Full Circle

I had a nice meeting today with a former student who is now a band director in New Haven. I can still picture her eager little face staring up at me the first day of 6th grade. She is experiencing all of the first year issues that band directors face. She is working way, way too hard.

Above all she needs to prioritize and manage her time. But that is so challenging. I worked 90-100 hours a week for many years. I know that work paid off. But I also know that work absolutely drained me. I have become much more efficient.

As this program grows, I can easily get sucked into the double shift again. Work 6am-2pm on the main job, then 2pm-10pm on the "after school" part. I'm spending tomorrow working on plans, curriculum, and budgets. I'm hoping this time allows me to cut out the "extras" so I can focus my efforts on time with students.