Chorus, My Planet, Your Planet

Here is a picture of the SSE Chorus. There are 12 kids missing at this evening program. Notice the earth colors. We usually wear white shirts and dark pants which I think actually looks sharper. The cute little 3rd grade boy on the right of the picture didn't get it that I wanted him to move closer in to the choir, he just kind of wanted to have the security of my presence. You cannot tell but I am sitting just behind a rolling card below him. Thank goodness there are no pictures of me.

Age and Teaching

There is an email list of music teachers that I write to on occation, and usually I am called a lurker, one who just reads teh submissions and hardly ever talks. Well, the subject these past two days was about age and teaching and so many of the teachers are getting a little older so to add to the thread this is what I wrote.

I'm proud... I will be 61 next month, but because of financial factors I have to work for another 5 years to get full benefits, but... I love what I do even if I am working with a bad knee and back and arthritis. I just don't teach dance or play the cup game on the floor like I used to. I've gotten very innovative with how to teach those things. Sometimes it is even better because then the children are the owners of the product or activity, so to speak. (I really like the comments one of you made about conducting with a cane ... I've used mine as a pointer for the charts on the wall, but the long red boomwhacker is much lighter!.)
In my mind I feel like I did in my 30's and 40's but this body says, "Forget it!"
The most fun thing to say to kids now is ... " I have played my violin for 50 years or sometimes I say 1/2 century!" then the smarty ones say, "and how old were you when you started to play." (hehe, mathematicians in the crowd!)

(Pictures are from a wedding at one of Rowley cousin's)

Last Program is Over!

Yup, the last program is done. WooHoo!!!

The kids did very well both during the daytime and nighttime programs. There are so many things to tell but I'll try to keep it kind of short.

"My Planet, Your Planet" was a success. I'll have to email the composer and arranger of this Musick8 Musical and thank them . The kids wore their earth colored shirts today although one girl showed up with a "Hot Pink" shirt in the morning. But I guess she called home because this afternoon she was in a light green shirt. The message was well received by all and the kids sang so good today! I left three kids off the program but I already made them their own personal copies and will give them to them tomorow. I also made chorus certificates tonight.

Now since I have been so negative about a certain someone at my school she surprised me with the comment his afternoon, she said, "When would you like a break tomorrow?" I actually had her repeat it. Bad me!

I said, "I'd have to think about when?" How about the 6th grade block! What I have planned is really a lot of fun for the next few days. It is silly but fun music stuff that doesn't take any brains to do.... so why do I need a break? She also came over and helped me pass out the certificates. I really was grateful for her helping hands at that time.

What I really need now is for someone to help me straighten up my classroom.... Too many programs with too much stuff out of place, if you know me, I can get a bit messy but I do know where everything is!

When I get the copies of the pictures taken from the program I'll post some. A sweet mom said she would take pictures for me. I really like her, she has helped in years past with backdrops that I didn't really need to bother with this year because the stage had filing lineup along the back wall. Those will be gone next year though!

Now all that is left is to teach for 4 days, but in that time frame I need to make out grades for all the students, I'll try to finish that this weekend. Help with a powerhouse tomorrow morning and talent show Tuesday afternoon. And then on half day clean up and get ready to leave for the summer.

AND

RELAX!!! Maybe swim ?? Loose weight, eat right and sleep!

GO back on July 31??? What's up with that?

Teacher Follies

So at my school we have a very enthusiastic male 2nd grade teacher (Sean) who decided to put on a production with the faculty of our school in conjunction with the Student Council of who he is the sponsor. They wanted to use this event for a fund raiser and charge our school neighborhood families a donation fee for entrance to this production. Well, his personality and enthusiasm is catching and he seemed to get almost all teachers and staff involved in putting on the production of "I Need a Vacation." He didn't realize it was a musical but went forward with it anyway. I told him the only way I would help him is with the sound system, because for many reasons I don't want to go on the stage and act. I am always worried about falling down and breaking something and I sure didn't want to trip on stage by any means. There were 5 groups who practiced their parts as groups on their own time learning the songs and acting and saying the words. This afternoon at 3:30 we got together and rehearsed with the sound system and on stage. We even were treated by the student council with pizza. The program started at 6:30 and all went OK until after one scene, I saw that someone had left a microphone a few feet from me on the floor and it was causing re verb sounds that I couldn't get rid of, so I decided I wanted to turn off the microphone. As I was reaching down it was further away than I thought and as I was reaching forward and sideways to my left, my rolling chair was inconveniently sliding away from under me ... It seemed like I was suspended in time, but there, with all my grace, I WENT DOWN! Embarrassed! You Bet! But I didn't have to think long because Sean appeared from nowhere and was right behind me on the floor whispering to see if I was OK? I, of course

say my standard, "I am OK", but then I added, "Just help me get back up." He wanted to help me get up in the most awkward way but I told him to hang onto the rolling table in front of me so it wouldn't move and I would help pull myself up and he also needed to retreave the excaped chair. And then i asked him to roll it under my behind I'm sure that took place in less than one minute, but at first I thought I would never be able to get up. But we did it. Lucky for me not everyone had a view because between the audience and me was a huge cardboard box painted like a van that held 9 people in one scene.

So you see I don't even have to be on stage to be a Klutz!!!!

Several people came up after the show to see if I was OK..... I said a few Tylenol will do the trick. OK.... I am so sore tonight. I am not too sure everything that will hurt tomorrow, but this too shall pass!

So goes the saga of the teacher follies... now the chorus concert on Thursday, power house on Friday and talent show next Tuesday where I take care of the sound system. BUT ;-/ I will use a regualr student chair with no wheels.

