Welcome!

This blog has been created so others can follow my adventures of returning to a music classroom! I spent my first year out of college as a Middle School Band Director, then as the Music Associate at my church for five years. During that time I decided to make a change and began pursuing my Master's in Library Science. I spent five years as the Media Specialist at a primary school and deeply desired to return to my true calling. I've been given that chance in two elementary schools and I am really excited!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

A Sunday Quickie

While I'm lesson planning, I figured I'd hop over and do a quick little post.  Wow, wow, wow - the kids are just soaking up all kinds of music stuff!!  I so wish I could post pictures of their happy little faces while they play Mallet Madness!  But, alas, I have not had time to send home the permission slips so I CAN post. Right now, I'm super focused on getting the permission slips for my Donors Choose thank yous and getting the pics for that done.  Oh maybe this Friday I will get a little more caught up!

Holiday programs are beginning to come together.  More on those a little later!  I will have the primary grades program on Monday, December 10 and the 5th grade program on Tuesday, December 11.  Will I be more crazy intense than usual, hmmm YES!  That's okay - I wouldn't trade it for anything else!!  I am seriously LOVING my job!  Feel like the luckiest girl EVER!

Okay, must get my plans turned in!  Happy Fall y'all!  :)

Monday, September 3, 2012

TBA Open House Week! ~ Monday=Meet the Teacher



If you haven't heard, Teaching Blog Addict, TBA, is undergoing some changes that I think will be a win-win for all involved!

This week, TBA's hosting Open House Week. Each day has a theme or topic.

Monday's topic is Meet the Teacher.


My name is Cheryl Lukac.  My birthday is WEDNESDAY!  Even though the whole getting older wiser thing is still growing on me, I do LOVE to celebrate my birthday!  I work in a rural part of South Carolina that is about an hour outside of Charlotte, NC.
This is my 8th year of teaching - 2000-2001, I taught band, then spent 5 years as the Music Associate at my church, 2006-2007, I returned to the "classroom" as a media specialist, after discovering that path was not a good fit for me, I am back to teaching music on the elementary level.  This will be my 2nd year as a music teacher.  Funny thing is, I started teaching middle school band 12 years ago in the SAME building where I teach half the day and I'm spending the other half of my day where I worked as a media specialist!  I keep coming back!  My husband has said that I'm not allowed to leave these schools again until I retire!  LOL! 

I'm certified to teach music at all grade levels and content types grade Kindergarten - 12th.  I however, LOVE elementary music and would prefer to teach band rather than chorus or orchestra.  :)  But, please just let me teach the little ones!  I'm certified in music in North and South Carolina and this past year, I added Elementary Education (grades K-6) to my NC certificate.

Every morning I start my day at the Primary School (grades Pre-K - 2nd) and at lunch I head over to the "big kid" school for grades 3rd-5th.  Between the 2 schools, I will see almost 800 students a week.  Both schools are Title I and got A's on their SC report cards last year!

I LOVE what I do and I LOVE my students! If I didn't, I couldn't go back day-after-day!

In 2002, I married my college sweetie, who is a high school and middle school band director.  We have 2 amazing children, ages 8 & 6.  We go to Walt Disney World every chance we can afford!  My kiddos love to be outside and have wonderful imaginations.  They have helped me become a better teacher and I would not trade my life for anything else!

I love to have fun!  What better way to spend my day, than singing, dancing, playing instruments and getting my students to be super creative!
 
I love to use technology in my classrooms and I enjoy helping others find the best ways for them to incorporate it into their teaching lives.  It makes me sad when I discover that teacher friends are "scared" to use the technology they have at their disposal.
 

Cheryl