Last night was the Baccalaureate service for our high school graduation. It’s at this service that teachers are recognized for benchmark years of service. Last night I was recognized for 15 years. Fifteen years! I can hardly believe it.
I wasn’t keeping this memory archive back in 1996, so it’s hard to remember too many details about my first year. I came to do high school choir, some middle school music, and travel twice a week to direct local elementary school choir (at what would later become my church). As the years went on, I added seventh grade Religion and sixth grade Math. After a couple more years, I dropped the math and the elementary school choir and added middle school Music Appreciation, Handbells, and Choir. Other things dropped away as I added more Religion classes, eventually taking all the sections of seventh and eighth grade. I only led high school choir for three years, then became accompanist for three years. And now I don’t do any school music at all.
It’s been fun. In college, I would never have thought I’d be teaching middle school. Now I wouldn’t want to do anything else. I love it.
Fifteen years? Holy cow, that’s a long time. A decade and a half. I hope they know how lucky they are to have you. Also, that plaque is pretty dang nice. Where will you put it?
My ten year plaque is in my classroom. I’ll put this new one in its place. But what do you do with an old plaque? If you bury it in the yard does it bring good luck?
Glad you have asked yourself the same question! I’m afraid to throw mine away, but nobody would buy it at a yard sale, so…
Wouldn’t it make more sense to issue interchangable numerals for the initial plaque for people who stick around more than nine years and would get a second or third or fourth or….
But, then, you know the compoany motto: “if it makes sense, we don’t do it.”
Congratulations Brad, thanks great!! I like the plaque too!
Did you do music at Calvary when you 1st came? I don’t remember that.
…that’s great. Sheesh … I no can a speaka no more.
I did the elementary choir at Immanuel before the school there closed. It was mostly just the kids going crazy and me sort of playing the piano while they did it. It was glorious. But they did learn some songs and we sang them for church and everything. I would call it a mildly successful choir.
D’oh. Apparently I can’t read either. When I 1st read it, I read it that you taught music in a few local elementary schools.
(‘they went crazy while I played the piano’….HA!)
[Why am I hearing Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” in my head now?
…and we’re all in a mood for a melody
and you got us feelin’ awright!”]