Teachers

I wrote this on awhile ago and forgot to publish it. Oops.

Today, I was once again reminded of the importance of having teachers who really love what they do and love their students.


I've been blessed in my life with good teachers. The only ones that I didn't get along with were:
Ms. Barbour in 3rd grade (I corrected her spelling in front of the class, and she got offended. I had to sit in at recess, and she called my mom asking me to write an apology note. My mom went all "mama bear" and praised my good spelling and had me write a note saying I was sorry that she got so offended, not that I corrected her.).
Mrs. Flambouras from Poston (She was so caught up in demanding respect from kids that she didn't teach math very well.).
and Mrs. Swan (She was very nice, but she grouped me in with the goof-balls who sat around me in class and refused to help me when I went in with geometry homework questions. She gave me my very first B. It was traumatic.).


And my favorites have been Mrs. Annes (K), Mrs. McCasland (2), Mrs. Johnson (4), Ms. Lawein (6), Mr. Olsen (4th-6th orchestra), Mr. Bisanz (7th & 8th social studies), Mrs. Martin (8th ELP English), Mr. Carpenter (8th & 9th choir), Mr. Little (9th history), Mrs. Udall (10th English), Mr. Garland (10th History), Mrs. Schwanenburger (10th Acc. Algebra II & 12th AP Calc), Mrs. Snyder (11th AP English), Mr. Jackson (12th AP Lit.), and of course, good ole Mr. Schreiber.


Luckily, I've also been blessed with good college professors so far. Honestly, I don't understand the whole "that professor is terrible" attitude. I've found that if I have questions and go directly to the teacher with them (completely bypass the TAs...they're usually clueless and self-important and full-of-it), they are almost always MORE than willing to sit and talk and be helpful.


But this past week, I saw this especially. Lots of you know my struggle with the music program and frustrating stuff...yeah...well, because I'm so late getting into the program, I've been trying to use this summer to catch up with classes so that my graduation date isn't pushed back too terribly late. Well, being in England sort of threw a rut into things. I was registered for first semester classes for Spring term and had it worked out with the professors so that I could stay caught up while in England. Well, 4 days before I left, the professors decided that it would not be possible, so I dropped everything except my voice lessons and thought up Plan B of sitting in on the classes when I returned, testing out of them, and then starting with the semester 2 music core in summer term. However, when I got back, the professors told me that there was some sort of policy that prevented me from sitting in on classes. Lame. So then I started stressing out and trying to teach myself music theory with the slight hope that I could maybe test out. I was still registered for summer classes, and I really didn't want to have to drop those and push back graduation. As spring term drew to a close, I made an appointment with the sight-singing teacher to test out (I'd had the materials all term), but when I went to her office, she didn't show. I waited for 20 minutes, called, emailed, and finally went home after leaving a note. That was a Friday. Monday was the first day of classes, and since I was already registered for the 2nd semester of music core, I went to class just to see if I could hold my own and get some face-time with a professor and get some answers to my unreturned phone calls. That's when I met Dr. Thornock, my theory/dictation 2 teacher. I explained my dilemma and how the other professors weren't getting back with me. He didn't even ask for explanation of try to fight me on it. He told me I could schedule a time on Friday to take a theory 1 final and that he'd figure something else out for the sight-singing and dictation classes. On Friday, instead of having me sit in a room to take the test, he handed it to me and said I could take it home over the weekend to take when I felt comfortable (I didn't cheat). The following Monday, I turned it in to him, and went to his office an hour later when he'd finished grading it. He informed me that he'd finally been able to get ahold of the sight-singing teacher and that she said just to pass me off and that he'd count my in-class, practice dictation test as my dictation 1 score (92%!). And after glancing over the theory final and explaining some of my mistakes, he pulled out a waive form and signed it off. I'm officially set to graduate December 2014.


Relief! and lots and lots of gratitude for a teacher who could easily have blown me off and told me it was impossible to get around procedures and that I'd have to wait til Fall Semester and just start with level 1 of everything.


In the past couple weeks, I've continued to see this genuine care in Dr. Thornock. He loves what he does, and he is SO willing to take the time for individual students to teach them and help them. He wants to see them succeed and helps them get there. He never gets impatient or short with anyone. He just slowly explains over and over again until it clicks. I am SO thankful for that.


And thank you to all my teachers who have been that way. It's people like you who make teaching so appealing to me (maybe I'll get there....someday....).






Quick update: classes are going well. Homework is getting more intense. I'm having a hard time finding 9 extra hours a week to practice for my voice lessons. I hate French. It's pretty when other people sing it, and it's oh so romantic, but it just doesn't work in my mouth. More and more people are getting engaged, or married, or pregnant. I cut my bangs again cuz they were annoying and long. I eat grilled cheese sandwiches every day for lunch. I ran down the hill after church today because it was raining, and I wanted to. I cried the first 10 times I sang "How Could I Ever Know" from The Secret Garden. I'm doing it in voice lessons, and finally got past the water-works tonight. I'm currently missing out on a cabin trip with my mom, 3 aunts, Granny, and 22 cousins in Pinetop, AZ, and I'm SO jealous. and I LOVE my iPhone 4s. Oh, and I can't get through the day without a nap. Problem.