School started last week, and just like that, I found myself in my twenty-second year of teaching music. I am two-thirds the way to retirement. Occasionally, I even have students who are children of former students.
All of these things blow my mind. None of this seems possible. I don't feel old enough for any of it.
The good news is . . . I still love my job, even after two-plus—gulp—decades. I love my job, in part, because there is never a lack of blog material.
Welcome to Mrs. Duggan's first week of school.
Shorter Than the Teens
The day before the kids arrived, we hosted a sneak peek at our school. One of my former students, who is now in junior high, attended the sneak peek with her sister.
About halfway through our conversation, my former student sized me up and declared, "You're still short! You haven't gotten any taller!"
"That's how it works! You keep growing, and I stay the same," I said.
She added, "You haven't changed at all. You still look young."
She knows how to score points, that's for sure!
Copy Cat is Scary
For the first time ever, one of the new kindergartners was scared of Copy Cat, my sidekick puppet who teaches kids to sing.
Usually, the kindergartners (and sometimes the sixth graders) beg to see Copy Cat everyday, and I have to think up all kinds of crazy things as an amateur puppeteer.
Copy Cat sits on a cart, which happened to be right behind this kindergartner's dot. I noticed something was wrong when the little boy kept scooting farther and farther away from his dot. A bit later, he put a hand by his eye, like a shield. Then a moment or two later, he started to cry.
When I figured out what was going on, I moved the little boy away from Copy Cat's resting place, but all of the kids kept begging for Copy Cat to come back out and say "hi."
I didn't quite know what to do. I mean, I'm not in this business to traumatize children.
Luckily, by the end of class and after a quick chat with his teacher, he left the music room, pointing at Copy Cat and saying, "I like that guy. He's a funny guy!"
I don't know if he was trying to convince himself or me. He gave Copy Cat an anxious look and a wide berth as he passed by.
My Baby Guitar
In the other kindergarten class, I took out my guitar to sing our school song. One of the kindergartners spotted my ukulele in the corner and exclaimed, "Oo! A baby one!"
He ran over to the ukulele and picked it up, "I have to show you something!"
I caught him just before he started strumming.
Students are not encouraged to touch Mrs. Duggan's personal instruments, but "a baby one?" That's pretty cute.
ROAR!
Our school song is a parody of Katy Perry's "Roar" because we're the Jaguars and we have "ROAR expectations" —you get the idea.
One of my students, who is learning English, lets out a little "Roar!" every time we finish a phrase. I figure it's a good way for him to practice his language skills.
Mrs. Duggan Encourages Sassiness
One of my sixth graders asked me if Willy Wonka was going to be our spring musical this year.
"I've been practicing the Sassy Girl part with my dad all summer!" she said.
Oh man. I'm sure her father LOVED that.
Speaking of Veruca Salt, my husband, Dan, sneaks a new album onto my computer the first day of school every year. This year, it was the new Louise Post album. On a side note, we saw her in concert this summer. The 90s live on at my house!
Sugar Cravings
Note to self: Never buy Skittles or Starbursts for the prize box again.
I've almost eaten the entire bag. I thought they would be safe because they weren't chocolate. I didn't realize how much I love them.
When Students Move On
This time of the year, my former students get nostalgic and visit me quite a bit, and I am always so happy to hear when music continues to be a part of their lives.
This week, one of my former students, now a teen, told me he was still singing in the high school choir. On the same day, a parent informed me that her daughter had just been accepted into the university music program.
Those are the anecdotes that keep me going (oh, and all the Skittles I keep eating).
For the latest blog updates, visit and "like" Rebecca Turner-Duggan.
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