Update

So I really fail at this.

Let's see: Last week we had our Concert. It went really well. I printed Concert Etiquette on the back of the program, and we went over it before the concert. Then I proceeded to ALWAYS wait until the audience got quiet before starting the next song.

It was great: Joan, a friend from church, played the piano on Pie Jesu, which Barb played violin on. My PK-K-1st grade group got REALLY nervous. Even though they knew ALL THE WORDS! Oh well... They still did a GREAT job. :)

My favorite part, though, was when I got a group of guys together to play in a Jazz Combo. My kids have been studying Jazz during "Jazz Month" (April) through Princess and the Frog. They finally got to hear what a combo really sounds like. YouTube does better than an audio track, but the REAL experience was GREAT. And I gave them time to talk with their families about what they heard. It was awesome.
The Bass Player and the Drummer (Whom you can't see in this) also joined us (the 4th and 5th graders) on "Dig a Little Deeper": That Gospel Song from P&F. They were amazing. I had 12 kids play keyboards at the concert. They were just so brilliant!

EOG testing is this next week. That'll be crazy, but my load is really light: We'll just have Specials from 1-2pm every day, and I'll administer an exam on Wed and Thursday for a child with an IEP. It'll be a great week to prep for the rest of the year.

I am going to be working for TFA for their Induction week... It's gonna be great. I'm the Transition Team Captain, which means I am in charge of the non-logistical aspect of Induction. We're there to answer questions about what its really LIKE to live in NC. We'll focus on being positive, but honest. In looking through all the concert photos, I've realized how in love with my kids I am. No matter how crazy they make me, or how much they drive me nuts, they are amazing, and have grown SO MUCH this year. I can truly say I've made a difference here, which is the whole reason I came in the first place. I struggled at first with the idea of helping to close the achievement gap by teaching music, yet part of closing the achievement gap is leveling the playing field. Let me tell you: These students are getting a better music education than I got in school. And I have had a BLAST giving it to them. It's been INCREDIBLY hard, but SO worth it. :)