Changes..Turn and face the Strange..

This is the second day of my twenty-fifth year at York Middle School.  Some things are the same, and some have changed drastically, even over the last few years.  Some of the changes have come gradually, and some are just thrown at you, whether you like it or not. 

1. ) Six years ago I had the most glorious room on the top floor, with windows from floor to ceiling and a large space for dancing, and singing, which I loved to do.  I now have two rooms, in which I still dance and sing in, but not half as much as I used to.

2.) I used to have two trimesters of music with sixth graders, I  now have one quarter, spread out over two quarters, every other week, four days a week.  I have adjusted.

3.) I used to sing and write in journals and introduce my students to all the greats of the Western World, now I teach them to count four beats to a measure, or three, and I teach them to play a few songs on the piano, and teach them all the notes on the staff.  Just a different way of moving through the musical world.

4.) I used to be an advisor who just talked about their days, and just talked about how to connect with each other during advisory. I have adjusted to a MUCH larger role.

5.) Now I teach them how to organize their binders, I keep their chromebooks in my classroom, and during conferences I am responsible for facilitating a conference between the students in my advisory and their parents one at a time.  A MUCH different and BIGGER ROLE for them and me.

6.) Finally, I now teach an ENRICHMENT class which teaches reading, writing and listening, and drama more than anything else.  I give them HOWLS grades for this class, but they don't show up on the report card.  I have adjusted to that. 

If you bend, you will move forward and continue to face the strange, as DB said all those years ago.  If you remain stiff, you will break, and you will never be able to continue and grow.  I will continue and grow, and that is my first day back piece of advice to all.  "Turn to face the strange" and you will be able to manage whatever is thrown at you year after year, day after day, project after project.