jL | In Practice - Worse before it gets Better
In the classroom: Worse before it gets better - regardless of your approach to accountability, be ready for it to get worse before it gets better. The concert preparation cycle runs from macro to micro, then back to macro. In the micro phase, I always get the impression we’re getting worse. Regardless of the strength of my ensemble, when we start digging deep for individual achievement, it sounds worse. I have to remind myself: Don’t panic; keep pushing. As students start to truly master their parts, as only individual accountability will ‘inspire’ them to do, I find that it ‘magically’ comes back into focus. This confidence in their individual parts allows significantly more bandwidth for kids to zoom out and focus their energy on creating, shaping, and emoting the musical line - that’s where the joy is! Whatever you do, just keep swimming!
Behind the scenes, I’m reflecting on 2020. Six years ago tomorrow, I have fond family memories of the slopes in New Mexico, but the ride home wasn’t what I expected. Gas stations were eerily empty, and I can still picture myself standing in the Cane’s parking lot, ordering through the door because they wouldn’t allow anyone inside the dining room. It felt strange in the moment, but I had no idea what was coming next. I just knew things were about to change.
While I have absolutely no desire to teach through that again, I wouldn’t trade the experience. It was easily the most challenging educational season of my career, but it taught me countless lessons about gratitude, perseverance, patience, and hope. Because the disruption forced us away from what had “always worked,” we had the rare opportunity to rethink how we did things.
Many of the systems and processes we built during that time still benefit our program every day.
Around Spring Break each year, my mind drifts back to 2020. I look at my current students and wonder how that season shaped their experience. The students who lived through desk shields, cohorts, lunch on their home dots, temperature checks, and all the rest have now graduated and moved on. But it’s still fascinating that when you ask many of our younger students why they chose their instrument, about half will say something like, “Oh, I didn’t. We watched some videos, filled out a Google Form about ourselves, and the band directors told us what we were going to play.”
Reflecting on the stressful days of 2020–2021 can still raise my blood pressure a little. But when I read the news and worry about the world our students are growing up in, I’m reminded of something important: even in the middle of a difficult season, there is always a path forward. I couldn’t see it clearly in March of 2020, but the best was yet to come.
Remember: As you come off Spring Break, your kids want to be in your classroom. They may have a difficult time showing it as they return to the routine, but while you may not be what makes every kid come to school, you most likely are the highlight of their day. Enjoy being ‘5-mile’ famous!