Yellow Scavenger Hunt

One of the side effects of the accident is that I currently drive a yellow rental car that gets alot of comments.

#1 Wow, Miss D, that is really YELLOW.
#2 I don't think I've seen anything more yellow.

MissD: It's my taxi. I have to find some way to afford to still be a teacher, so now I run a taxi service. Rides home for 2 bucks. Any takers?

#3 How about you drive us to go shopping??
MissD: In the banana?

One my students stumbled upon the fact that I hadn't locked my car, hopped into it and had one of her friends take a picture with her in the car.
#4 Miss D, my favorite teacher, can we borrow your car to go to 7-11??
#5 MissD, where's your other car?
MissD: Remember that Stoopid Lady who hit me? Well, they decided it was her fault. My car is in the shop and they gave me this one while mine is being fixed.
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So, in honor of my yellow rental car, I decided to host a yellow scavenger hunt for one of my choirs. I thought I might get one of the large yellow trash cans from Sassy. I didn't. One girl wore a yellow shirt, another had yellow in her bag. Other than that, most of them didn't put much thought into it--yellow in a candy cane, 2 gift cards, a bottle cap. It was fun to take pictures of all the entries by my car. I gave them all chocolate for participating.

What can I say? I had my own yellow scavenger hunt at the store. I bought a banana, a bell pepper and lemon and took a picture of all of them lined up on my rental car. I have to find ways to amuse myself otherwise life would be miserable.

One of the girls wrote Chamber Choir loves Miss D on the whiteboard. I was really touched. Having a different approach to choir has made a 100% difference in how well they sing.

Team Building for Choir

In school they taught us about conducting. They taught us notes, rhythms, music theory, music history, how to practice, how to perform. They told us how to teach those academic things because that's all you need. Not true. They did not teach us how to lead kids.

This week I learned that kids need to feel like they are a part of something special, that they belong, that they are important and that what they say matters. Both of my choirs weren't really working well together or doing what I asked, so I decided to take a "fun break." But it wasn't just about fun, it was about engaging in activities that focused on them rather than threatening, disciplining, lecturing and cajoling them into singing better. They didn't feel good, they were mad at me, and at each other.

I coaxed them into playing games, even though they fought me. We played a game with yarn where we said things about ourselves and threw it to someone who also had that in common.
Miss D, what's that yarn for anyways? We aren't two!
What does this have to do with singing? This is so dumb.
I'm not sitting in the circle because I don't want to play.
Soon they were all laughing and going along with it because it was fun.
I have a texting problem.
I have three cats.
I was on swim team.
I have 3 brothers.
I have a pink cell phone.
I'm black!!
Soon we could see a visual representation of all the things that connected us.

When on of the girls suggested we play follow the leader, I went with it. It was the most fun we had all year. We walked through the campus, shushing each other, walking over obstacles, laughing together. My chamber choir did community juggling and wanted to play tag, so I let them.

Sometimes I worried I could be reported. Let's just say that the endless story (where each person adds a sentence to another and the story gets really bizarre) got a little bit nasty and sexual. I worried that the kids might report me or some adminstrator might walk in. I scratched some things out of their stories as they got me. I also made sure they collected them all. To a certain extent they don't get that it's innapporpriate because they talk about sex with their friends, in sex education and see things in movies. I started to use a rating system with them. We have to keep this rated PG.

I know that next week their singing will be better without the practice because they feel better. Even Sassy respectfully reminded me that he wouldn't be in class for a field trip. I said We'll try to have a good time without out. You were really funny yesterday shoving all the balls in your pockets.

They all got why we had done these crazy activities when I explained it to them at the end of the week. I also told them that we needed to incorporate time to have fun together in class. I told them I wished I had thought of doing these kids of things at the beginning of the school year. It would have made all the difference in the world for how my year has gone. At least I have an expanded bag of tricks for next year.

Team Building Articles from Suite 101:

Crowd Breaker Games
Groups and Classroom Games
Classroom Games and Ice Breakers
Youth Ministry Ice Breaker Games
Youth Minstry Games

You Raise Me Up, Josh Groban!!

My kids were barely singing during warmups. I stopped rehearsal.
I don't see a point to continuing if we don't actually sing! I'm done. I will conference with each of you individually about your grades.

Actually, what I really did is I made them talk to me about what they thought their grades should be after I shared with them what the judges are looking for at choral festivals. Truly, I've been having alot of problems with my chamber choir. I think they learned something by me not telling them, but by them having to tell me what they thought of their actions and behavior. Sassy took the paper that had the judging rubric and folded into a paper airplane. He told me he deserves to get an A+. The funny thing is, other than that he was actually nice to me today--nice for Sassy anyway. The two things I heard most often in individual conferences were:
1. They felt like nobody was trying, but everyone wanted to try harder.
2. They love singing You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban.

Quite frankly, I love that song too. I sang it at karaoke to rave reviews by my peers. I could teach them what I know. I might sing a solo at the concert, perhaps some will be inspired. Maybe not. The concert is supposed to be about the students, not the teacher, right? The sad thing is, if they would let me, if they would work, I could take them to where they want to go. I could teach them what I know. But they won't let me.

I listened to every Josh Groban song I could on the web. He's seriously fabulous. I decided to write fanmail to Josh Groban. I told him that the kids love singing the song and that I sincerely hoped that a choral arrangement of Don't Give Up comes out soon because I think kids will really love singing it. I asked him for a signed picture to put in the choir room. That would be seriously awesome. I'm inspired enough to sing that or Don't Give Up to audition for America's Got Talent. I have to do something crazy for me, for my own artistic interest.

Ultimately, though, I have to come up with some kind of strategy to help my choir overcome all the changes and pain they have been through. I don't deserve all of the blame for it either. They are at each others throats. I'm thinking about taking a break from singing and just doing team building exercises and activities with them.

Visit:
www.JoshGroban.com