I'd thought of creating this post since I began blogging, but it stayed hidden in the backlight when life sort of took over, leaving me very little free time to reminisce about my random thinkings. But this week's assignment was to write about anything we wanted, so I was left to be creative. Not a good thing. Thankfully my students, once again, saved my butt.
Last week in my classroom, my students were watching a video about Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and I mentioned to my teacher, "Talking about FDR always makes me think of 'Annie' - there's this whole song about Herbert Hoover and how his campaign promises fell through, and a whole scene with Roosevelt's cabinet ..." and then I started thinking about how helpful musicals and music in general can be in teaching students about history. And, as usual, I am now finding my silly ramblings reinforced as I sit watching 'Hairspray' on ABC Family.
Things like the cultural, political and social issues revealed through musicals like those mentioned above and others like Rent, West Side Story, In the Heights, and still countless others offer so many entertaining opportunities to educate children (some, yes, are more appropriate for younger ages than others, but I'm just making a point) - why not take more advantage of them?
I recently watched a documentary-type film discussing the failings of the American education system called Waiting for Superman (my wonderful husband was so kind to take his one free night off this week to make dinner with me and watch a documentary - that's true love). While it made some interesting points, there was one small piece of the film that I'm choosing to focus on (at least for this post - expect some more about this movie later): one of the "good teachers" presented in the film taught her children by rapping information or rewriting words to popular songs. Couldn't musical songs serve a similar purpose? I wonder ...
What's more, I began thinking about my students at my school and the things that they enjoy and relate to. I have three girls who sing and dance to the same song on the playground at least twice a week, girls who freak out at the sound of Justin Bieber, and boys who were completely shocked when I recognized the song "Black and Yellow." Could I use this as a way to breach that huge gap that I feel exists between children of that age and the adults that often tend to lecture rather than relate to them? Have them make a playlist of songs that mean something to them and then have a piece of writing explaining its importance. That could be fun.
So I made my own soundtrack. Not representing my life necessarily, but music is so near and dear to my heart that's it's literally permeated into every aspect of my life. So I've included some of my favorites, as well as a couple of places where you might hear me "belting them out" (well, at least that's what it feels like in my head ... having the stereo volume at maximum helps drown out my sometimes less-than-worthy vocals). Enjoy!
1. "Forget You" by Cee Lo Green
As of right now, this is my favorite driving down the road and jamming out to song. Also makes me feel like I'm a shoo-bop girl from the 50's whenever they "Woo who WHO!"
2. Anything from Legally Blonde: the Musical
The ultimate girl-power musical. Really helps when I'm sweeping or cleaning in the kitchen. "Keep it positive ..."
3. "Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding
This song makes me want to go to the beach, sit back and enjoy a nice, cold adult beverage ;-) Must-have summer music. Good for driving with the top down, too.
4. "You Can't Stop the Beat" from the musical Hairspray
Great dance AND singing tune! You gotta shimmy your shoulders while you belt this one out - I think I've been caught a couple of times doing both of those things while driving down the road before. (I sing in the car A LOT. Let's face it: I sing everywhere a lot.)
5. "Orange Colored Sky"
This song really serves as a shout out to jazz music, which I love; but I definitely sing this one in the shower all. the. time. Love it.
6. "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey
Obvious ultimate karaoke choice tune. Everyone knows the words whether you want to admit it or not. Only appropriate that it should be followed by ...
7. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
Yet ANOTHER awesome karaoke/car belting tune. And whether you know the words or not, we all make them up and it's still fun.
8. "Tightrope" by Janelle Monae
My new favorite workout song (along with "Dynamite" and "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love Again"). It's just so much fun, and she has a fantastic voice!
9. "Wannabe" by The Spice Girls
Can't be complete without at least one awesome 90's flashback song. Ultimate sing it with your friends anytime, anywhere song.
10. "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen
One of the most beautiful pieces of music I know! My ultimate I-love-to-both-play-and-sing-this-on-the-piano song (the chords are super repetitive).
11. "Desperado" by The Eagles
If you're ever feeling "down" or in a mellow-type mood, this is the song for you (well, at least it is for me). Yet another gorgeous ballad that if it pops up on the radio or a Pandora station, I have to listen to the whole thing.
Okay ... this is probably getting old pretty fast for some of you, but that's okay. Music for me is something I could talk about all the time, whether anyone is actually listening or not (very similar to my husband when he talks about Family Guy episodes or the timbre of different opera singers' voices). Although I'll leave the reminiscing for later, I definitely want my students to share in my love of music (perhaps not necessarily love for the same type - I still can't bring myself to like the Jonas Brothers - but a love nonetheless) and maybe this post can be a prompt for you to see your own love of music.
This list is nowhere near completion, and I will probably be editing my selections over time, but it's a start. So, let's see what you've got. Hit me with your best shot (wow - that might be the lamest musical pun ever, but I teach 3 year-olds, so nothing's too ridiculous for me) and Ready, Set, WRITE ... and tell me some of the tunes you can't live without.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Long time, no see, everyone! *
Wow - a two week hiatus and we're back! Although I'm ashamed I didn't decide to keep up with my Internet writings, I am glad for the much needed break!
Well, after a wonderful week with my 3rd graders followed by an even more wonderful week of NO SCHOOL, it's back to business! So let's get started, shall we?
