What fun I have teaching ages 5-11, every year along the way of their elementary school journey. A music teacher is a constant in their life, year after year. It's so fun to look at the big, trying-to-be-cool fifth graders and say "Remember when you danced the tango with me?" "Remember when you said you had a broken head?". Little ones are always cute. "Mrs. McCarty, do you have some more musics today?" But big ones are cute, too. I stated we were going to learn a song from a war - would they like to guess which one? 5th grade boy - "Does it have the word silver in it?" Me - "Yes, if by 'silver' you mean 'civil', in which case, you got it!" He laughs, we all laugh, and we discuss the word 'civil' then move on to "When Johnny Comes Marching Home". Innocent mispronunciations to glaringly obvious, but hilarious questions are a part of the teacher's life. I wish I could remember all of them - but quite a few have stuck in my memory through the years.
"Mrs. McCarty, she's breathing my air!" Oh my, kindergartners have never had to share anything!
"I have to take a test, then if I pass the test, I go for an auction to see if I can be on television."
(Telling me about trying out for Jeopardy, Jr.) My gentle correction: "Pretty sure, since it's a TV show, that it's an audition, not an auction."
One of my favorites: I was showing a third grade class my class pictures from first, second, and third grade. That's one of my lessons on the civil rights movement - all white children for two years, then magically in third grade, a great mix of skin colors. Third grade for me was also when the school switched from black and white to color photos. (Perhaps to accommodate the new forced melting pot? Or just because photography advanced and it became affordable?) One of my sweet, but oh-so-innocent third graders raised his hand and asked "Mrs. McCarty, when did the world change from black and white to color?" Awesome question!
"What's that big CD thing?" Yes, it's a record. I have an entire lesson built around the old classroom record player. There are always one or two students of course, that say "My Grandpa has one of those!" yeah, yeah, kids.
Here's a story from a friend that teaches in Florida - an overheard conversation:
Karington (darling student): Leo, can you look that way for my mom?
Leo (another darling): But I don't know what she looks like.
Karington: Yes, you do! She has long blond hair and she smiles like this (demonstrates a smile) and it is the prettiest smile in the whole world. And she is wearing a beautiful pink dress. And she is friends with Mrs. Petty.
Such love for her Mommy, and the fact that Mommy is friends with Mrs. Petty (my sister, smile, smile) just explains everything.
Here's a favorite: I have a small Chinese gong on my shelf. Jacob, a really "cool" fourth grader, a few years ago, very loudly: "Mrs. McCarty, is that your bong?" Me - "No, that is the school's, and it's a GONG!! G-O-N-G, GONG!" Just saying, dear parents, we teach your children many things, but they teach us things about you, too!
Sometimes, though, funny - but not so cute. For example, the time two little third grade girls were sitting so close to my feet that one suddenly (and loudly, of course) exclaimed "You've got hair on your toe!!" Ouch. I kindly explained (quietly, of course) that I must have forgotten to take care of that when I shaved my legs, but would definitely remember next time. I ALSO explained that she was lucky I was happy that day, because that would have made a lot of ladies cry and she needs to be careful when saying that sort of thing out loud. Now, who wants to say that I just teach music????
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