How I Changed This Week

Every school day this week I did something new.

Tuesday: A few weeks ago, I was wearing a pair of bling-y love-heart earrings.  One of my most entertaining girls at school - I've taught her for nearly 6 years - thought they were gorgeous, and said I should take a photo of them (which I did for this blog anyway) and then use it as the wallpaper on my phone.  Somehow we got onto that topic on Tuesday, and I went to show her the picture - suddenly she had my phone (!) and was telling me I had too many photos and ooh Instagram and then she set the earring photo as the unlock screen -

and picked another -

for the wallpaper.  It took me about a day to stop doing a double take every time I checked my phone for the time.

Wednesday: On Tuesday I had coughing fits to and from work.  I hate these, and they stopped me feeling like I was getting over this cold.  On the way home I realised it was most likely due to the air on the train, and all I was wanting was a cup of hot tea.  So for Wednesday and Thursday, I took a travel mug with tea in it for all trips.  It worked.  The lid of this mug is really well-sealed so I wasn't worried about any spills.

Thursday: If you follow my other blog you'll know about this.  My grade 6 quartet had their first performance last week, and I would normally give the Freddo Frogs as a reward.  But I always do that.  I recently got into cupcakes (baking them, not really eating them), so I made them some mini cupcakes, and decorated them with appropriate musical things.

They were a big hit.  (I do apologise for the not-straight lines in this photo.  Taken in a hurry before leaving for school on Thursday morning.  Meanwhile, how cool is the board underneath?!  It reads: George Frideric Handel - Too Hot to Handel)

Saturday, Differently

Even though I live in the same city as my nieces and nephews, I don't get all that much auntie time.  Musicians have weird schedules, and my schedule is pretty much opposite that of my brothers with kids.  One of those brothers, though, started teaching at a nearby school (which just happens to be the brother school of the one at which I teach), so when trying to find a time to catch up, he suggested I come along to a home game.  I was hoping a home game would be this week, and early. 

My first Saturday morning student (you know, the 7:30am one) can come on Monday afternoons, and I had gigs later anyway so rearranged the other students.  Instead of enjoying a sleep-in, I woke up even earlier than normal, had breakfast and headed off to the appropriate school oval.  I feel I should point out here that this is not just me doing a not-teaching Saturday morning, but an adult-at-a-school-sport-game Saturday.  And, as I didn't participate in school sport when I was at school (yes, I was a music geek), this was something really new. 

Any uncomfortable new feelings dissolved when my nephews saw me.  Shouts of "It's auntie Anna!!!" followed by racing to greet me with hugs - such a great start to a Saturday.  And then a whole lot of nephew play, and more hugs, and dancing, and photos, and playing, and more hugs. 

After the soccer game (my brother coached, and they won - in soccer! - 9-nil), I got home, did a quick change, then headed off to 2 gigs.  I finally got home at 3 and read a bit in my chair (first time), then started dealing with washing and the seasonal clothing changeover.  It's still ongoing.  Next to find a time to see the other nephew and nieces.

The Grade 3 Approach

I can remember learning how to read, but I can't remember learning how to read music.  Although this is great in some respects, it does put me at a slight disadvantage when it comes to teaching students how to read music.  The Colour Strings method is fabulous for this, but I have limited opportunities to teach this - many of my students also learn violin in a class situation.  When this is the case, I have assumed their class teacher is teaching them how to read music.

However, one of my current grade 4 girls is really resistant to the whole reading music thing.  Which surprises me and frustrates me as she is quite a bright child, and plays beautifully, but will work out all the notes before playing.  Imagine the problems we are having now that we have full page pieces instead of 2-phrase pieces.  I started teaching her at the start of term 4 last year, and it was honestly only at the end of the most recent holidays that I realised why she doesn't read music.  And not just her, but many of the grade 4 children in my ensemble.  The strings teacher teaches them how to play strings.  And with a whole class of about 25 kids all at once and 4 different instruments and 3 different clefs, I don't blame her! 

