Melissa Anderson Blog #2 Chapter 12 Reading Essential. You Only Have So Much time

         I love the beginning of this section because it is real to me. Routman says, “We are always tired, and there is never enough time to do it all. We have the same twenty-four hours a day we’ve always had, but more keeps getting added.” This feels like the story of my life currently. I only have so much time, forty-five minutes a week to be exact to teach children not only to love music, but to sing, play instruments, practice reading rhythms and melodies, compose rhythms and melodies, connect musical skills with different cultures, and incorporate reading, math, and science. Several ideas in the section hit home with me and I am looking forward to implementing them.
         The first is to live and interesting life. School and work are not the only things I should be doing to fill my life. Routman says, “We are not only role models for learning; we are role models for living.” I often feel that all I do is prepare for the classes I will be teaching, try to keep up with assignments for the class I am taking, or going to rehearse for the district wide musical. While I don’t mind these things and actually enjoy most of them, I feel as though I am quickly becoming burnt out. I need to rejuvenate my love of life and go do something I find fun and enjoyable.
         I also found it interesting that Routman said that he spends most of his time thinking. I never really thought about how much time I spend thinking. Planning out lesson in my head on the way to school or when walking down the hall can cut out time that I might have to spend after school thinking about what I should do in my next lesson to promote learning.
         The last topic in this reading that really caught my attentions was that we as teachers should devote time for our personal and professional reading. As a music teacher, I would change this thought slightly. I need to devote time for my personal and professional singing and music making. This will show the children that music is still important to me, even as an adult, help me to continuously build and keep the skills I have worked hard to learn, and allow me the opportunity to learn new ideas that I can apply to my music teaching. If I want my students to love music, then I need to show them that I do!