Thursday, October 23, 2008

The New Band Teacher...

I don't know about anyone else, but I am taking band this year. As most of you know, our old teacher left us, and now we have a new band teacher. I can summarize my opinion of him in one word, unorganized. Every little thing that he does drives me crazy. He is one of the most unorganized people I know (he could give Cosmo Kramer a run for his money), expects way to much of us, and has big ideas that he will never (and when I say that, I mean never) accomplish. Last year, I started liking the old band teacher less and less... He was just getting annoying. But with our new teacher, oh boy... Out with the new, in with the old!

The one thing that drives me the most crazy is how unorganized the guy is! I mean he's nice and all, but this just isn't for him. On the first day of school, he had nothing ready. He told us his life story. The teacher before him was prepared the first day. He had lockers assigned, folders assigned (they also sheet music and scales in them), and we were playing music by the second day. The new band just barely finished getting everything we need. For the first month of school he kept telling us he would be getting us these "amazing" books, and that they were going to be here soon. Well, we finally got them last week. Do you want to know what was in them? Well, let's just say the old teacher had it all in our folders the first day. You don't need a whole book for it. I could go on more and more, but I'll just leave his organizational skills there for now.

The new band teacher expects WAY to much of us. Not only that, but he gives us no incentive to work for it. To get an A in his class, all you have to do is practice (although I'm not sure what there is to be practicing) and show up. That's it. You don't have to be good, you don't have to try. Just practice, and show up. But, what he expects is for us to be ready for a concert on Wednesday, with pieces that the band isn't even close to being ready for. In the mean time, he thinks that we are going to be a pep band (which in and of itself is one of his dumbest ideas) and play at all the basketball games. He takes on WAY to much. The old teacher had experience for who knows how many years, and was good at what he did. He demanded perfection, and gave you a reason to work for it.

Big ideas... Big ideas are what he has, and big ideas are what he will never finish. At the beginning of the year, he told us that we would play at the musical, play at games, and other things which he dreamed up. Musical... Wow, if he can pull that off, I'll have a little more respect for him. He won't though. There's no way our band will be able to play it and practice it with all the other stuff he is having us do. Among those, pep band. I luckily found a way out of it, but I feel bad for the people who have to do it. No other junior high in the district has a pep band. An amature teacher like himself will butcher it. He plans on, and I'm not kidding, heckling the refs, messing up the cheer leaders, and annoying everyone around... Am I the only one who thinks he is going to get booted from the gym? Ugh... He also thinks he is going to write a school fight song. All I have to say to that is good luck.

Well, I think I have stated my strong opinion about the guy. I decided I would give him a chance at the beginning of the year. He blew it time, and time again. I could go on and on, but I'll just leave it at there for tonight.

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