Year 5 is done!

Survived yet another school year.  I look around at the people who graduated college with me and SO many of them are no longer teaching.  They have quit to go back to school or to start a career in another field.  Sometimes I wonder what I would do if I were to ever leave the teaching profession.  I really have absolutely no idea.  I can picture myself doing anything else.  And yet, sometimes, I think that this profession is causing me to burn out and I only just completed year 5.  I really hope that there will be changes made to better the teaching profession here in Florida...but so far...it just looks like it's getting worse.

Is anyone else dealing with burn out as a teacher?  How do you combat the burn out? Anyone QUIT teaching thanks to teacher burn out?  What did you decide to do instead of teaching?  And do you love it?


P.S. - The kids at my school think I am OBSESSED with Star Wars by the way!  My room theme was Star Wars this year...and it was my first year at this current school.  They don't know that I change my room theme every year.  I had a lot of students comment, "You must REALLY like Star Wars, don't you?"  and "Do you like anything BESIDES Star Wars?"  To that I would answer, "Of course I like things other than Star Wars!  I LOVE music!"  ;)

TeacherspayTeachers Store

Just a reminder that I have started a Teacherspayteachers Store.   From the urging of my husband, who has encouraged me to put some of my things on there.  I currently have a space themed Curwen hand signs freebie up there.

I just added Wee Willie Winkie vocal explorations that I will be doing with my Kindergartners our first week back from break.  I can't believe we are halfway through the school year already!

The link to my store:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Marys-Musical-Marketplace

If anything, a follow would be really nice!  Thank you!

Tieks Update

On July 26th, I wrote about in this blog that I had bitten the bullet and bought myself a pair of California Tieks.  At the time, there were snug on my feet and my toes were going numb after wearing them for more than 10 minutes.

I contacted the Tieks customer service asking if they would recommend going up a size.  The service rep suggested that I, instead, try wearing them around the house for a few days with thick socks to stretch them out a bit.

I did as she suggested.  They began to feel better and better.  After a time, I took them for a stroll to the store on my grocery shopping list.  Then as they began to stretch out more, I started wearing them to school while I was teaching.

It has been exactly 1 month but I am very pleased with these shoes.  They have, indeed, stretched to fit my wide feet.  My favorite thing about them though, is how light they feel.  Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I hate heavy shoes.  It took SO long to find a pair of sneakers for working out because sneakers are so heavy and I just can't stand the weight on my feet.  These Tieks are very light-weight and I love them.  

I also really enjoy the light blue sole; the signature Tiek look.  It adds a touch of fun and cuteness!

I am considering investing in a second pair (probably the Taupe color since they have it again in my size.  When I bought the navy, I really wanted Taupe.  But my size was out!) so I can switch them in and out.  I am debating waiting a few months though to see how these hold up after wearing them a bunch.  I've seen a few reviews who say the sole fell off their Tieks after a month or 2.  I'd be very upset if I bought a second pair only to have the sole fall off the first pair after only a month.  But those reviews are few and far between.  I've seen many more reviews saying their Tieks have lasted years.  

So we will see.  It took me over a year to commit to ONE pair.  It may take a while for me to commit to a second pair! :P

Tieks have arrived!

So my Tieks arrived in the mail yesterday.  I was so excited to receive them!  The box was pretty small, it surprised me!  I opened the shipping box to find a super cute teal box with an awesome flower on top.

When I opened it, a hand written card fell out.  On it, they said they hoped I enjoyed my matte black tieks and that my back pain would be helped by them.

That scared me.  I ordered California Navy, not matte black.  I quickly took the shoes out of the box and discovered they had sent me California Navy.  The note was just incorrect.  Thank goodness!  The shoes came really fast.  But I was anxious to be able to wear mine and didn't want to have to wait because I was sent the incorrect shoes!

I tried the shoes on.  I walked around the house in them a bit.  They are really soft on the inside.  And they felt pretty comfortable.  I sat on the couch with them on and started working on lessons for the upcoming school year.  It was then that I realized that my toes were starting to hurt.  After a while, they started to go numb.   Not good!

I took them off and gave my feet time to relax.  Put them back on again a while later and the same thing occurred.  They were fine for a few minutes and them my toes started to hurt and become numb.

I always wear a size 6.  It doesn't matter the brand.  So naturally, I ordered a size 6.  Part of me wonders if I exchanged them  for the next size up, a 7, if they would fit better or if they would be way too big.

I received an email from one of their representatives named Lisa when I had placed my order  (When I placed the order, it had asked WHY I was purchasing these shoes.  So I told them about my back injury and the pain resulting from that.  Lisa replied stating she hoped my new shoes would help my injury!  It was a nice, personal touch.  My mom said, "For $175 dollars, you SHOULD get a personalized email!" LOL).  So I replied to that email from Lisa and asked for her opinion on what I should do.  She said to wear them around the house for a bit with thick socks on to try to stretch the leather.  She said if that doesn't work, they would he happy to replace them.

