July 26th was out first "teacher day" back.
It's called "summer break", yet we start school before summer is half over...
...but I digress.
I know that I/we are "ahead" of the curve, and that a lot of you are facing the start to your school year in the coming weeks.
So, I'm going to share my journey so far in hopes of helping those of you who face what lies ahead.
Prior to July 26, I was so excited about the new school year.
I am vaccinated, and in late May, the CDC (and my school district) said that vaccinated people didn't have to wear masks.
Teaching chorus is hard work. Teaching chorus in a mask??? Getting air??? 6 classes per day? To 84 kids in a class?
I watched the Covid case numbers rising throughout July, and I knew in my gut what was coming.
So, during the week of July 26, when the CDC changed the rules, honestly....I was devastated.
My head started racing.
"Should I just teach general music? Cancel all performances? Singing in masks as we prep for concerts? With these little middle school voices? They can barely project with proper head voice in 6th grade without a mask."
I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world.
Then, I pulled my head together.
This is better than a year ago.
Last year we faced things we never expected to face as we navigated teaching online/concurrently, etc.
...and we made it.
So, I fixed myself.
I planned my performance calendar and placed all of it in my syllabus.
I'm committed.
I am watching the business world.
Broadway is opening. National tours are opening. In fact, I am going to see Hamilton at the Fox Theater in Atlanta one week from today. It's the first day of their tour, and I wanted to feel the electricity of Broadway caliber performers "live" when they are starved to feel what only performing "live" can make one feel.
I am 57 years old. I've taught public school for 30 years. I've lived a minute.
I know in my gut what the CDC is doing with these new guidelines. Number 1-they are protecting all of us...but when they changed the rules this time, they are, mostly, trying to wake up the people who still haven't gotten vaccinated for whatever reason.
I'm not worried for me.
The numbers are clear. It's math.
Breakthrough infections are rare, and when they occur, they don't cause the issues that we see in those who aren't vaccinated.
My school district requires masks for everyone (vaccinated or not).
In my class, we are singing.
And it really isn't that bad.
I mean...it isn't ideal...Singing is not intended to be done in a mask.
But, it's doable for now.
First day-
My first class was 84 kids in one room.
Yup.
It's allowed here. I guess that somehow, magically, Covid doesn't happen in specials? :-)
Anyway...I digress...again.
I didn't expect this, but the first week was magical.
The first day was a goose bump situation.
I did what I always do...
This was an 8th grade class, so I knew they could do Follow the Hand.
We did it in three parts Day 1, and when I heard the harmonies, I literally almost cried.
Some of them did too.
It was truly magical.
They want to be there.
I feel them appreciating school in a way that I've never felt since I began teaching in 1989.
I know middle school children, and I know the honeymoon will end, but, for now, so far, it's been pretty magical.
They are hungry/starved to be together.
I am feeding them and myself by giving them the interaction and the energy that made us all become choral music educators in the first place.
We didn't sign up for Zoom Chorus...
We didn't sign up for concurrent teaching while more than half of our students aren't there.
And as you expect, the Covid cases are popping in the 6th grade. The emails come daily, but it isn't just because of chorus. If you are an unvaccinated person (and 6th graders can't get vaccinated yet), and you are continuing to live your life and see people/go to school, Covid is probably going to find you. So far, none of the cases have been traced to chorus, but when it happens (and it probably will), I am going to receive the information and move forward.
We are in school. The experts decided that we should be in school.
I'm teaching.
I'm planning for concerts, and I will follow the guidelines of the moment.
Right now, I'm team building.
I'm helping them read octavos (it's been a minute).
I am aiming my energy at rebuilding, and my numbers have recovered quickly. https://youtu.be/Ng2cdO8kuD8
I started doing that in January (see my rebuilding blog series), but at the end of the day, it was when we were in person again with EVERYONE three weeks ago that the children came back to chorus.
So, that is what is happening.
I'm ok.
The kids are ok.
They need what we offer more now than EVER before.
I mentioned earlier that Hamilton is coming to ATL.
5 weeks ago, one of the people affiliated with Hamilton contacted me to try to organize a masterclass with one of the stars of the show.
I asked for a phone call and pricing.
Out of my chorus budget for sure...Ridiculously expensive.
But the kids need it, so I escalated.
And it's happening.
September 13.
I am ready to kick start this.
Life is too short to be stuck.
I'm just not wired that way.
I'll get up tomorrow and start teaching them the music for the first mini-concert!
Get vaccinated.
Take care of yourself.
Do what you can do.
...And don't beat yourself up if you can't.
Sending love and light.
