It was the busiest of weeks. I define 'busy' as any length of time where your focus is required to be on something besides that which you want to be doing. So I guess any work day is busy. But even work days have small breaks, lunch, planning...things like that during which you can take a breath, check your e-mail, look at your phone...without other requirements panting at you like a dog.
The undertaking of an elementary field trip is no small task. Add in the fact that the little darlings are all in different grades and homerooms, they must wear their choir shirt, they have to perform, and certain paperwork must be turned in on every one of the forty-nine students (49!), and I received a busy week. I was bombarded by questions, papers, looking for papers, figuring how to collect them and feed them after school, figuring out how to get them on the bus and get to the Toyota Center in time....I worked, planned, e-mailed, texted, made phone calls, and typed up papers. Don't get me wrong, I didn't procrastinate; I've been working on this since August. It's just that the last week is crunch time, and I wanted to go over every detail as many times as possible. When the music starts, we all need to be ready! I don't like to be wrong about anything!
I must say a huge 'thank you' to our office staff and all the teachers that helped with the little details. And I thank the principal for just letting me handle it all and staying out of my way. I prefer to work unassisted and without a hawk looking over my shoulder, questioning everything I do. And I got it my way! Pure luck, I know. The big day, Friday, rolled around and I was up early. Packing what I would need and getting dressed and ready. There was a five-minute space when I, the choir director, could not find my own choir t-shirt. But it was only temporary, the shirt was found and on with the show. Headed to school, my choir and I got a shout-out on the radio from local morning show Dean and Rog. That made me very happy, and I hoped that a lot of our teachers and parents had heard it. I parked at school, carried in all my 'stuff' and was late for the staff meeting. Not only late, but had already been mentioned, so everyone knew I wasn't there on time. I claim Rockets game excuse!
Let it be known that during this day, I taught my full schedule of classes, except when the assistant principal spelled me for thirty minutes due to having won an hour lunch with my team. I was missing a permission slip, I had to call the parent. I had no less than four students without their t-shirts, and only five to spare. I typed an agenda for the afternoon to give my principal, who was riding the bus with us. I figured out how many students I needed to place on each row for our performance from the stands. I dealt with the fact that my underwire on one side was a goner, and hoped that the effect would not be seen on the big screen. The day went by. I left during planning and picked up their pizzas. I was ready for the crowd immediately after school.
They were wound up, to say the least. I kept them corralled, with the help of precious friends that volunteered to stay for the pizza portion. They ate healthy portions, and then the orange things appeared. Those obnoxious blow-up noise makers were springing up all around the room! I outlawed them immediately. Do not blow them up, put them away, I do not want to see them. Little did I know that one parent had supplied her child with enough orange things for every one of the 49 kids to have two! That's a new rule to chalk up for next year.
We loaded the bus. The principal, me, the bus driver's family and 49 kids. We told them: same rules as always. The bus driver turned on the radio. The kids sang and took selfies. I had to trust that all those ten and eleven year olds were taking decent pics! It got loud. We had to tell a few to sit back down. The principal looked unhappy most of the time. Half-way there, she informed me that we had a "seat-hopper", so she went and sat toward the back. I frowned at my children (they know if my smile is gone, it's a biggie) and we rode the rest of the way there.
When you take 49 students on a 90 minute bus ride, restrooms at the destination are of the utmost importance. When that was taken care of, our escorts took our group up to our spot via the freight elevator! There were some scared little darlings, but I, the fearless leader, told them if they want to be a famous singer or actor, they have to learn about arriving the 'secret way'! Once in our rows, we waited to sing. Parents were arriving and bringing their child some food, the arena was filling up, kids were clapping noisy orange things and asking for the restroom again... one mom (who has been precious and helpful and kind for six years now) handed me a bottle of water. "For you, Mrs. McCarty". True kindness exists.
We got our three minute warning and the kids put away the orange things and focused. Once the music started, they were in auto-mode. They got a little distracted by the big screen, but the sound was amazing - on key, energized and sweet. I realized that I don't focus on bus behavior or how they interact with each other. I touch on those things - but what I really teach is how they should act and what they should do when the music starts. They did it. I was proud.
The rest of the evening was a nightmare of restroom trips, loud clappy orange things in my ear and a few that couldn't behave. It was also a big win for the Rockets, so that made it fun. What I am going to choose to remember most is the sound that came from my choir, because what you do when the music starts is really important.
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