Reply To: Doing it all: HELP!

[nafmeadmin]

Thanks so much for the thoughtful response, Maria.

A lot of what you mentioned I have done. My first 2 years I spent hours upon hours at home, every night and on weekends to find materials, build some sort of scope and sequence, research ideas/units. But, what I found is I was still always behind, with something, and thus, always playing catch up, and unfortunately, at the expense of the students.

Now, only in my 3rd year, I’m wiped out and frustrated with the district. If in their “vision” part time with 3 preps a week is enough for adequately teaching music, then they get what they get. I know it sounds bad. But I think you’re right. For the powers that be, its really about baby sitting so that classroom teachers get their preps, and they get to see them perform a couple times a year.

And I apologize. I wasn’t clear about the combined grades. I didn’t mean 3 different grades are combined during the same period. There are 2 sections of each grade. Both 2nd grade classes come to me combined (34 students). During another period, both 4th grade classes come to me together (30 students). And then another period, both 5th grade students come to me together (33 students). Still…

Again, thanks.