preparation is over-rated

I spent more time preparing for my year 5 classes today than I have for any classes before. I wrote music for each class - 4 pieces! Arranged them up nicely so that each kid had a part. Copied them off. Put them neatly into plain coloured manilla folders (GTD!)

Never again.

One of my poorer days of teaching. I was cross with the kids cause they didn't play the right notes or keep in time. Man! Your music came out of a plain coloured manilla folder*! So play it right, okay? I needed to quantise them like I quantise my tracks in garage band. And, man I hate untuned percussion! Chuck it all away. Just noise. '

Anyway, it's back to the old ten second of prep per class. Works better that way.


* I usually carry music around in the 'folder of doom'. An overstuffed folder with copies of anything I've used or thought of using this year, in no particular order. If the kids leave their music at home they have to find a copy of it in the folder of doom. They try to remember next time.