Strange Children

I have 8 classes of first graders I teach in my music classroom. Most act like typical beginning of the year first graders. Young, immature, and adorable. But, I have one class that has what appears to be no squirrels, no screwballs, and no one with a problem with music at the end of the day. In fact, I use a call and response to get the class' attention and this whole class responded on the first time I used it. I should preface this with, I had only seen this class once before and that once was over a week earlier. I told them I was so excited because they were the first class that all responded on the first try. They informed me that they had been practicing. So, I asked their teacher if she used this same call and response in her room (I have heard others using it) and she said no. Apparently, the kids had been practicing music procedures on the playground. I have an extremly well behaved and self motivated group of first graders on my hands. What a buncha weirdos. Don't they want to be silly with the rest of the 6 year olds? No, they would rather practice how to behave in music class. Love it.

I have 4 classes of first grade that are accompanied by small groups of students from self contained special education classes. Typically, other than some extra help occasionally, there is no difference between the participation of any student from either class. I have a student this year who is new to me who screamed all the way through music class number 1. In class number 2 we just sat and made gumpy faces. The teacher and para and I agreed that they were capable of participating in class without much modification and that I would just act as I would with any other student. The next day, they were sent to the time out chair for a short time. The message came through loud and clear, I am the teacher and you are the student and you will participate in class or stay in the time out chair. So, then the stars started. I gave a star for each class completed without tears. This works well with this student. Today after giving the star, I hear this little voice say "I gotta get outta here!" I was crushed. I thought this student was finally enjoying music class. So I tell their teacher and find out, they talk about going to music all day long and "I gotta get outta here!" is just this kid's way of saying "time to go." Thank goodness, I was really sad for a moment.

levels

How do you treat your friends? Are they all given the same amount of care and attention? Do you have an unspoken (possibly unconscious) tier system of friends? There is the best friend(s) who live at level 1 and you can count on for anything, trust with your life, and you communicate with on a regular basis. Then the levels go down from there. Level 2 friends might be those who you speak to a little less or are not as reliable. Maybe a level 3 friend is one that you only hang out with for a good time but don't really want to have at your house. Level 4 is made up of acquaintances from work who you talk to and leave it there.
What if you see a friend as a level 1or 2 and they see you as a 3 or 4?

I see my students struggle with making friends and dealing with acquaintances every day. They have their obvious levels of friends. Their level 1 is the kids you can't let go to the bathroom together or they will just play and talk and their level 2 friends who they play with on the playground and go to birthday parties. Their level 3 friends who they play on the playground with but would never ask mom or dad to have over after school. Level 4 is in your class and you might have to share a glue with them during craft time. Kids overtly show when they desire friends. Feelings get hurt and there are tears when a kid realizes they will never be someone's level 1.

How much of our adult social lives are influenced by our grade school abilities to make level 1 and 2 friends? How many top tier friends are needed to feel cared for or liked. What if we were always the level 3 of the friend chain but wanted to be a higher importance? Do we turn into motivated adults or into adults who strive for attention in the workplace?

I have like a bunch of those

Today, I had a class of second graders who sing like angels. It is beautiful. After I told the class that I thought they had beautiful singing voices, one of the girls says to me. "Well, I make up my own songs at home all the time and that is just one of my singing voices. I have like 14 singing voices."

Another one of those "I need to turn away right now before I laugh in the kid's face" moments because it was too funny to try and stone face or just smile.

It was 90 degrees today and the school is not air conditioned. I was sweating all day. First graders who come to my room at the end of the day were crying for no apparent reason. They were just done. One teacher told me to take it easy on her class because moments earlier there were 4 crying at the same time. It was not that they did not want to go to music, they just did not want to walk there. At bus calls,  little boy A started crying because I told little boy B that he was doing a good job waiting for his bus call. Little boy A was doing a good job, I just hadn't gotten to complimenting him yet. I love first graders but they are not fun when hot and sticky at 3pm.

The best parts of the day

Today was a pretty normal day except, the things that came from kids mouths got better as the day went on.

-We are singing a new warm up in class, the music came in the mail last week, this is the first class to sing this Student A: "My Friend taught me the words to this song last week!" Me: "Um, Not possible. I just got this in the mail last week and you are the first to sing it." Student A: "No, they taught me the words to it" Me: "Student A, this is a warm up song and the only words are da and ba. There are no words" this went on for another minute
-First grader- we are counting to 8 in a steady beat could not stop being so excited about counding he said 1-5 as fast and loud as possible and then waited and said 6,7,8 with the class
-getting punched in the lady parts by a student (not totally on purpose)
-students coming up behind me during bus calls and hugging my butt rather than walking around to the front side of me
-In Kohls- Boy with mother walking by the lingerie section "BRAS BRAS BRAS BRAS BRAS" as he went by and touched EVERY single one he could

Routines

I love how the my little universe can all be thinking of similar and related topics at the same time. More and more, I learn that my students crave consistency. I more and more believe that spontaneity is something people enjoy more as they age. This week of my music class is much about learning the procedures and routines of my class. I like to think of this as music class boot camp. By the end of the week, my students know my vocabulary and procedures so well that they start to remind me when I forget a step in our day. By the end of the year, they can almost run the class without me. In a twitter feed I see, there was much talk about classroom management. I just had a long discussion with a third grade classroom teacher about this. We talked about how being consistent in your actions and reactions leads to a calmer, quieter, and typically happier class.
Then by coincidence, a friend blogged about how she typically is not a fan of routine but how her child loves looking at the calendar and seeing what is going to happen.
I marveled at this simultaneous similarity in thought about how children and adults can be so different in their needs.

First week

The first week of school is tiring and grueling, full or tears and that is just the teachers, especially in first grade. I love the challenges of the first week. It brings out all of our sides.
I have heard the phrase "Is that a good choice?" a thousand times. I have heard teachers discussing outside the bathroom how to open and close the stall doors. This same teacher had to instruct her boys to know when they needed to use a urinal or the potty in a stall. I had a student in a combined class of regular ed and self contained special ed  scream for the whole 25 minutes of music class. One kid even came up to me and said "I like you" but I have no idea who this student is and if they are even one of mine or go to music with the other music teacher in the building. Best part of being the music teacher? Going into the lunch room and being treated like a rock star. Everyone knows who you are (you know a few faces) and they all want to talk to you or give you a hug.Also in the lunch room, one of our veteran teachers realized she taught a kid how to do jello shots on accident. The first grader had forgotten a spoon to eat their jello cup with. She then just taught him how to tip the cup and suck in out. She realized what she did later and laughed.
Most favorite moment of the week:
A little girl and a little boy (first graders) both had to use the bathroom so I sent them. The bathroom is next door and then one more past that depending on which gender you are. Both got lost and came back to the room asking for me to show them again, I did so with myself half in the classroom and half out pointing to the doors next to my classroom. The two of them looked at each other and both headed into the girl's bathroom. I guess they figured if they both went in, no one would get lost.