This term, then, with the start of private lessons for the current grade 3s, I am taking a different approach from before.  I'm focusing less on bowholds and more on note reading (not neglecting the bowholds though!).  They get to write more music - both writing the songs they already know how to play as well as making up a song for me.  And I'm using the Colour Strings/Kodaly method as much as I can.  The school at which I teach is a Kodaly school (this is such a blessing, my work-load is halved) so the students already know so many good songs, and the music teachers have the same approach that I would use with the strings method.  One of the principles of the Kodaly method is spiral teaching, revisiting known material to learn knew elements.  For my grade 3 students, then, I have them write out the songs they know from strings class, and we are learning to play songs they already know from music classes. 

The drawback of this, though, is that once they know which song they're playing, and which finger to play first, they stop reading the notes and just go from memory.  Phase 2 begins tomorrow.  I'm printing a sheet of short songs for them, some that they know (or should know) and some that I'm just making up.  This week they get to read the notes without me spoon-feeding them which song is which.

As an aside... One of my semi-colour strings girls at home is also in grade 3 and learning through school in group classes as well.  Last week I tried her on singing a song we already know (like Mister Sun) and then playing it on the violin, starting on different fingers and strings.  Not a problem.  This week we tried a slightly more complicated song (Look, Lamb, Look) - still not a problem.  Then we did the G major scale in 2 octaves - still not a problem.  If you're not a string player, this involves 2 different finger patterns and (when I teach scales anyway) keeping on thinking for much longer than normal.  Her dad doubted she'd earned a sticker but I think it was justified!

Today's photo:

I had lunch at Jeannie's today (yummy buckwheat pancakes) and sitting on the deck, the sun came through the clouds and back again enough to make this photo exciting in the taking. 

Daily Photos Catch Up

Since promising to take a photo a day, I have been very slack in posting a photo a day.  I've still been taking them, I just forget to upload...  So here are the last 8.  Yikes!

Monday, June 18.  This agave plant is one of many on a nearby street.  I have thought about photographing them on several occasions, so I'm glad I had an excuse.

Tuesday, June 19.  A street near the school at which I teach.  Seeing this tree change over the year is a great joy.

Wednesday, June 20.  These fluff-balls are right by the footpath at home.

Thursday, June 21.  Fete de la Musique, and I was the contact for St John's cathedral.  Most people don't see the wonderful light show that happens in the cathedral - between about 11 and 3 the stained glass produces these wonders.  I hadn't seen this kaleidoscope effect before.

Friday, June 22.  Sunlight in the courtyard catching this new aloe vera flower.

Saturday, June 23.  This is a great guard dog.  Seriously.  When I returned from my run on Saturday, Gracie was mostly inside but with her head outside, keeping tabs on the goings-on outside.

Sunday, June 24.  I had less than an hour at home during the day, in which I ate lunch.  After calling Gracie back from barking at a passing neighbourhood dog - and she came, too - I gave her a little treat.  She stayed for more.  I caved.

Monday, June 25.  After running a practice half marathon on Monday, the weather was quite cool and overcast.  Perfect practice weather.  Standing under the light, the light and shadow visible through the f-holes was striking.

Tuesday, June 26.  A sneak peek of tomorrow's post...  Growing up, my favourite food was green apples.  Apples, generally, but I remember a few bad experiences with red apples so I preferred green for a long time.  Whenever my mum was cooking with apples, I'd hang around for the peel.  An all-in-one peel was a bonus.  When visiting my grandparents, my grandfather (who was born in Scotland) told me that, if you peeled an apple or orange with an unbroken peel, you should throw it with your right hand over your left shoulder (preferably with your back to the fireplace), and the letter it most closely resembled would be the initial of the person you would marry.  (Not surprisingly, 'S' was a common result).  Similarly, twist an apple stalk going through the alphabet and the initial on which it breaks off is the initial of your future spouse.  This is a habit I still have.  Anyway, tonight I managed two unbroken apple peels.

