Crazy Program Time!

Dashing down the hall,
Excitement in the air.
Hear the joyful sounds.
Is that another gray hair?
Christmas time at school.
One more class to teach.
Then a meeting after school.
Wish Friday was in reach!
Oh, Christmas time here at school
Tensions growing higher.
One more week until we’re through.
I wish I could retire, oh,
Christmas time here at school
Everyone is stressed.
Hope we get some time to see
How much we all are blessed!

by Kim Thompson 

("Sing to the tune of 'Jingle Bells,'" she says. "Yes, you must sing!")

Music teachers are a strange breed. We kind of thrive on the stress of putting together winter concerts, getting up in front of hundreds of parents and family members, and directing hundreds of kids dressed in festive clothing, Santa hats, reindeer antlers, elf hats . . . use your imagination.

And most of us in this chosen profession are crazy enough to enjoy all of it.

In the days leading up to my programs, my husband, Dan, thinks I am funny.

Often times, I wake him in the middle of night talking in my sleep, saying things like, “You’re not the one who has to do a concert tomorrow.”

While awake, however, I find it difficult to construct a normal sentence and process most of what Dan says to me, even if he is answering a question I just asked him.

This year, some of my favorite moments came from the first and second grade winter program.

My choir kids also provided me with some entertainment the week before, during their concert. They are quite theatrical.

But I've chosen to focus on my little kids' program since it is freshest in my mind.


1. A few weeks ago, one second grader asked me if my husband was going to wear a wig again.

The kids all know my husband, Dan, because he sets up for the programs and videotapes the performances. (Yeah, Dan's pretty awesome.)

Dan has long hair. The second grader thinks my husband wears a wig.


2. One of my first graders has been apprehensive about walking up and down the risers all year long.

"I'm kind of scared of heights, Mrs. Duggan," she says to me in class.

"You and me both," I always respond.

During the program practices, I had been helping her up and down the steps to the stage since I knew about this phobia of hers.

In the middle of the morning program, she announced to the audience, "I'm actually not scared of heights anymore," as she descended the stage steps.

(I wish it were that easy for me, to simply not be scared of heights anymore.)

During the afternoon performance, the same little girl got distracted by the ribbons on the mics and forgot to say her line. The child next to her had to remind her.


3. The first graders sang a song called "Hip Hop Elves."

They were allowed to bring "hip hop accessories," and, the definition being somewhat ambiguous, we ended up with an interesting variety of hip hop elf costumes.

But my favorite part was the little girl on the second row, moving her arms and chanting, "Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah!" during the dance break.


4. Even the younger siblings wanted to join us.

A couple of little sisters, toddler or preschool age, wandered to the front of the gym and froze, staring at the kids and me. I leaned over at one point and asked one little girl if she was lost.


5. The sixth grade boys loved it.

And that's saying something. Most sixth grade are too cool to admit liking anything.

But one of my students said, "Mrs. Duggan! That was THE BEST Christmas program I have EVER seen!"

Another boy commented on how adorable the kids were.

(I do have sweet group of sixth graders this year.)

So . . . yes, I am crazy enough to enjoy this job. But I think I'm ready to take a nap for the next two weeks.

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