It’s officially summer!
Now, granted, this summer consists of three grad school classes and a week of vocal coaching, but it’s summer! Time for swimming, museums, vacations, nature hikes, and lots and lots of time laughing with the fam jam.
I’m leaving my empty classroom today with a lot on my heart…and my walls. So, I thought I’d share my thoughts with you this morning. And give you a tour of my office 🙂
When I started this school year, I was excited for all the opportunities on the calendar I created. This was my first year being at the high school full time PLUS, I was teaching drama. It’s always been my dream to teach choir and drama. We were doing things like performing a haunted choral showcase, to singing songs from Dear Evan Hansen, rocking out to the 80’s in show choir, performing a 3 hour musical for the community, and taking over the Big Apple (and coming in 2nd place in the world, might I add). I had “bald spots” on my wall. There were empty spaces left to be filled in the resumes of my students before they left. We filled it, baby! We filled it big time. There has been so much “good” this year. The “good” keeps me going during the bad. And, yes, there’s been some serious struggles this year.
Part of my job as a choir director is I’m also a career counselor, at times. I listen to the students juggle ideas of career back and forth. I hear a lot of times that students want to go into music education because my job is fun and easy. (Puh-lease.) I tell them what a wise professor once told me: Imagine you have a job-the one you hope to land one day. You wake up for thirty years straight to go to that job. Are you happy? Picture your worst day in that career field. Is it worth going back to the next day?
I can honestly say that my job, on my worst day, is worth coming back to. The worst days are bad. Really bad. But, I have a secret weapon: The “Good”. Who provides that “good”? James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…”
I have a “You are special” folder sitting on the bookshelf in my office.
I started it 7 years ago when I got this job. I had one note that a student wrote me on his graduation present of brand new stationary. It was the sweetest compliment that I had ever received. For an 18 year old to take time to physically write a lengthy letter without being asked to say “Thanks” really said something about him. And his upbringing. That first year, I focused on, well, not getting fired. As a chorus teacher, you can’t just teach the music. You’ve got to take risks! It’s a scary thing for a teacher to do-especially your first year. You can’t just meet the course of study objectives. Your job is much, much more than that. Music is much, much more than that. I can’t think of another subject that involves a more taxing time on your emotions. Music is cool that way. We all become very close; family. My second year, I read that note during the bad times. The end of my second year, I had a few more sweet notes. As I enter year seven, I have around 38-not just notes-but novels of kind words that get me through my bad days. Notes that remind me not to give up.
Something else pretty cool in my office is my Senior board. These “family members” have left this educational institution and moved on to the real world, where they are going to do some incredible things and, indeed, change the world. I know so. I watched them be incredible in my room. Tonight is graduation night for another batch of world changers. I’m honored to have taught them and to have been their teacher, their career counselor, their friend. I’m also blessed to have had them to listen to my crazy ideas, join this wacky family, take a chance on a new extra curricular, win awards, tour the nation, inspire me, and educate me on more than just what the word “salty” means. I am blessed. By all the “good”.
To the class of 2018, there will be bad days. Keep up with the good during those time. Because YOU ARE SPECIAL! My office doors are always open. It’s been real. It’s been fun. It’s been real fun.
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