Letter of recommendation

Today at school I didn’t have any real finals. First was child development, which consisted of make-up work and preparing the preschool** for next year. The theme next year is Winnie The Pooh, so I had to trace Tigger’s head onto a placement eighty billion times.

Next was orchestra, which we didn’t have to go in for unless we missed lessons. I was gonna go home, but MY RIDE DITCHED ME (ANDREW!!), so I did what I always do when I’m bored; I went to the orchestra room to chill with Mr. Meade, my orchestra teacher. I drew summer-related doodles on his chalkboard and talked to him about the repertoire for next year, Suzuki colleges, and youth orchestra. Then the girl who had missed her lesson, Melissa, came in, and we helped Mr. Meade organize folders for graduation. We’re playing Pomp and Circumstance, some weird March, and Beethoven’s Ninth.

After we were finished, the three of us went to the AV room to put all the sheet music we didn’t need in the recycling bin, and for some reason I decided that would be the right time to ask Mr. Meade to write my letter of recommendation. He was all “Hmmm, well…let’s seeeeee…” and he messed with me until I thought he was serious until he said yes

It’s not like I expected him to say no, I’m just really glad it’s official! I knew I was going to ask him as soon as I started thinking about getting letters of recommendation. Sure, it was partly because he’s my orchestra teacher and I’m going into music, but it’s also because we’re pals Hahaha. He’s a really nice guy, and he knows me as a student, as a musician, AND as a person.

So just a word of advice…when choosing teachers to write letters, take into consideration how well you do in their classes, how you behave in front of them, what they’ve helped you accomplish, what your relationship with them is like, and if their field corresponds with the one you want to go into. You probably already knew that, but still. Lucky for me, I want to do exactly what Mr. Meade does; teach music in a public school.

**NOTE: There’s a preschool in my high school, and in child development class, part of the curriculum is to work with the kids in the classroom and plan curriculum for them.  Their last day was a week ago.