Half-time Kindergarten, half-time music. When I was offered the job, what seems like a hundred years ago, they told me it would be 0.5 Kindergarten, 0.3 Music, and 0.2 ESL support. I remember that heart-sinking feeling when I heard those words....I wanted a teaching position *SO* bad. I did not want any of the three positions that were included in what they were offering me.
I had only been working in my school board for about 8 or 9 months. I had been substitute teaching and had a couple temporary contracts. During my original interview, I mentioned that I was a musician. They asked me if I could teach music. I said that yes, I *could*...but no, I didn't *want* to. Despite my life-long passion for music, I had no interest in being a music teacher. I wanted to teach in a primary grade classroom. Grade 1, 2 or 3.
After I was hired and the subbing calls started coming, I noticed a trend....music...Grade 6...music...Grade 4/5...music...music...high school shop (?!?!)...Grade 3...music...Grade 6...music...music...music... I kicked myself for telling them I was a musician. Of course, they put me down as someone who could sub in music. As in - has the ability to. I took music subbing jobs because I had bills to pay, not because I really wanted to.
One day I hadn't picked up a job so I was at home, making soap (a hobby that I had for a few years) for an upcoming Christmas sale. The phone rang and it was a call for an afternoon subbing job. I needed the money and accepted the job, despite the fact that I really didn't have enough time to get there. I didn't have a car and had to find my way around the transit system. I had only been living in the city for a couple months at that point. I found myself waiting at the train station, looking at my watch, knowing I was going to be late.
Being late for a subbing job was not an option for me. No way. If I couldn't make it to a job on time, I wouldn't take it. It was really important to me to make a good impression. I didn't know anyone in the system and I wanted to make sure I always put my best foot forward at each job I took. I was frantic....I called my sister on the off chance that she could come pick me up and drive me to this school. Thankfully, she was not too far away and she agreed to drive me.
I really enjoyed my afternoon at this school. It was a warm, welcoming kind of a place and I hoped to be called back to sub there some more. I was, and after a couple subbing days, they offered me a temporary contract in music while the music teacher was having surgery. It was only 5 weeks. 5 weeks of steady income in a school I knew I liked? Absolutely! I agreed without hesitation. The one catch was that they wanted me to put on the Grade 3 Celebration of Learning Assembly in my final week. 4 weeks to pull off a giant assembly with a bunch of kids I don't know? Sure. Sign me up! It was like I didn't even know how crazy it was.
The 5 weeks flew by and I really enjoyed it. I was starting to like teaching music, but still was not planning to pursue it in the future. The assembly was awesome and it went really well. Now I felt very at home in the school, I knew the staff and students, and was called back to sub there on a regular basis over the next little while.
One of the days they had me come back was a fun day - Staff vs. Student Floor Hockey tournament day! It was this awesome school-wide event that everyone was super excited for. It was so fun to be a part of, and I almost felt like I was really on staff at this school. It felt awesome. I even felt comfortable enough to dress casually, knowing what kind of day it would be. Little did I know, I would end up wishing I hadn't been quite so casual when I got dressed that morning.
Part-way through the morning I heard my name being called over the speaker system in the school. "Miss Teacher, please come to the office.". I wondered why they would need a sub to come, but I went to see what was going on. They had a phone call for me, and it was a Principal from another school. She wanted to interview me for a temp contract in a Grade 1 and 2 classroom.
The conversation went like this;
"Sally Teacher? This is Blah Blah from Blah Blah School. I was wondering if you would be interested in interviewing for a temporary contract for Grade 1 and 2."
"Yes, I would be very interested, thank you!"
"I know you are subbing for the day, but what time could you get here after school?"
(*how* did you know that??)
"I'm not sure...I would have to check the bus routes and times to see when I could arrive. Could I call you back and let you know?"
"Oh, I didn't realize you didn't have a car. Could we just come to you?"
(TODAY?!?! When I'm dressed like a total SLOB?!?!)
"Oh....yes, of course, as long as that doesn't inconvenience you. I don't mind taking transit to get to your school at all!"
"No, no...we will come to you. How about lunch time? Does that work?"
(LUNCH?!?!?! Like......in an hour?!?! Ummmmmm......)
"Sure, that sounds perfect. Thank you very much."
Not far into the first class, the classroom phone rang. It was the office. They had a phone call for me, so someone was going to come sit with the class while I took the call.
Um....really?? Two phone calls for a lowly little substitute in the same day? Too weird.
The call was from another Principal from a different school. They wanted to interview me for a temporary position in Music. Good grief. And here I am, still in my grubby floor hockey day-wear.
"Yes, I was wondering if you would be interested in interviewing for a temporary position in Music at Blah Blee Blah School?"
"Certainly, I would be interested!"
(Because why *wouldn't* I keep my options open??)
"Great. I know you are subbing today, but what time could you get here after school?"
"Well, I'm not sure...I would have to check the transit schedule and get back to you."
"Oh, you don't drive? Okay, well how about we come to you? Right after school?"
(HOLY CRAP. NOT AGAIN.)
"Sure, that would be great! Thanks!"
Trying to keep it together, I returned to the music class and carried on. Not long into the next class, I was interrupted again, this time by a knock at the door. It was the first Principal that had come to interview me for the Grade 1 and 2 position. She just wanted to offer me the position. She had heard that I had a call for another interview and wanted me to know that the job was mine if I wanted it before I was interviewed for this other position.
Sheesh.
