no fault of their own. Instead I decided to play on a concept I learned at training this summer about "protecting" kids from what they can't handle. Instead of the lecture and scolding I took away the problem- which was too much freedom in the classroom setting. We started the class without instruments and did a quick note reading worksheet. Nothing super painful- just required a little brain power. I had a couple kids try to resist and I miraculously was able to talk them down with my a calm, "you don't have a choice but I'll pretend you do" method. After the worksheet we did a journal entry answering 2 questions. 1. What would your ideal day in band class look like? and 2. Tell me an interesting fact about your life. This segways into my next revelation, but stay with me for just a sec. So after the worksheet got them settled, the journals brought their attention to band. After this it was time to play. I would say it was one of the first time that I felt like most of the kids were engaged in the moment.

-Next: Band journals. This is probably one of the best ideas I've ever had for my teaching strategies. The concept is to have the kids keep a spiral notebook in a designated spot in my classroom. Then maybe once a week I'll ask them to use it for answering a prompt, doing a reflection, or critical listening assignment. I've done it twice now and the results are awesome. Of course there are a few kids that are resistant to writing, but there is a much greater number of them that benefit from it, and have even said they like it. Also, they say they like it because I write back to them. I realized that at this age kids really need to feel connected to a trusted adult. From some of the entries I have learned that some of the kids come from broken families and don't have that safe person at home. Or even if they do, some of them just are comfortable exposing their worries to someone who will make a huge deal about it. These journals are an awesome way for me to metaphorically get off the podium and build relationships with the kids. It's so hard to feel connected to the quiet ones that sit in the back while in rehearsal.

-Random note about teaching music: yesterday was the first time I really decided that method books have a purpose. Rhythm is so important and so many kids slip through the cracks. I am seeing this in high school jazz band. I'm going to try to be better about using the book with my 8th graders to fix this issue.


::Park, Parade, Paramedics::
So on the more eventful part of the day. Directly after school we had to get ready for the homecoming parade. The kids had an hour and a half to check out their uniform and get across town to the park. When we got to the park at our designated time we ended up just standing around in the black wool uniforms for 45minutes. During this wait the sun finally came out and the kids started to bake.

We got about halfway through the parade route when the first kid looked at me while marching by and started to fall apart. I took her out and we got some water, no big deal. Then, a domino effect. As we start walking down the street behind the band we pick up 5 or 6 more kids. Luckily the fire department and ambulance was behind us in the parade, so they offered their assistance. After i got 4 kids in the ambulance and 5 more in a friendly community member's van I ended up walking the rest of the parade... with the biggest bass drum on my back.

I thought the drama was over when I finally made it to the school- but I was wrong... it hadn't even started.

We had a drum major with asthma go down and the paramedics had to come in. 2 more kids dropped after that. Before we know it the pep rally is about to start and we aren't down there to play the national anthem. Head hauncho has to stay with the sick kids so I decide to take the band. Again I think, ok, things are fine now the drama is over. Nope.

We get down there and I ask kids to raise their hands if they begin to not feel well. 5 hands go up. The activities co-ordinater comes by and starts talking to the band, ignoring me. I introduce myself- he feels like an idiot. He says it's time to play. The kids look awful. We take off their hats and coats and promise water after we play. We play- surprisingly not bad at all. As we pass out water I see a kid start to crumble. He comes down to the front in tears. It's getting worse. This is when I realize that it's time to be freaked out. I send a kid up to the school for a paramedic. I start doing what I can but nothing's working. Finally the paramedics get there and the chief scolds me for having the kids "in these conditions". I am in survival mode, apologizing and running around helping kids- all while thinking "WTF, I had no idea the kids weren't going to be able to handle this... I thought they did parades all the time... how were they so unprepared... why didnt we have water..."

I decide to send the band home. As we are evacuating the stadium 3 more kids go down. I wait outside the ambulance and continue to be lectured by paramedics. I am embarrassed for Head Hauncho and me. How did this happen? It was kind of a freak occurrence that the rain turned to humid smothering heat and that the kids were not acclimated to the new uniforms, which turns out- the uniforms are twice as hot as the old ones.

At the end of the night everyone is ok. When I finally sit down I realize that I had not sat down all day. My ankles are bleeding from running in dress shoes. My feet are blistered, and my back is sore from the bass drum. Sleep never felt so good.