Maybe it's the fact that I've had a week off so I'm officially lazy, or maybe it's the craziness that goes along with enacting a week-long unit plan. Either way, the readings we had over the break hit very close to home in terms of teacher planning. Yes, a week is manageable. I say that, and yet I found myself making last-minute changes to each day's plans, specifying activities to work better for my students, or improvising pieces that I hadn't anticipated. It's all very exciting (especially when things go well!) ... and also somewhat chaotic!
So thinking about planning across the year - whether it be a for a multi-genre writing project or a writing workshop, or even a math unit - is extremely daunting to me.
The Allen and Swistak article mentions over and over again how the two teachers alter their plans as they go through this process. Over time, they say, they've eventually developed a plan that works well for their students. Even the chapter in our writing workshop mentions that their unit plans for upper and lower grades are just suggestions - you can and perhaps should make changes based upon your experience and what your students need. So after a few tries, I should have a nice plan ironed out.
Great. So in 4 - 5 years I might have everything sorted out. Does this learn-by-trying process intimidate anyone else?
I know it's somewhat of a negative attitude to think about the length of time it will take to feel even remotely comfortable about teaching. Even this is assuming you're in the same teaching position over the next 5 years. But I promise I'm not trying to be a downer. Just stick with me. :-)
I really enjoyed the quote at the end of the Allen article contrasting "planning" with "preparing": "Preparing is different ... In preparing we always expect diversity of outcomes. In preparing we enlarge the future in our imagination ... [and] we work to make ourselves ready."
This one quote validates everything that our education cohort is trying to accomplish in four semesters of college. At this point in the semester when I - and I'm sure other students will join in this with me - am ready to throw in the towel and be done with this whole "school thing," I'm reassured that I'm where I need to be. All this lesson planning, writing down observations, reading hundreds of pages of other teachers' observations (Thanks, Paley), and last but not least vacuuming the glitter off the carpet from where I spent hours making a poster for a guided reading lesson that will last 30 minutes - these all mean something.
It's all a part of preparing.
So now I'm a little more ready to get back into the semester. Bring on those focus lesson drafts and the reading assessments. Ask me to fill out another worksheet of things I've contributed to my mentor classroom. (Preferably not all at once, please.) While I might groan occasionally, I understand that it's all important and pertinent to what I will be doing all by myself in less than a year.
Okay ... maybe not all by myself. There will be 59 other new teachers out there going through the same thing. We can help each other. Not to mention an entire school of experienced teachers and personnel that can also help a first-time teacher. Slowly but surely we will all move from that "prep" stage to the "perform" stage.
Can't say I'm totally ready, but hey, I've got the rest of my life to learn how, right?
Whew. Okay - let's do this: ready, set, WRITE! (especially if you have any suggestions for a future teacher)
Well, after a wonderful week with my 3rd graders followed by an even more wonderful week of NO SCHOOL, it's back to business! So let's get started, shall we?
Maybe it's the fact that I've had a week off so I'm officially lazy, or maybe it's the craziness that goes along with enacting a week-long unit plan. Either way, the readings we had over the break hit very close to home in terms of teacher planning. Yes, a week is manageable. I say that, and yet I found myself making last-minute changes to each day's plans, specifying activities to work better for my students, or improvising pieces that I hadn't anticipated. It's all very exciting (especially when things go well!) ... and also somewhat chaotic!
So thinking about planning across the year - whether it be a for a multi-genre writing project or a writing workshop, or even a math unit - is extremely daunting to me.
The Allen and Swistak article mentions over and over again how the two teachers alter their plans as they go through this process. Over time, they say, they've eventually developed a plan that works well for their students. Even the chapter in our writing workshop mentions that their unit plans for upper and lower grades are just suggestions - you can and perhaps should make changes based upon your experience and what your students need. So after a few tries, I should have a nice plan ironed out.
Great. So in 4 - 5 years I might have everything sorted out. Does this learn-by-trying process intimidate anyone else?
I know it's somewhat of a negative attitude to think about the length of time it will take to feel even remotely comfortable about teaching. Even this is assuming you're in the same teaching position over the next 5 years. But I promise I'm not trying to be a downer. Just stick with me. :-)
I really enjoyed the quote at the end of the Allen article contrasting "planning" with "preparing": "Preparing is different ... In preparing we always expect diversity of outcomes. In preparing we enlarge the future in our imagination ... [and] we work to make ourselves ready."
This one quote validates everything that our education cohort is trying to accomplish in four semesters of college. At this point in the semester when I - and I'm sure other students will join in this with me - am ready to throw in the towel and be done with this whole "school thing," I'm reassured that I'm where I need to be. All this lesson planning, writing down observations, reading hundreds of pages of other teachers' observations (Thanks, Paley), and last but not least vacuuming the glitter off the carpet from where I spent hours making a poster for a guided reading lesson that will last 30 minutes - these all mean something.
It's all a part of preparing.
So now I'm a little more ready to get back into the semester. Bring on those focus lesson drafts and the reading assessments. Ask me to fill out another worksheet of things I've contributed to my mentor classroom. (Preferably not all at once, please.) While I might groan occasionally, I understand that it's all important and pertinent to what I will be doing all by myself in less than a year.
Okay ... maybe not all by myself. There will be 59 other new teachers out there going through the same thing. We can help each other. Not to mention an entire school of experienced teachers and personnel that can also help a first-time teacher. Slowly but surely we will all move from that "prep" stage to the "perform" stage.
Can't say I'm totally ready, but hey, I've got the rest of my life to learn how, right?
Whew. Okay - let's do this: ready, set, WRITE! (especially if you have any suggestions for a future teacher)
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