The Timetable Layout

Today was really, really boring.  Well, not really - there were lots of things happening.  But in terms of New Things...not so much.  Partly, I admit, because my brain is a little frozen due to things happening.  On Saturday, I rearranged my kitchen appliances.  This has had interesting consequences.  On waking up Sunday morning, I reminded myself as I got out of bed that the coffee machine was in a different place.  Yet, coming down the stairs, I had a moment of "agh!  it's gone!" before remembering (again) it had moved.  Its spot next to the stove is not ideal as I need to reach over to grind beans and to froth milk.  So this morning, I moved the coffee things to the left of the stove, and the kettle and toaster to the right.  Now it's really hard to insert the group handle, and I like having all the teas on that side.  So there will be another rearrangement in the near future.  The trouble is, I really like having clear bench space where the coffee machine was.  Hmm.

Anyway, today I only needed to do a timetable for one day this week at school.  My change?  I used Pages instead of Numbers.  Ooohh.  I knew it was unnecessary to do 3 days with 2 of them blank, and the day I'm at school only requires a few names.  I did feel very organised in sending this through to my boss!

Today's photo:

A trio of pears, a trio of limes.  All these different greens, late morning light.  Besides, yesterday was Trinity Sunday so I thought it fitting.  The pears are just ripe, and the fact that my fruit comes with the occasional leaf attached makes me feel more connected to their source.

Outfit #39 - Three Minutes

Outfit details:
Dress: Luka.  Stockings: Target.  Shoes: Hot Options.  Earrings: Oxfam.  Jacket: Dotti.  Scarf: gift from Judy.

This outfit was originally planned as 'Four in a Row' - having just returned to having 3 school days a week, this was a week with 4 appearances.  The quartet I take had their first performance at the junior school assembly this morning (they played wonderfully).  The quartet missed their rehearsal last week due to NAPLAN (school policy of no rehearsals before school for students doing those tests) and this week they were a little shaky.  We agreed that a run-through this morning would be beneficial, normal 7:30 start.  For a 7:30 start, I try to leave by 6:25 so I can get coffee on the way and still be at school by 7:20.  So, aiming to leave at 6:25, I actually woke up at 6:28.  AGH!

However, thanks to my new morning routine, I was out the door at 6:33.  I'm quite proud of this.  I even brushed my hair.  All my clothes were hanging in dressing order, I grabbed the earrings still on a bedside table and a protein bar from the pantry, and I even remembered my make-up bag from yesterday's school bag.  Thankfully I was using the same handbag from last night's rehearsal and it was all packed and ready to go.  Force of habit had me taking my sunglasses, and my umbrella was already packed.  Thank goodness - having not opened any curtains, stepping outside I found a very bleak and rainy day.  No sunglasses actually required, but the umbrella got a workout.

I missed out on coffee.  I had a proper breakfast when I got home at about 10:30, and was obviously not in the mood for photos.  I can't wait for the chance for a proper sleep...maybe Sunday?

Outfit #32 - Numbers

Outfit details:

Skirt: Sunny Girl (op shop).  Top: Ambra (bamboo).  Black and white top (below): Limited Editions (Target).  Shoes: Pulp.  Earrings: made by me.  Necklaces: from Jeannie, and op shop.

I was originally going to wear the black and white top during the day, and a long-sleeved black top later... But the weather was a little warmer than I expected.  Thankfully, the black and white top is low-maintenance.  It was squashed in my bag all day but came out looking fine at 5:15.  I love clothes like that.

I was especially happy with these shoes today.  It was their longest day in a while, with a lot of standing and walking.  Why a long Thursday?  Tonight was the first school concert of the year, and the group I just took on had its first performance.  After 3 weeks of fairly great behaviour from most of them, even the good ones were a little nuts with excitement.  Unfortunately, their pre-concert behaviour was ... enough to warrant a talking-to from another teacher.  Fortunately, they then kept it together (mostly) for the rest of the night. 

