The 2022-2023 school year is off and running, and once again, the kids have provided the best blog material.
We are already starting our third week, and I am late getting my beginning-of-the-year stuff posted due to some recent out-of-town commitments.
Oh yeah, and the first week of school, I caught the stomach flu from the Petri dish I call my classroom, so that was awesome.
Other than that bump in the road, the music room has been a fun and funny place so far!
The kindergartners have loved the songs "The Jellyfish" and “Slippery Fish" this year. At the end of "Slippery Fish," the whale lets out a huge burp (which is probably why it's a favorite), and the kids have added their own, “Excuse you, Mr. Whale!” to the end.
All of the younger kids still love Copy Cat.
The other day, one of the kindergartners whispered, "How's Copy Cat doing?" while they were walking by in their silent, single file line. I gave him the thumbs-up sign.
The first and second graders, who have known Copy Cat for a while, have always given him a high five or a hug as they exit my room. This year, some of them have created secret handshakes with him.
I'm not sure Copy Cat actually knows the secret handshakes, but the kids seem satisfied . . .
We also sing our school ROAR song the first couple of weeks of school. The younger kids, especially, request it every class.
One afternoon, when we finished singing it, a second grade girl announced, "I LOVE the ROAR song!"
Then she started belting out, unprompted, "THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE . . . !"
Our school has a mascot named Jaggy. Jaggy is usually a teacher or, more often, a student teacher who has been persuaded by the principal to don a costume that is about 100-degrees inside.
This year, the kids have decided that I am Jaggy and that I have always been Jaggy. They just know it. Maybe it's due to my awesome Copy Cat puppeteer skills, that I must also be the life-size puppet-type creature . . . ?
Fun fact: I have never once been Jaggy. I'm usually busy teaching class.
Then there is the third grader who comments on my appearance everyday, in particular, my makeup (of which there is very little).
Mostly, she likes my makeup, but a couple of days ago she said, "Your makeup . . . it's okay . . ."
I wasn't sure how to take that.
The older kids have their moments from time to time. It has been difficult to get the upper grades to sing because we have been doing so little of it the last couple of years due to COVID restrictions.
Finally, I told my shyest fifth and sixth grade classes that I would give candy to any of the kids who appeared to be singing, even if they were just moving their mouths.
Enter the strongest group of singers I have heard in two years.
Lesson learned: I am not above bribery.
The upper grades tend to be more worldly in their humor.
The kids were having a hard time hearing the bell outside for recess, so it was changed to a slightly obnoxious, old-school, clangy bell that scared the younger kids to death.
One sixth grader commented, "It sounds like a jail break bell."
I probably shouldn't have laughed so hard at that statement, but he wasn't wrong.
But the best moment so far came from a fifth grade game of "Around the World." During this game, the kids try to get around the world by being the quickest to name the treble clef pitches from flashcards.
One of my fifth grade girls was beating everyone until she came to a boy from a self-contained classroom. He happened to name the note before her, and I'm not sure which kid was more excited. The whole class clapped for both of them, and she gave him congratulatory a high five.
That kind act of good sportsmanship restored my faith in humanity just a little.
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