You see, I was a music major in college for three years and I went to school with people like you. The introverted music performer who got into education because it was really the only way to make a living. The thing is, you are a pretty crappy teacher when it comes to educating my kid. I watched you in concert, you had no fun, you sparked no excitement. You loved the talented kids and tolerated the rest of them.
You see, at #2 & #3's school, they have an awesome instrumental teacher. He is funny and makes everyone in the school wish they were old enough to play an instrument. He is a representative of the entire music program, the first face the kids see and their first exposure. If you don't ignite them, they will not be inspired to play.
You don't ignite the kids, just my nerves.
When we talked at the beginning of the year, before he chose his instrument, I told you that saxophone was my primary instrument in college and if he didn't get to play percussion, then saxophone would be his second choice.
So when you said that you start all the winds on clarinet and then change. I was confused. Clarinet is an open keyed instrument. Take a kid who gets OT because they have fine and gross motor issues; who will already have some challenges with sitting up tall, blowing in to an instrument, and on top of it, add the need to cover the holes, you are asking for failure.
I went along with your decision and as a precaution, asked the OT to accompany #1 to lessons to lend a hand and offer strategies, but you sent her away because you felt she wasn't needed. I played clarinet too, so I helped him everyday as part of his homework and he wasn't getting better. I finally wrote you an email and told you I was switching #1 to saxophone.
We practice five days a week and he has made so much progress since he switched. We work on all the band music and the exercises. The hardest part is getting him to learn the notes but since he has perfect pitch, I sing the notes, and he can match them. You even said he was getting better.
And then his report card came home and you gave him a "C'. He had never forgotten his instrument, always was prepared and got a freaking "C". I saw that paper and lost my mind. And wrote you this email:
Hi ---, I just received #1's report card and I'm really confused. I
log all his practice time in the front of the lesson book, yet
you penalized him for not practicing. If you look in the front of the
book where the log is, you will see the information.
Secondly,
I don't know how you can grade a kid's behavior when it is specified in
the IEP that he has a disability. That should be taken into
consideration, and
the fact that he is cooperating at all should be nothing short of
amazing.
Lastly,
I don't know how you can penalize someone for not having adequate note
reading skills when you write all the notes above or below the note.
That really
doesn't encourage someone to learn the notes, rather to use it as a
crutch. And, once again, if you read his IEP, you would see that he has
transition issues, which translates as, teach him the way you want him
to be. I sing the notes to him and NEVER write
them down.
You
really need to rethink the way you're choosing to evaluate him. I
trusted you once with choosing an open keyed instrument on a kid with fine/gross motor issues.
But, now it obvious you have no clue as to what his IEP says at all,
nor what fine/gross-motor delays really translate to in your field. That is
why I sent the OT in to help when you insisted on him starting with the
clarinet. I saw the red-flags and you didn't.
I am asking that you look at the log book in the front of the lesson book and submit a grade that reflects your oversight.