Even better, they played superbly well.  Not perfect, but close enough - much more together than I've ever heard them, more in tune, they even included contrast when we got to the smooth rich bit.  For kids who have been mostly playing their instrument since last year (and in a whole class at that), I'm impressed.

I received many comments today - the button detail on the skirt, just general "You look really pretty today", and one kid even sat next to me in the concert so she could stare at my beads and then fiddle with them.  I got a teensy shock at first when she reached across me to touch the necklaces. 

I bet you're wondering about the Numbers title of this post.  32 is my favourite number (it's outfit #32).  I think it is the best number that exists, for so many reasons.  And Outfit #32 occurs on May 10 - 10/5 - ooh, both of them are good numbers also.  If I'd realised this sooner I might have done more with it... But, I like black, and white, and there are green beads on one of the necklaces.  I love numbers.

Outfit #29 - Third Time Lucky

Outfit details:
Skirt: Miss Shop (op shop).  Top: Ambra.  Leggings: ?  Shoes: Hot Options.  Earrings: David Jones.

I know this is not a very original outfit.  In fact, it's a mix of last Thursday and the Thursday before, plus leggings for warmth.  Different earrings of course (they're the silver snow flakes).

Today was the free cathedral concert.  I much prefer performing in black, and I had to go to school afterwards.  Much as I would have liked to have relaxed, the school ensemble I take on Thursday afternoons has it's first performance next week.  Now, a wrap dress I bought late last year I thought would do nicely for this concert.  It's black, it's knee-length, sleeved, wintry... Except it's a wrap dress.  I knew as soon as I took a step, way more of my legs would be on display than I find acceptable.  Next option: my standard winter gig dress.  Except it's only just come down from the attic and looks, funnily enough, like it's been stuffed in a bag in an attic for a few months.  Next option: well, the outfit I wore.  I hoped to wear another pair of autumnal shoes but they looked unmatched to the outfit.  I took along some black and cream patent stilettos, but didn't wear them in the end and stayed in the flats.  So, third time lucky for clothes and shoes.

No more detail shots or anything - by the time I got to photos I had a mega headache.  And I realised it was from dehydration so I couldn't even go for a run.  Sad face.

Outfit #21 - Surprise!

 ... As in, Surprise!  It's a Thursday outfit photo.  But, even more Surprise! - different location.  Yes, I need to do some weeding on the holidays.  The basil plant in the foreground is large, but maybe not so monstrous as the perspective suggests.  The strawberry plant to my right is more so, though, it's just that I'm standing in front of it.

As I mentioned yesterday, I had to go to work again today.  Again, it hardly seemed worth it - my first 2 students didn't turn up, and if it weren't for them I would have had all my students yesterday.  But, now I'm on holidays from school. 







Outfit details:
Skirt: Jeanswest. Singlet: Ice. Top: Ambra.  shoes: Hot Options.  Earrings: made by me.  Scarf: ?

Outfit #2

I wasn't expecting this to be a flashing outfit.  When I tried on the skirt, I thought it was a perfect work skirt.  Just below the knee, straight, not totally boring.  I didn't notice the attachment of the 2 front parts, which have nothing to hold them together past the middle of the thigh.  As soon as I sat down on the train, I found myself pulling bits of my skirt across my knees. 

 I stand a lot during my work, but I don't want to tower over my little people - oh, hello knee.  The most drastic time though was coming home, walking in a breeze.  I even saw an elderly lady from church drive past...she didn't wave...

I was expecting hot weather, high possibility of rain, and a fire drill (which means heels are not a good idea, I have discovered).  This outfit - apart from the unexpectedly leggy skirt - was perfect.  Cool, moveable, not too long (I dislike long things in the rain), flat shoes for the fire drill on the oval.

