The Next Step on My Musical Journey

On May 27, 2011 when my husband and I found out we were going to be moving to Houston, I never imagined I would end up where I did. Approximately one month after we got the final word that we WERE IN FACT moving to Houston from OKC, I was offered a job teaching elementary music at Booker Elementary in Spring. Again, if you would have asked me where I thought I would be back in May, I would have said teaching band at a Middle School or High School... but that was not the case.

As the weeks continued to pass and I had not heard from the countless band jobs I had interviewed for, I began to wonder if I should spread myself further and apply at elementary schools as well. After all, I had taught middle school band AND elementary music my entire career so I feel comfortable doing so. Of course, in my heart I still wanted to land a band job. The band jobs came and went and I was left near the end of June without a job. I went in to interivew for this job and right off the bat I got a good vibe and that this one might be THE ONE even thought it was NOT band. The interview went extremely well and I ended up getting a call back with the job offer not but 2 hours after the interview. This was defintely a GOD THING!

Since being at Booker, I have had to adjust several things. I have mentioned this before but... I HAVE TO SPEAK SPANISH EVERY DAY. My poor kindergarteners barely know what to do unless I model it for them. (Yall would laugh so hard if you saw my dancing and crazy movements I do with them) My limited amount of spanish makes for several moments of laughing and trying to understand what I am saying. I love that class and hate it at the same time. It is kinda like playing the cherades with your class day in and day out. Thanks to Allison and some of the Spanish speaking teachers in the building, I am learning and I getting better. Now they only laugh once every 5 minutes instead of 2!!!!

The Spanish speaking is all kicks and giggles but the main adjustment I have had to do is my ambitousness and dedication to making sure the kids are where they need to be. It became apparent to me shortly after Labor Day that these kids are not anywhere close to where they should be in the grades they are in. I would go over notes and rests and they looked at me like they had no idea. I would mention something about clefs or note names on the staff or even dynamics and blank stares from all... even the 5th graders. I would get frustrated in the lessons and begin to tell them to "step it up" and eventually a 5th grader came to me and said "Mrs. Davis all we did last year with our old music teacher is play the instruments. We never read any notes or anything." Come to find out, she had basically taught them by rote and that is all. So I sat there and had my panic attack and then tried to get back into the real world and focus on how far behind these kids are.

The past two weeks have been a real sturggle for me and my hard-core, "Must get to the goal" mentality but I have learned that sometimes you just have to LOVE on them. Now dont get me wrong... I loved on kids in previous jobs and positions but not like this. I have basically decided that my goal for this year will be to help them LOVE music the way I do. They may not be able to catch up to their grade level ability in music by May (Or June since I am in Texas now:) ) but they will love music. Sometimes that is all you need. "Love, Love, Love... All you need is Love".

I thank God each and every day for giving me this opportunity. It may not have been what I would have chosen or even thought I would get but here I am today and I am grateful. I hope I came make a difference in these kids lives and help them enjoy and love music. I ponder upon this song every morning during my commute:
Count your blessings, anme them one by one.

Count your blessings, see what God has done.

Count your blessins, name them one by one.

Count your MANY blessings see what GOD HAS DONE!

Thank you Lord for your continued blessings! It is going to be a great year!

MY MUSIC ROOM AT BOOKER...

This is my "back door" and our "TRIBES" agreements (school wide discipline)

This is my "Front door" and my upright piano!

This is the front of my room with my instruments and SMART BOARD!!!!

This is my desk and personal space. (I am not used to not having my own office yet but it will do!)

This the picture Katie Carmichael gave me! I LOVE IT!

Finally... BOTH of my degrees are framed and on the wall! I love it!

What time is it? MUSIC TIME!!!!

My school is a "NO EXCUSES" school and we encourage college from the 1st day of Pre-K. All of the teachers have to choose a different university to decorate thier room with and teach about that college EVERY TUESDAY! I love this program and think it is a genius idea for encouraging kids to go to college. UNFORTUNATELY, OU was already taken (By a Non-OU grad) so I had to decorate in UCO! I am an alumni though so that helps! Here is my wall of UCO!!!

This is my WALL OF CLOSETS! Seriously... so much storage I dont know what to do with it all! It is ALL FULL of instruments! It is AWESOME! (Notice the drums on the top!!!)

GOD IS GOOD! ALL THE TIME!