Choir’s Fire

Four years into the fire makes me want to stop and to revert back to my first day at Choir. It’s time to evaluate how it first started and to answer one question, do I want to stay here another year? Remember it well Dee, that day you entered into the building ready to teach a class that you already called your own. You wanted to be their cheer leader, do you remember that day?

            Yes, I remember it well, so well that I’ll take it from here. I entered into the school with no windows in the classrooms could be found; I was ready to take on the world when I heard the announcement, “all teachers please report to the yard to pick up your students.” Pick up my students, but I didn’t know who they were yet. All I had was a piece of paper with their names on it. How would I know that they belonged to me? Oh well, the announcement was made and it was time for me to get my class.

            I got my baton that I brought in from home and I was on my way. When I entered into the school yard, I entered into their world and I knew my life was going to be changed forever. My sign had 801 on it and I followed the protocol of the other teachers who stood there holding their signs like a magnet drawing their students into their lines.

I remember it was at that moment when that teacher who was pretending to be my friend (his name I will not mention) decided to walk over to my line and started to engage my students who I was struggling to get into line in a conversation. I got so furious; no one prepared me for a moment like this. So I decided to ACT or should I say ATTACK.

            I proceeded over to where (I am not going to mention his name) was standing and I told him that I didn’t appreciate the fact that I was trying to get my class in line and he was entertaining them in some meaningless banter. He then tried to clean the egg off of his face by saying that he was trying to help me. Well, I told him I didn’t need his kind of help. In fact I didn’t want his kind of help ever again. At that time I remember that I was holding on to the baton for my line leader to hold. I handed it to Nicky (a name I can mention) and we marched up to room 219, unaware that this was just the beginning and Mr. (I am not going to mention his name here) was the first, but would not be the last to push me into the fiery furnace of Choir Academy of Harlem…

When we arrived to room 219, I was so excited to bring my students into my world of color and creativity. Once the door was opened I knew their lives would be changed forever too. When we walked in I heard the distinct voices of my students “oooh” and “ah” and “look at that, it looks like a house in here.” And it did, I had teddy bears, pictures, flags, flowers and books of every kind enticing them to stay in my world for a little while. I did my best to create a room that would inspire my students giving them the inspiration they needed to live a prosperous life.

I then told the students that they could select a seat to sit in; however I told them that they should choose wisely and should not sit next to anyone who was going to prevent them from attaining their academic success. Next, I brought out the student packet that I was so proud of; I worked for months to get it just right. We went over my expectations for them and then I gave them a writing assignment to tell me a little about themselves. The kids were actively engaged in their writing assignment when Ms. Black walked into the room and gave me my second lesson as a brand new teacher. (Ms. Black aka principal) She asked me for my lesson plan, I nonchalantly grabbed my well putted together student pack and proudly handed over to her, and to my surprise she wasn’t impressed. She informed me that I needed to have a lesson plan everyday in class and if I didn’t have one the next time, my teaching license would be taken away. Wow! Those words were so deep that they penetrated my heart and took my soul to a new place of enlightenment where I received the following insight, “If I was going to survive at Choir now that I was blindly tossed into the fire, I would have to learn the ins and outs of the teaching game quickly”.

I would have to read everything that pertained to my craft in order to master it and to gain my confidence as a new teacher. Well, that was a two for one deal and I believe that being a new teacher, I couldn’t ask for another way to start my career (who am I kidding, but this was what I got.) I became truly aware of the place that I call my second home for four years now and with sweat and tears and other life lessons that I would be taught I was transformed into a passion filled teacher who is equipped to take life’s lemons aka Choir and turn it into lemonade… “Passion”