Here I go again...

Twice yesterday I was silently told that my classes are not important. I had a 5th grade general music class come to my class 10 minutes late, with 5 students who were 20 minutes late with no pass. The majority of the students who came 10 minutes late let me know that the other students were in their science cycle class (the cycle ended last week) giving a presentation (the students were absent the day they were supposed to give the presentation). Of all the class periods in the day, music's period was chosen as expendible, and the science teacher didn't even send a note of explanation! Second, I had some of my choir students come to me to let me know that their class Halloween party would be taking place during chorus time, so they would be absent from choir. Since I rehearse 2 classes at a time (approximately 10 students from each class are involved), half of my class missed the rehearsal. Their classroom teacher did not check with me beforehand; she assumed it would be okay because what could we possibly do in chorus that is important, especially compared to science or math.

I am used to feeling as if what I do is secondary to the "basic" subjects, but as a result of reflecting on yesterday's events, I began to wonder if my actions or inactions in my music classroom have ever caused my students to feel unimportant or irrelevant, just as I felt yesterday.