So, right after school, the Principal and Assistant Principal from the second school came and interviewed me. It was awesome. They were super friendly, warm, and inviting. I could immediately see myself in this kind of environment. But....they were looking for a full time music temp for the last four months of the school year. The first school was looking for a full-time Grade 1&2 temp for the last four months of the school year.
Now, at first glance this seemed like a no-brainer. I didn't want to be a music teacher. I had the choice between a music specialist position and a primary classroom. But, in the end, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to work in a school with Administrators who were warm and caring and so positive about their school. It wasn't that the other school seemed bad, it just didn't seem like the right fit for me. I accepted the Music position on a Friday afternoon (the day after my double interview madness!) and started Monday morning!
It was not an easy 4 months. This was a big school, and I had never subbed there before so everything and everyone was new. Well.....*almost* everyone. This conversation actually had to happen during the interview...
So, right after school, the Principal and Assistant Principal from the second school came and interviewed me. It was awesome. They were super friendly, warm, and inviting. I could immediately see myself in this kind of environment. But....they were looking for a full time music temp for the last four months of the school year. The first school was looking for a full-time Grade 1&2 temp for the last four months of the school year.
Now, at first glance this seemed like a no-brainer. I didn't want to be a music teacher. I had the choice between a music specialist position and a primary classroom. But, in the end, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to work in a school with Administrators who were warm and caring and so positive about their school. It wasn't that the other school seemed bad, it just didn't seem like the right fit for me. I accepted the Music position on a Friday afternoon (the day after my double interview madness!) and started Monday morning!
It was not an easy 4 months. This was a big school, and I had never subbed there before so everything and everyone was new. Well.....*almost* everyone. This conversation actually had to happen during the interview...
Me: Would there be any issues with me working at this school while my brother is a student here?
(they misunderstood and thought I was saying my brother worked at the school, not attended....you know, since it was a K - 6 school!)
Oh, who is your brother?
Billy Teachers-Bro.
(They think about it...perplexed...trying to think of a staff member by that name.
Then it dawns on them...)
Oh! Billy Teachers-Bro??? In Grade 5?!?!
Yes! He is my brother! Would that be a problem, since I would be teaching the entire school?
No, that isn't a problem for us, as long as it isn't a problem for you or your brother!
So I called my 10 year-old brother and asked him how he would feel if I became his music teacher. He was silent for a few long seconds....then said "are you serious???". It was adorable. And yes, I was his music teacher! We had great fun with it! He always was a good kid. : )
There were parts of this temp contract that I really enjoyed, and other parts not so much. One thing I didn't enjoy was that as a temp coming in at the end of a school year, I didn't have any flexibility over what I was teaching. I had to pick up where the regular music teacher had left off (she had to leave unexpectedly). All I had to go on was her one-page long range plan chart that pretty much had one word per grade, per month. For example, grades 3 - 6 for the last 4 months of the school year it said "RECORDERS". Oh. Yes.
I loved being part of a school, getting to know students and staff, and feeling like I belonged. I would have stayed on the next year, and I had been offered a temporary contract for the full next year. They told me it would be mine, guaranteed unless I was offered a probationary contract elsewhere. They couldn't give me one because technically I would have been covering a mat leave. I was all set to stay there. I started thinking about what I could do if I was the music teacher for a whole school for a whole year....
On the second last day of school I got a call from someone I had met back where I had my first temp contract...the one that was 5 weeks long and included me putting on a concert. He had been the Assistant Principal at that school, but was now moving to a different school and becoming the Principal. He was in need of a 0.5 Kindergarten, 0.3 Music, and 0.2 ESL teacher. He remembered me from my time at the other school, and wanted to hire me....on a probationary contract.
He and the Assistant Principal came to "interview" me on the last day of school. I say "interview" because it was really more of a chat. It was basically a done deal before the chat even happened. It was super casual and laid back, and I knew that I was going to a great school. I figured I would stick with this crazy, rag-tag position as long as I had to, until I could transition into a primary grade classroom.
Except that I didn't. I absolutely fell in love with teaching music and running my own program. I have loved knowing every child in the school, running choirs and clubs, coming up with new and creative ways to teach, writing my own songs to sing with the kids, putting on crazy productions, and sharing my passion and love for music with hundreds and hundreds of children over these last 9 years.
It has not been easy. Juggling two completely different positions is NOT for the faint of heart. There have been many times where I don't even know how I have managed to do everything that has needed to get done. For the last 4 years I have only had one space, and the last 2 years that space has been pretty small. Cramming in everything that a Kindergarten room needs and everything that a Music room needs has been an organizational nightmare. But, I have survived and perhaps even excelled (at times).
This spring when we began talking as a staff and planning for next year, I was offered an opportunity to teach full time Kindergarten! I would have two classes - one in the morning, one in the afternoon. I would have a classroom that was only housing one program! I would have one curriculum to worry about, and about 40 students instead of over 400. But.....I wouldn't be the music teacher.
The choice was incredibly difficult. I can't even tell you how hard it was to decide. I decided to take the plunge and invite change. I gave up the music program, even though it actually has felt like someone died and I am going through the grieving process. No joke.
I am looking forward to next year with great anticipation. I know that doing one thing will make me a better teacher. I know that I will have more balance in my life and less stress. Not that it will be a walk in the park....Kindergarten is not an easy job, despite the popular view that all we do is play and read stories and have nap time (yeah right...). It is a challenging job, and especially in the fall as the kids are getting to know how things work at school. But, I am up for the challenge and excited for music to be my hobby again, and not my job.
I have lots more to say but this post is already a small novel...thanks for sticking with me and reading my story.
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