Long time no preach

Ok, so its been a while since I preached at everyone. Blogging is the strangest experience because you frequently feel as if you are talking to space. In face-to-face conversations your get feedback via voice inflection and body language, over the phone you voice inflection, over email people feel like they have to respond to you (same goes for texts, facebook, and twitter as well). Blogs are different though...no one really tells you that they like hearing what you have to say or that reading about your life impacts them in any way at all. Regardless, I will do my best to continue and document my two months in Ireland to the best of my ability.

Ok, so to recap my week....I have to send weekly reflections to my adviser at Duquesne and this week she said she was incredibly proud of my reflection as she felt it was open, and honest. I copied it into my blog because it really explains how I am feeling about my experience...

"I. Am. Tired. I knew coming into the world of education that it was not a daily walk in the park and that things would become hectic. It’s interesting, as a student you always thought that it is easy for the teacher to be enthused and energetic about teaching every day. What you did not know, however, is that it is quite the opposite. Teachers should do a pump up dance every morning to their favourite song in order to go to school prepared to motivate their students. So much energy as a teacher is displaced while trying to get students motivated and concentrated on the work that is in front of them. For example, when I begin class there is always a sea of apathy looking expectantly at me, awaiting the next ‘fun’ thing. I spend the first ten or fifteen minutes of class trying to get the students to understand that this thing called ‘music’ is a group effort. I cannot carry them all to the ends of the earth on my back! They must learn to follow! As always, this is easier with some classes and harder with others. I still believe that this lesson is especially challenging to teach to a classroom of 35 teenage boys. No matter how you slice it or dice it, girls pick up on certain concepts faster. It is easier for girls to match pitch and to concentrate for ten consecutive minutes in order to lean the music. Thus, trying to teach four part ALL MALE choir is one of the singularly most challenging things I have ever done in my life. Some days, running the half marathon was easier.

Despite this exhaustion, I am in love. I LOVE teaching. There is something about it that makes me incredibly excited for my future as a music educator. Getting the opportunity to impart wisdom to students to make them into better musicians is one of the neatest things I have experienced. I don’t know if I ever understood why people said that teaching was an art form until I saw it in action. Music teachers take a raw product, mold it, shape it, and grow it into something beautiful! We create art by teaching the students we come into contact with. They are our raw product that we spend time shaping and teaching until they become excellent musicians. This experience has made me so excited for whatever job I am dropped into, I just want to be a teacher! I want to help my students create something that is beautiful, resonant, and full of musicianship. I frequently find myself terrified that I will not be able to find a job and will be forced to let go of something that is so near to my heart."
I went on to discuss the things that I hope to work on during the rest of my time here, but I thought maybe you, ambiguous readers of my life, would like to hear about my inner most rambling.

( Side note) HA! I just re-read this line... "Teachers should do a pump up dance every morning to their favourite song in order to go to school prepared to motivate their students." and realized that word here automatically changed favorite to favOUrite #dublinproblems. 

Ok, so back to the real deal. Things here a great, I am having a blast learning more about myself each day that I am here. Sometimes I forget what an independent young woman my parents raised, but being here has made me realize how very well prepared for the world I am. I have also come to the conclusion that, despite my constant complaining of how much crap Duquense has put me through for the past three and a half years,  I am INSANELY prepared for the world of music education. 

For those of you that didn't know about my tendon problems, I injured a tendon in my foot. I have been seeing the physical therapist as Blackrock (in the "castle" no less) and it has been helping immensely!  For the first time today, I could put weight on my foot and walk a full stride without tons of pain! So today when you take a step, please take a very large, very robust step in honor of me and my fully restored stride.

My final note for the evening, is that rugby is very misunderstood in the states. I saw my first official rugby match tonight and it was...different...the sport requires a great deal of teamwork, endurance, and brute strength to make it. These gentlemen have the biggest legs in the world and have such amazing budy build that I envy their dedication to their sport. This is especially true in Ireland because their sport players do not get paid any money...they all have jobs on the side to keep food on the table and heat in their house. 

I hope everyone is enjoying their week back home...if you are in the area and you have time, would anyone be willing to take pictures of the following things for me and post them to my blog? I am missing home a bit and would love some home love:

-The pumpkin spice latte sign at starbucks
-commonplace coffee
-The Mary Pappert School of Music
-My mom
-My Dad
-My sister
-My brother
-My beautiful niece and nephew
-Target
-The black and yellow madness on weekends
- The leaves changing color and falling to the ground
-Pittsburgh at night
-Craft beer
-Cars driving of the "right" (the literal right, not right as in correct) side of the road
-Steering wheels on the left side of a car
-My friends
-The city skyline at any time of day
-Coffee creamer
-fage yogurt

 As always, thank you for your constant love and support.
-J