Today the last classes finished their note naming speed tests and it was fun. New records were set, life was fun.
Things that made today especially fun....
- a "dark horse" who hadn't been close to the top 5 , broke in and took 3rd place!
- a sister broke her older brother's record and she felt good!
- kids pushed themselves harder than I would have pushed them
- they cheered on and encouraged their classmates
That was just with the speed tests we were finishing!
Other fun things that were awesome:
- the 5th and 6th graders were learning an old song "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and they were actually having a blast doing so - they were giggling at the words and singing it out!
- the preschoolers were absolutely adorable correcting me on the words and actions to one of their songs
- the preschoolers were awesome...knowing their speaking parts and in some cases, knowing everyone else's speaking parts as well!
- the Kindergarteners and 1st graders were learning about the upcoming Opera they are going to see and they were having a blast imagining what real life would be like if we sang everything and a piano or orchestra went everywhere with us so we had music playing to sing to!
- it's Hawaiian week in the lunch room and today was especially fun. They served fruit out of shark and whale bowls made out of watermelons, and there was a huge fish "swimming" around the room in the air. (must have taken a lot of helium in that thing) especially cool because it is remote controlled and "swims" around and with the tail moving, looks real!
Basically, I love my job.
This morning a 6th grade girl was telling me how her boyfriend told her that she is prettier with make-up on. I laughed and told her at least he said prettier, implying she was already pretty! It would be worse if he said she was pretty with make-up on. Later, I made sure to tell the boy that you NEVER say that kind of thing to a girl, you have to make sure you say it carefully so the girl can't interpret it badly! He just rolled his eyes.
Sitting in my "happy place," that I've talked about before, starts every day off on the right note. I see the kids in their "natural environment" and they see me as a trusted adult, not just their teacher of music. Kids who don't talk in class or don't interact with me in class, interact more easily with me in this setting.
There is one little girl who walks in every morning looking for me. I make sure I am not off taking care of something until I have seen her. I have one little boy who comes and give me a hug every morning. This makes me smile hugely, especially because he isn't always the best behaved in class and tends to get in a bit of trouble. But each morning - he gives me a hug, so he obviously doesn't hold it against me!
There is one mom and little sister who often bring a boy to school - and the little girl looks for me every time but refuses to smile or say hi. But she sure does make sure to look for me, the little stinker!
Something happened a couple of times in the last two weeks that has made me all warm and gooey inside. Band lessons and group band happen at 2:00 every day in my classroom with the band director. I get to be an observer (not always silent) of their lessons and their interactions with the band director and with each other. So a week or two ago one girl, who had been struggling with her notes, finally got it and put together that the note and the fingering went together and ta-dah, she played much better. She turned around and said, "I have to say this Mrs. Peterson, thank you." Almost made me cry.
Then yesterday a young man was working on his exercise and he was playing along and the band director asked him how he did that, last week he could barely remember how to finger things. He said, "Cuz Mrs. Peterson taught me the notes."
To see the kids making those connections and having it click...absolutely amazing. The band director and I giggle when the kids finally see the connection and are amazed that he and I work together! Makes us laugh that even though we tell them that, it's not until it clicks in their brain that they truly see how it all works together!
Tomorrow - what a fun day we will have. Okay, that's a bit sarcastic because it actually gets a little boring. We are having a limbo contest in the lunchroom all day for Hawaiian week. The first class tends to be fun, but after doing it all day long, it gets a little bit tedious. BUT, the kids have so much fun it's hard to not have fun yourself!
I, however, will NOT be doing the limbo. I may have had 4 successful days of exercising on my new bike/elliptical, but I am not ready to be doing the limbo! I would land on my butt and never be able to get up again!
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