I realize this is publishing on Valentine's Day, but I haven't had my COVID
Era Valentine's yet since I am writing this post the day before. I might get
around to writing a Valentine's Day post if I am feeling up to it next
weekend. Next Saturday, I am also getting my
second shot in the arm!
I decided to focus on a snapshot of my week at school. It has come to my
attention that we have a few people in our state (including a lawmaker or two)
who think we teachers are just sitting around at home, not working.
I thought now would be a good time to bury that misconception and give my
faithful readers a look inside my classroom again. (By the way, the reality is
that, although the school district is following a hybrid model, I am coming
into contact with 400+ students and people at work while not being fully
vaccinated . . . at least not for a few more weeks.)
INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS
"What are all of those clothes over there?" one of my 2nd graders asked,
gesturing toward the mermaid costumes on the rack.
"Those are costumes for our spring musicals. Last year, it got canceled," I
explained. "By the time you are in 6th grade, we should be able to do musicals
again, and you can audition."
"I will be auditioning for Ariel," she said.
"When you are in 6th grade and shy and worried about what your friends think,
I will remind you of that," I said.
"I definitely want to be the star. Now, who is going to be my love interest?"
Due to social distancing protocols in the music room, students have been
sitting on spaced out dots rather than our old risers. They have been entering
through my outside door and exiting through my hallway door, and during these
winter months, it can get chilly.
One of my 5th graders asked me, "Mrs. Duggan, why did you put me, your
favorite student, closest to the door?"
"When you think about it, you're probably the safest one! You're closest to
the fresh air!" I said.
GAME DAY
Several of my classes earned a game day this week after filling up the "Rock
Star Board."
The first game the younger grades chose was a Freeze Dance Party. I played the
Kids Bop version of "Uptown Funk," which changes the questionable lyrics to
"Hot yeah!"
Of course, that didn't stop one of my second graders, apparently familiar with
the Bruno Mars version, from yelling, “Hot damn!” throughout the song. Thank
goodness, she was somewhat muffled behind her mask.
In 5th grade, we played a Tic Tac Toe game where they had to recite a song
lyric with a given word in order to "win" a box on the Tic Tac Toe board for
their team.
I wonder what the original word was . . .
"I know a song with the word 'love,' but I have to change a word to make it
school appropriate," one of the 5th graders said.
Before I could stop her she recited, "I guess what I'm sayin' is, I
freakin' love you . . ."
PLAYING INSTRUMENTS
The kids have been playing a lot of easy-to-sanitize instruments lately. The
1st graders played floor drums (small tubanos and djembes) for the first time
this week.
One of the little boys, who is still learning English, called out “Whoa!
Cool!” when we finished our first drum rhythm. During the rest of class, he
kept circling the top of his head and pointing at me every time we finished a
drumming pattern. I assume that meant he liked it?
The upper grade instrument piece included cowbell, and I just couldn't
resist.
"I gotta have more COWBELL!" I shouted at the 5th and 6th graders as I banged
on the instrument vigorously, only to be met by their blank looks.
The teachers got it though.
"I've got a FEVER!" one of the 5th grade teachers exclaimed when he picked up
his class. He paused, "Maybe we can't say that anymore," he said in aside to
me. Then he said to the kids, "We're going to 'Christopher Walken' out the
door . . .
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Rebecca Turner-Duggan.
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