Stuff & Things

I've been up to my eyeballs in random stuff the last few days--a dental appointment, listing stuff on eBay, getting ready to start my summer teaching gig next week (complete with a 3-hour meeting on Sunday, oy). But the best part of all was going to my new school yesterday to get keys and see my new classroom.

I have a classroom!

At Petite School, I used the multi-purpose room, so I couldn't hang things on the wall, or make it mine in any way. It was used for so many different things that it wasn't safe to leave my stuff there, and it was always a bit on the cluttered side. I made it work, but believe me, having my own classroom, my own domain, is huge.

The room is very nice--not huge, but it will comfortably fit any high school choir. There are huge choir risers you can set up chairs on (LOVE!) and special choir chairs that encourage good posture and back support. I'll spend more time there, finding things, getting familiar with what kind of music I have, etc. I can't believe I start in one short month.

I met a few people, including the student accounts lady--lo and behold, she's the mother of one of my private piano students! I'll be bugging her a lot with questions about how much money I have and buying music, etc.

Good things are happening. I'm excited and nervous (I'd be silly not to be a little nervous, right?) and busy. I have eight days of teaching for the summer gig, and our students will be coming to us from Austria, France, Germany and China. It will be cool to teach English for a change, and to work with students who have not necessarily been to California before.

I'm also knee deep in paperwork for my new job--fingerprinting, TB testing, credentials, etc. etc. Filling out I-9 forms and W-4 forms and Mandated Reporter forms. It's all part of being a teacher, and I don't mind it. I don't even mind the background check...though I wish it wasn't easier to buy a gun than it is to get a teaching position.

So the next few weeks are busy with piano lessons, summer teaching, prep for the new job, and everything in between. Part of me is a bit daunted looking forward at it all, but hell, I survived May, so I can do this, too. I'm already starting lesson plan ideas for the first week of school, including sight-singing, a couple of songs, and other good stuff to show those kids I know what I'm talking about when it comes to choral music. And, of course, before I know it, Sac Choral will be back in session, starting our 18th season (my 3rd) with a really exciting set of programs to sing.

Bring it on, people. My life is supposed to be Wild and Absolutely True!