Saturday 19 January 2013

Starting off....

So many times people I talk to about my teaching tell me I should write a book. I think they do this for different reasons. Mostly, I think it's because so many times I find myself in incredibly amusing situations that make a good story. Sometimes I think it because my stories of the kids I see are inspiring for those listening. Anyway, I'm not going to write a book. But I have decided to keep a blog. Maybe one day it'll be made into a book. Maybe it won't.

I am starting off 2013 with a new type of job. I'll still be teaching. But not just kids. I'll also be trying to write down what I do, in order to share it with teachers. Some of these teachers will be music teachers, and others will be class teachers with no musical training. I'm interested to see how it all goes.

Most of my teaching I do on behalf of the Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF) - www.acmf.com.au. They are a charity that takes music into disadvantaged schools. I teach kids, who for whatever reason, wouldn't normally have the chance to get music lessons. They could be considered low socio-economic. They could be at a remote school. They could be at a behavioural school. But they aren't the sort of kids who had the education that I did. Sometimes I work with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the ACMF. Sometimes I work for Mary McKillop International, mentoring music teachers.

I am constantly inspired by the people I work with - the teachers at the schools I visit are incredible people. I get extremely cross when I hear people slagging off teachers who work in the public sector. I am constantly inspired by the kids I see - listening to their stories, and seeing things from their perspective.

So this will be a diary, of sorts. I'm not sure if anyone will read it - but I'll write it anyway. It'll probably help to keep my head in order!

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