teaching

teaching

This post will probably be sappy, but that's okay. I'm writing it mostly for my own benefit.

With the staff meeting coming up tomorrow, I've been thinking a lot about what the next marching band season will be like. Before the accident I wasn't sure whether or not I'd be coming back for another year because I didn't know where I'd be. Now that I have to wait on my grad school plans, I can do marching band in the meantime. And after having such a traumatic experience, I think the students need a staff that's strong enough to return, and it will probably be therapeutic for me too.

It's going to be hard, though. G did so much for the band - everything from ordering new equipment, to writing all the music and drill, to planning the competition trips. He was unique, since most band directors hire people to write certain aspects of the show, including the drill, the percussion music, and the rest of the band's music. After working also with Menomonie's band this past season, I realized how much work and organization it takes to put together a marching band show.

Well, at least at Chi-Hi we're lucky that we have such a large staff, and that G's marching band program was in place for over twenty years - long enough for it to be established and for us to know where to go with it.

Anyway, I'm glad that I'll be returning, because teaching has been such a rewarding experience. The enthusiasm of my "kids" (as I call them) is inspiring. When I was planning on going to college, I knew I wanted to go into music but I didn't know what I wanted to do in the field. I knew I didn't want to teach, because I didn't think I had the patience to do it full-time. But after teaching at Chi-Hi for five years, I've changed my mind and I want to go to grad school so I can teach in college. I especially look forward to teaching younger students because they have that same enthusiasm and "spark" that I see in my high schoolers. I'm so thankful to G for giving me the opportunity to teach.

Another reason I love teaching at Chi-Hi is that it's not often you get the chance to teach alongside a handful of your closest friends. And I'm glad I'll have those people with me next season so we can help eachother through it.

Okay, sappiness over. I went to the mall today, and for the first time, I didn't bring the wheelchair. Yay!!!! I used the crutches the whole time. My mom and I have gone to the mall a handful of times since the accident, and I HATED using the wheelchair. People can be so rude (staring, not moving out of the way, etc.), and a lot of stores are not set up well to accomodate wheelchairs in the aisles. I had a lot more freedom on the crutches, but it was so tiring. I'm still so weak. We didn't do a whole lot - returned something, then I sat and rested while my mom went into another store, then went to the food court, then I sat and rested while my mom shopped some more. It was the first time since the accident that I've stood for more than a few minutes at a time, and my legs and feet are not used to it. It doesn't help that I hurt my left ankle in the accident (sprained it maybe?) and I walked on it so much today. In spending that much time on my feet, I feel like I've reached another milestone, but it made me realize how much work I have yet to do before leading a "normal" life.