Elementary/General Division Keep the Fire Lit Melissa Thomason, President, Elementary/General Division
I love the first week of school! I love how clean the school looks, how clean my classroom looks (that is pretty rare!), the excitement of the first day, meeting your new col- leagues and seeing the old ones again. I love to see how the students grow up just over the summer months and the privilege of meeting the new ones. I love seeing which child ended up in who's class and deciding who's classes are going to be great and who's are going to be a chal- lenge! Isn't it great to be the music teacher and have all of these opportunities? We pull out our favorite "beginning of the year" lessons and enthusiastically begin our curriculum. We set person- al goals of what we want to accomplish by the year's end. We eagerly organize our closets, our classrooms, our lives for the new year ahead. The year goes by in a whirlwind. All of a sudden, it's time to start holiday material, half the year is gone. How far have we gotten in reaching our goals? Have we accom- plished what we set out to do? Are we as organized and as enthusiastic as we were on the first day of school? Maybe. Maybe not.
What are some things we can do to keep the "fire" lit in us throughout the year? How can we renew ourselves on a frequent basis? Below are some things you can do!
1. Attend local and state workshops. Various
organizations throughout the state hold conferences and workshops throughout the year that are full of ideas and information that revive our enthusiasm for our profession. 2. Read your professional magazines. Not only can you stay informed, but also be inspired by the articles and lesson plans.
3. Keep in touch with fellow music teachers in
your area. It's always nice to have someone to talk with that is in similar shoes! 4. Bring in help! There are many musicians and performing groups that are set up to come into the schools to perform or teach classes for a period of time. Everyone likes to see a fresh face every now and then. Our students love to learn from what others have to offer and we can be inspired by someone else's love for the fine arts.
ala breve
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