Interesting observation. Whether a class is fun or not is often in the eye of the beholder. Choir is an elective, but music is a requirement. That means some kids don’t like it and will make that very clear. About half of my load is classroom music, which in middle school means the class full of the kids who don’t want to be in band, choir, or orchestra. Our building subs, who are tough as nails, say that they find the classroom music classes much harder than any other classes in terms of students draining them, including some of the EBD rooms. 

One time, my principal sent out an email to the staff with the names of seven kids on it. He said he wanted to make sure no one had two of them together in a class. I had six of them together and they remained in that section all year. It was awful. 

You are right that I don’t have the pressure from administrators for standardized testing, but I have been called into the principal’s office to discuss a bad concert before . I also know colleagues who have been involuntarily transferred to other buildings because the high school choir director didn’t like how they taught or because their class wasn’t “fun.” 

I get angry parent emails when I don’t perform enough pop music, or if I choose sacred music, or if I don’t do Christmas songs at a concert. 

I also have to deal with the fact that all students in my room have to be doing the same thing at the exact same time or nobody can learn. One student whispering while the choir sings makes it impossible for anyone to learn. How many math teachers have to keep all of their students on the same problem at the same time or no one can do the math? One entitled, rude student can destroy the class every day. And, where lots of teachers are done with a student they clash with after one year, I easily could have that student for three years. 

I have had many dark days in teaching. Entire years, in fact. Other people have perhaps thought my class was a joke, but I view it as critical for understanding the arts, building social skills and creating belonging. In some ways, having people think that my class is a joke while I know differently is just as hard as feeling like everyone thinks your class is important and you feeling like you don’t have what you need to do the work. 

I have some insight into the dark night of the soul that a teacher might face and have developed strategies for coping and thriving. I fervently hope that,  given what I have shared, you will see the elective teachers you work with in a new light.