Friday, September 22, 2017

Thoughts that run through an elementary music teacher's head during the course of a day

Why does that child have a teddy bear in school?

Please don't put your fingers in your mouth/nose/ears.

Why can't you follow directions?

This meeting has nothing to do with me, can I please leave?

I'd rather be practicing.

Six years of college, two teaching degrees, ten years of experience, and I have to justify my program's existence why?

No really, this meeting could have been an email.

Why am I out of coffee?

I'm out of coffee, someone might die today.

Will I get fired for the faces I make when I haven't had enough coffee?

Please don't put that in your mouth.

Why is that in your mouth?

No, you cannot go to the principal's office to tell her something really important.

Why would you need to leave my class?

Because I said so, that's why.

Will I get fired for telling students my job is harder than their parents' jobs?

No really, reply all is not a good choice.


Tuesday, September 19, 2017

The Only Y Chromosome.....

This year is different.  In some ways better, in some ways worse, but different nonetheless.

I am the only male teacher in my building.

Let that sink in for a moment -

the only one.

Does it effect my teaching?

Nope.

Should it?

Don't think so.

Do people think it has some kind of significance?

Strangely, yes.

I don't know why, but people seem stuck on that.  Being the only male teacher in an elementary school is apparently newsworthy to some folks.  And I suppose at first that makes sense.  You're the only one of your kind, that is enough to be a big deal in some ways.

But let's back up.

What else am I that makes me the only one?

Music teacher.

I am the only music teacher in my building, and have been the entire time I've been at this school.

I am one of three teachers in my district who have this particular feature.  The interesting thing is that nobody seems to notice or care most of the time.  And let's be honest, this is a WAY bigger challenge than gender.  I'm the only man?  So what?  I can talk to my colleagues about all kinds of things, some school related and some not.

Want to talk music?  No way.  I am the only musician in my building with credentials beyond "I used to play..."  And in discussing things with other teachers, it's easy to spot the look of incomprehensible fear that I'm going to start talking about things they don't know anything about.

Kind of like me sitting in a staff meeting, really.

The biggest challenge as part of this?

I am the only one to fight for my program.

I've been spoiled, most of the time I've had a principal who was a musician herself, so she would go to bat for all kinds of things that I never had to deal with directly.  It was great - I didn't have to explain or justify or beg or demand or deflect.  She took care of me.

Now, I have a principal with absolutely zero arts background, and it's a bit more difficult. I find myself fighting battles over things that she doesn't readily understand due largely to a lack of awareness.  I'm taking it upon myself to educate and explain and garner support every chance that I get.

The interesting thing?  I think it's possible to bring my non-arts principal around to seeing a lot of things from my perspective.

Try doing that with seeing things from my perspective as the only male teacher at my school.

(And yes, I managed to make this entire entry without a joke about leaving the toilet seat up.  Except that one. Darn.)