Conviction adds success

As some of you know, I've been struggling a bit to get up to speed in a new area of teaching. Still music, yes, but classroom music can be very different from the band classes I'd become used to teaching. Luckily, both involve kids - and that's what makes the difference no matter what I do, what subject I teach, and in what approach I use.

I taught the kids a fairly easy pop song this week, one that realistically most of them had heard before. But we had fun, I accompanied them on guitar (a weak spot for me that's getting much stronger) and I was able to reinforce some musical concepts within a framework where they where already comfortable. We enjoyed music, we enjoyed each other, we were respectful and attentive. This class has many personalities, and is rather large compared to some others in the school - so just all staying to the task might be a challenge. But I was DRIVEN to get that song sung. They felt that. So some simple mistakes, a missed chord here and there - we all kept singing, and enjoyed ourselves in the process.

I will challenge them to greater musical heights, and give them more opportunities to take charge of their learning with new songs. However, it was great to be able to just step back and enjoy the class for what it was, without consideration for an upcoming performance. I think this way of looking at my classroom, with every class being its own "performance", will help me greatly this year in my search to find a home in a new place. This is the week I usually become frustrated with the knowledge that kids will have to perform. And yet it always comes together, if I have done my preparation each week in the classroom, that "performance" falls into place.

Back to normal....

Or so I think. My first real day of teaching was yesterday (I only work Mondays and Fridays, and we hadn't had any of those yet). If financially we can make this schedule work without my having to teach more lessons, etc then I think we'll all be happy as a family.

I see myself becoming more involved in a local school, with a small local staff, no more trekking across the state. I still miss my old school very much, but hopefully I will have the space here to do some teaching the way I want to, embark on some meaningful projects for the kids, get a musical community started.

My greatest challenge yesterday was a class of 5/6 graders - simply a challenge because it was a larger class than the others. Still MUCH smaller than my last general music classes, and this time I had a classroom and equipment - I was able to modify the lesson as I went to fit the space. Next week I will be even more prepared, now that I have seen them in the space, and we can get more music done with less administrative babbling from me. I may be able to do something special with this class, as I have the numbers for a real ensemble, to do a real musical, or whatever I can dream up!

I'm excited at the possibilities. I was able to see the whole school body at an assembly as well - I kept thinking "when will the rest of the kids arrive?" - a student body of 73 still seems small to me after a band of 65. So let the school-wide multi-age singing and playing begin! Today I research what we will sing next week, so I can assess where we're going in that direction!

School Song.

Done. Made the office staff CRY with JOY. Somedays, a very good job!

Oh Wampatuck

Oh Wampatuck Wampatuck place of my childhood
Your halls and your classrooms are so dear to me
Our days are spent learning and playing and growing
With teachers and family we’re grateful to see.
We stand here together
this time we’ll remember
With laughter and friendships
we’ll have for all days.
Oh Wampatuck Wampatuck place of my childhood
We’re proud of our school and our community.

The Old Oaken Bucket

Working on writing a new Wampatuck School song today (in my spare time!). I needed an old folksong to pair it with - and in a nod to Scituate's history, I am working with this:

The Old Oaken Bucket

How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood
When fond recollection presents them to view
The orchard, the meadow, the deep tangled wildwood,
And ev'ry loved spot which my infancy knew
The wide spreading pond, and the mill that stood by it,
The bridge and the rock where the cataract fell;
The cot of my father, the dairy house nigh it,
And e'en the rude bucket that hung in the well.
The old oaken bucket, the iron bound bucket,
The moss covered bucket that hung in the well.

The moss covered bucket I hailed as a treasure,
For often at noon, when returned from the field,
I found it the source of an exquisite pleasure,
The purest and sweetest that nature can yield.
How ardent I seized it, with hands that were glowing,
And quick to the white pebbled bottom it fell
Then soon, with the emblem of turth overflowing,
And dripping with coolness, it rose from the well.
The old oaken bucket, the iron bound bucket,
The moss covered bucket that hung in the well.

These words were written in 1818 by Samuel Woodworth. They were originally sung to the traditional tune Jesse, The Flower o Dumblane (aka Jesse, the Flower of Dunblane). In 1870 they were set to this melody (Download Midi File ) by English composer George Kiallmark which was written for Moore's Araby's Daughter.

Bonus! Before 1922 is public domain, so now I just need Wampatucky words (thank goodness - I haven't a clue what all this falling cataract stuff is about!)