Skirt: Sussan (op shop).  Blouse: Jacqui E (op shop). Shoes: Pulp. Earrings: ? Necklace: made by me.

Movie #2

The second movie I picked up last Tuesday was Doubt, which I watched last night.  My brain has been chasing itself in circles all day as a consequence.  (It was also rather reminiscent of a board game I played recently, called 'Scruples' - in this morally grey situation, what would you do?). 

Although it is set in the early 1960s, the situation is not exclusive to that time - as Meryl Streep says, "There is nothing new under the sun".  People are still doubting the character of others, children are still bullying each other, we are still eating the forbidden fruit.  And then lying about it.

However, actions speak louder than words.  In the Catholic parochial school context of the movie, isn't it better to be kind, as Sister James is to all her students (and everyone, for that matter), and as Father Flynn is towards Donald Miller?  Donald speaks highly of Father Flynn, and it is clear the priest is the only one who makes this 12-yr-old black gay boy feel like a worthy human being.

At this point in my musings, I think Sister Aloysius must have it wrong, she must be the dragon in all this (and Meryl Streep does Dragon Lady so fabulously well).  Yet.  No matter how much we hope to be living in a world of rainbows and soft kittens, the reality is grittier.  Not everyone adheres to the same rules.  Some people think the rules are more like guidelines.  Humans are human, flawed, imperfect.  And as a principal of a school, Sister Aloysius has a duty of care towards the children.  If she is too quick to believe the explanation of a suspected misdeed, she might be turning her back on the welfare of a child.  We'd all like our parish priests to be saint-like, but what if that's not the case?  What if there was more to the explanation, more that wouldn't be looked upon kindly, that would be evidence of wrong-doing?  Surely, then, Sister Aloysius is in the right...?  Better to have a priest of suspect morals removed, rather than always be wondering if there's something wrong and damaging going on behind closed doors.  In the end, though, it is evident she is wracked with doubts, the poison of leading a suspicious life.

The contrasts in this film I find interesting.  The suspected priest acts always in a Christian manner (kind, loving, protecting); the nun set on proving his guilt 'steps away from God in the pursuit of wrongdoing' (a line said near the beginning and repeated at the end of the movie), and she even lies - an admission the naive Sister James finds horrifying.  The nuns eat in silence; the men eat merrily, joking and laughing.  Dragon lady forbids ball point pens ("Every easy choice today has its consequence tomorrow"); Father Flynn wants a secular song included in the Christmas pageant - maybe Frosty the Snowman (gold!).

What would I want, if I were a parent of a child in this school?  Someone suspicious and fear-inspiring, who will nevertheless be on the lookout for anything harmful to my child?  Or someone who will act with kindness, maybe 'take a special interest'? Not having any children, that's really a hypothetical situation.  I know that children need boundaries and structure; I know that children need kindness.

Summer School

January.  Big plans, small achievements.  But not this year!  All last year Jeannie was making me promise I would do summer school with her this year.  "Sure", I'd say... Screaming on the inside.  The thought of 2 weeks of my holidays taken up with assessment and being forced to interact with a bunch of people I don't know didn't fill me with joy. 
Yesterday's registration didn't really make me feel any better, especially as I found myself put in a class 2 levels higher than I wanted.  It's been a long time since I've made myself work this much.  This morning, I found I was still in Level 6 instead of the compromised Level 5 but our director was unflinching.  He thought he was being nice to me, letting me be in Level 6 instead of Level 7 or even 8.  But - he was right.  I didn't drown.  A lot of the material was revision and I could tell I wasn't at the bottom of the class. 
The string teaching programme is such a good environment, only 9 of us, supportive and useful materials.  Plus I already knew 3 other people so the 'bunch of strangers' doesn't really apply.  So far, everyone seems pretty friendly and it is such a good feeling to have neurons firing in my brain again.