...if I should change careers. I don't know what else I would do, I don't have a passion for anything the way I do teaching. I think I'm pretty good at what I do and feel confident about it, especially looking at my 5-8th graders...kids I started from the beginning and are still working hard.
Last night the HS had large group contest. We got an excellent score...again. It was only marginally better than the excellent score we got last time, and still several points away from reaching superior. It wasn't their best performance. In fact, neither was their concert. Their best performance was the rehearsal in between their concert and contest.
The reason I wonder...is because I feel like a failure in that I am obviously completely unable to get this group to play their best when it counts most. I don't believe that I'm good for the students in those terms, and they deserve better. So me staying there...is just me caring about me and not giving them a chance to get someone in there that can motivate them to their peak performance.
I take SOME solace in the fact that for the first time, EVERY comment in clinic and on our comment sheets is something we had worked on and talked about. In fact it looks pretty identical to the last "rehearsal notes" set I took for myself and we DRILLED at their excellent rehearsal. I KNOW this group has the talent, I KNOW I gave them all the right tools...
...but I failed in getting them to use the tools at the right time.
Any suggestions or serious career opportunities out there?
UM....I think the HS band just really doesn't care as much! Its not anything that you are doing wrong, they just don't get excited about it! Also, the younger bands will be better when they get up there b/c they all know what you expect of them since you started them out and have been working with them the whole time. KEEP YOUR JOB!!
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