We both have to get going early today. I’m going with Judy to school to help with a 6^th grade instrumental music project. They are beginning a 12-week unit (two classes per week, 90 minutes per class) where they receive instructions on playing a band instrument. Since I’m available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, it made sense for me to help Judy out. The school owns some instruments, so Judy made the initial instrument assignments and we split into a brass class (3 trumpets and 2 trombones) and a woodwind class (3 clarinets, four flutes, and 5 saxes). Scott Lindner, the high school music teacher is teaching the brass class, and Judy and I are teaching the woodwind class.

The students worked very hard and made some nice progress by the end of class. The brass joined us for the last 10 minutes, and we performed for each other. This should be a lot of fun. It’s an introductory class, and after this series of classes, the students will move to art for the 2^nd trimester, and then PE for the last trimester. It’s not a great way to develop a band program as I know it, but for me, it’s nice to get back to teaching something I know and understand.

After class, I walked over to the nearby State Electric Grid office and paid to “load up” our apartment meter.   The clerk inserts the “electric card” into a computer, we pay whatever amount we want, and when I get home, the meter at the apartment shows the additional amount has been added. This can also be done at a bank near UHN, but this office is close to BISS. Next, I stopped at the nearby local Chinese restaurant for lunch. They have great green beans. After lunch, I taxi to BHSFIC for an afternoon faculty meeting. We finish around 3:00 pm. I’m still trying to find the cabinet where I stored music and some of my teaching supplies. It’s somewhere in the school, but the facilities manager, Edward, assures me he’ll find it.

Back at the apartment, I crash on the couch. I actually had to do some teaching today, and it wore me out. Judy joins some of her friends at Pete’s Tex-Mex after school to unwind a little. When she gets home, we talk over the class plan for tomorrow, and “hit the sack.”