Showing posts with label cart life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cart life. Show all posts

Friday, November 8, 2013

Pros and Cons of Teaching Music on the Cart

I am not here to persuade you (or your district) to put music teachers on a cart.  I don't think any music teacher in their right mind would EVER want to teach on a cart.  It's painful at times (literally--back, foot & knee issues!), and I feel like I'm always running (OK, so I AM running around my building every day).  I never have a moment to rest...it's exhausting.  But, I am lucky to be a music teacher with a job, and if it has to be on the cart, so be it.

Just to give you some background on my teaching experience, I have been a full-time music teacher in my district for 14 years.  I have been on the cart for only 2 of those 14 years, so I can be thankful for the room(s) I did have.  I have a job in a wonderful school with supportive and dedicated professionals.  I once told my former principal that I would NEVER stay in my school on a cart.  Well, life changed and my school grew...and grew...and GREW to over 800 students in a building built for about 650!  So, on the cart I go...not completely happily, I might add.

Being on the cart has it's advantages and disadvantages...let's talk about the classroom itself:

PRO
I don't have a classroom to set up or tear down.  I am in an office that doubles as the bookroom storage for my school, and I have a large janitor's closet where all the instruments and teaching materials are stored.  So when I come back in August, I just open my closet to pull out what I need.  I don't have to organize and uncover materials, and I don't have to decorate a classroom with posters and word walls.
CON
I don't have a classroom...period.  I am not going to lie--it sucks to not have a space to teach in.  I LOVE to do movement, play instruments and have everything at my fingertips.  In my first year on the cart (2 years ago), I cannot count how many times I forgot my mp3 player, instruments, mallets, papers or manipulatives in my office or the closet.  So far this year, I have forgotten my flash drive for a Powerpoint, some mallets for the glockenspiels that were ON the cart, and some copies of songs for the students.  I just roll with the punches and improvise.  Most teachers are good at that, right?

Do you have any pros or cons to teaching on the cart?