So that's what I have been doing last night and this morning.  I found the thickest pair of socks I own (which aren't that thick considering I live in Florida).  And I look like a tacky tourist right now (You know, those people who wear socks with their sandals?  The people all Floridians like to make fun of! :P ).

I will have to update again in a couple days once I get an idea whether I keep this pair or exchange them.  I hope they work out!  I really want them to work out!  I'm afraid if I exchange them for a size bigger, that those shoes will be TOO big.  They don't carry half sizes.  So if I go for a size bigger, it will have to be a size 7.  I am definitely not a size 7 in any other shoe.  So I'm a bit worried.  I really hope these stretch out a bit and stop hurting my toes!

I caved and bought Tieks

Okay,

So for some background, I injured my back when I was 17.  A decade later, it is still causing problems.  For the past 5-6 years, I've been wearing Naturalizer brand shoes.  They come with really nice padding and support in the shoe and have really helped when I am teaching on my feet all day long.  (When I was intern, I tried wearing kitten heals every day and I about died at the end of those four months.  I was in really bad shape in terms of my back.  Which is when I decided to look for better shoes).

Paying even 80 dollars for the Naturalizer shoes makes me balk.  I don't like to spend a lot of money on things.  I cried when I bought my car!

So I've been researching and reading about Tieks for over a year now.  I have read ALL these reviews written by teachers who swear all their feet and back pain have disappeared since they started wearing Tieks to work.  The thing that held me back from taking the plunge was the expensive price tag.  Currently, the cheapest price tag says $175.  And they go up from there!

But my Naturalizer shoes only ever last about a year.  Paying 80 dollars for a pair of shoes that only last a year is something that makes me go "AAAHHHHH."  I've read so many reviews from teachers who say their Tieks are perfect even after 3 years.

So, after much debate, I decided to go through with it!  I bought myself a pair of Navy Tieks.  I wanted to get a neutral that would go with a lot of things.  I LOVE brown.  But I, personally, just don't like mixing brown and black.  As much as I wanted a brown pair, that was out.  And black was out for the same reason.  I fell in love with the Taupe color...but of course, the ONLY size that is out in Taupe is MY size.  So I settled on the Navy which I can wear with brown AND black!  My mother suggested using these for a few months and if they are as good as all the reviews say, to buy a second pair in another color so I can alternate.

(This image is straight from their website!)

I am excited for them (and sad because my bank account just got much lighter!)

I will post a review of them once they come in and I wear them for a while!

New School and Room Theme Reveal!

I have some news!  At the start of the new school year in August, I will officially be at a different school!  This school is a Title 1 school with a lot of children who really need a lot of love and support.  In addition, it's my understanding that they haven't had a consistent music program in quite a long time so I can do a lot with it!

I am really excited for my new adventure!

Now, as you know, I generally theme my classroom.  2 years ago was Harry Potter.  Last year was How to Train Your Dragon.  This year's room theme is going to be......Star Wars!!!

I have started making the classroom decor to fit my theme and I could not be more excited!

Here is a sneak peak:

These are what my instrument labels are going to look like - I always put a label on the bins that hold each instrument.

These are for my lesson plan binders.  I am crazy and have a binder for EACH grade level.  So each grade level gets a cover.  (Each grade level's is a different color for the space background - this one is blue, first is black, etc.  And each grade level's has a different Star Wars symbol in the corner).

Dynamics Posters.  I am also going to be doing tempo posters as well.  And I think vocabulary posters/cards too.  Each has a different character.

These are the classroom rules!  So excited for these!  Each features a different character as well as a different color scheme.

So excited for these Pentatonic posters I am going to be putting on my wall!

*****If anyone would like a copy of the resources I am making for my classroom for free, comment with your email address and I can send them to you*****

I will post more pictures once I can get into my classroom and begin the process of inventorying what I have at my new school and getting the room ready for the school year.

End of the School Year

As we approach the end of the school year, does anyone else just think "I can get through this, I can get through this!"  I feel like the Little Engine that Could.  Although sometimes I feel like the Little Engine that Can't.

By the end of the year, I let loose the reins a little bit in the class and let them take charge of their learning.  I give them more options on what we can do with a piece and encourage them to make up their own parts to songs that we are doing.  Oftentimes, they add their own contrasting sections as well as intros and codas.

Sometimes it's hard not to just say, "LET'S PLAY GAMES FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS" because I'm so tired.  And they go on SO many field trips and have SO many assemblies that it is hard to stay consistent with each class.  But somehow I make it through.

Does anyone have any favorite end of the year activities they like to do with their students?