(5 days left to teach and 3 days w/o kids, I'm not really counting?!?!?!?!?)

Mother's Day

My 3rd Attempt..... Ok here it is...learning how to send pictures!

Beautiful flowers, cards, cinnamon rolls, hugs, pictures, help with my computer, a delicious dinner, a sweet movie and being honored on a blog are all things given and shared with me on this special Mother's Day.
But, the best thing was to have all my children talk to me on this special day. All of my five children took the time to talk to me. I am so blessed to have wonderful children. I am grateful for each of their strengths, goodnesses and love. Each are all so different with their individual talents. We got a decent picture of the whole family that we got during the last week of April. With Leslie cropping in a picture of Lucy from Thanksgiving and now I actually have a picture with the whole Hooper gang that I will take to school for the next two weeks to show off.
I am so proud of this family. All the struggles we are going through at this time will make us all stronger.
Thank you for making this day special.
I LOVE ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!
Mom

Teacher Appreciation Week

I normally get passed over on Teacher Appreciation Week because I am a "Special Area Teacher" and not the students' classroom or homeroom teacher. But this year I had a few surprises. I got some flowers, some cards from students as well as parents, some brownies, a bag of the most delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies that I should have never gotten into. I ate them at the end of one school day and got a sugar high. gees I had to go home and took an afternoon nap! at home of course... oops!) I got a few gift cards to eat lunch.

But today I got a really special surprise from a very sweet, shy, quiet 4th grade girl. She come into my classroom this morning with a big white gift bag topped with white tissue paper. With an very excited and anxious look softly said, "Open it!"

I took of the top layers of white tissue paper and found laying on a bed of more white tissue paper, a pretty good sized angel. The angel was holding a mandolin. I carefully lifted it out of the bag and said how beautiul it was. The little girl got close to my ear and whispered, "Read what it says on the wings."

So I with a slow deliberate voice I read the inscription...

"To the world you may be one person."
"To one person you may be the world."

And on her little homemade card it said I was the best Music Teacher ever!

Oh, how I am blessed! One never knows who we touch. Every person is someone special!

Yes I want this school year to end for a little while, but I am thankful to be a teacher!

THREE DOWN AND ONE TO GO

Three programs down and one to go. Tonight was the 2nd grade music program. We went on an Asian Journey. Still in my mind I can see the title I wanted to use... "Oriental Express" but on our official school programs that we passed out the title was "An Asian Journey." it is OK....
We started the program with a song called "Hello" written by Lazslo Slomovitz. His music is in the 2nd grade music book. Do you know that I actually met Lazslo at a MENC convention when it was in Phoenix. He and his brother immigrated from Russia years ago and are deeply involved in American Music Education. They love playing instruments and making up songs. I wish they could come to our school, (of course that is not possible,) but I do show a video of them singing fun kid songs.
There are 4, 2nd grade classes and I featured each class on stage. The first song Class #1 did was a Korean song and they were depicting a school scene where they pretended to great the teacher at school and went into class ready to work and learn in school. They then acted out music called "Hide the Scarf" in a Chinese version of Duck, Duck, Goose. And their final segment was a circle dance to a Japanese song Called "Star Festival."

Class #2 played Orff instruments to a song called the Chinese New Year. They did very well. This class is one of the most musical and could polled this song off. They even had it memorized.

Class #3 did a Chinese Dragon Dance. In the afternoon program the kids dressed like dragons went around in circles on the stage and it just seemed to just drag... on and on ... get it???? So in the evening I got the idea of the students walking out around the audience. This turned out so much better. The kids were either in a small "noisy" band, or holding paper lanterns or they were in one of two dragon costumes. I bought red and bright blue material and then the sweet 2nd grade teacher finished making the heads of the dragon with the patterns and ideas I gave her. They turned out really colorful and good looking. We are saving them.

Class #4 told the story of the "Year Naming Race." Their teacher put quite a little effort into the project this past week. In the afternoon the story went great, but this evening 8 kids from his class were missing, but you know what? it turned out OK!!! The kids were on stage, that is what really counts!
They then got out the boom whackers and played Taiko Boom with traditional Taiko drums in the background,

All the kids sang the closing song .....

An then in the evening I wanted an encore number so....
I had the students go get one of their parents out of the audience. We also had a few extra parents come up because so many of the kids were not there at the program. I gave a mini lesson on to play the boomwhackers and read the letters and how to strike the wacker on the floor or wherever like on their hand leg, or head.. NOT!!!!! then they all played "Taiko Boom." They did pretty good because I left the students seated there among them. Well, actually adults have a fun time playing those boomwhackers!

I must say.....What a fun program!!!!!!!!........
Again parents thanked me for a delightful program and many came up and said they were "glad I was back to do such fantastic things with their kids" .... mind you these were some of the real words they actually used.

I am tired and sore but so very relieved!!!

The Carnival tomorrow night.
I am running the sound system for the teacher Follies May 13th and on the 15th the Chorus will sing, My Planet, Your Planet."
I already picked solos and asked the 6th grade girls to come up with a routine for the last number which is a take off of High School Musical music.

And the best part for me as a teacher is that there are only 14 days left of teaching this year.
I know many moms just don't like summer, but if you're creative enough you can find projects for the kids. There is also swimming, reading a good book and for me I'll do some genealogy!!!!!!

But next on the agenda in May is Nathan's birthday party and then Layna's baptism. Concerts with Jon and some of my students in Junior and High School.
Busy, busy, busy!!!!

Sorry, I don't have pictures in my blog. I don't even know how to do that!

IT IS MAY DAY today!!!

Hope it was happy for all.