Brandon: Mmm. You’re making me miss you even more right now.
Lennon: You have no idea how much I wish we were home and in bed. Or that you were here, so we could christen the instrument closet. :)
Brandon: So my naughty teacher fantasy might actually come true?
Lennon: Ha-ha! Class is starting. Only a few more hours left until the day is over! Love you!
Shortly after I enter my classroom, a group of kindergartners comes inside for their lesson. I smile at Mrs. Jenson who escorted them over before she waves and shuts the door.
Their attention spans are so short that I have to work hard to keep them occupied for the class period. Though it can be exhausting, I still love it. They keep me on my toes.
“Good afternoon, class!” I greet with a wide smile.
“Hello, Ms. Corrigan,” they say in their cute little voices.
“So the spring concert is in a couple of months. Do you know what that means?” I ask, meeting their gazes.
Some of them shake their heads and others nod, while the rest are too busy picking their noses to care that I’m even speaking.
“It means we’re going to perform for a bunch of people including your parents. This year, Disney is the theme!”
Several of them are so excited they stand and start dancing around like I fed them pure sugar. Disney, to kids, is an instant trigger word, which is exactly why I chose it.
“Jewel and Lacy, please sit down, okay? So today we’re going to learn a new song that many of you probably already know. It’s called ‘Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,’ and you’ll be singing it with the first and second graders. Have any of you heard of it before?”
David stands up and starts belting out the chorus before I can stop him, but he has a family addicted to all things Disney, which I learned when I met his mother at parent-teacher night. I made the mistake of commenting on her adorable Mickey Mouse shirt and listened to her go on for ten minutes about the five trips they take each year.
“Very good,” I tell him, and he proudly sits down.
I have the class stand and do stretches, then we go through the scales to warm up their voices. Once they’re ready, I teach the main chorus of the song. We sing it slow at first, over and over, and then I add in a few hand movements. Repetition is key with children this young, but I’m beaming with pride when I see most of them have the basic concept down. They’re quick learners, and I’m overjoyed that we’re already making headway.
After we’ve gone over it at regular speed, the bell rings, and all the little bodies swarm to the door and follow their teacher out of the room. I have just a minute to breathe before the first graders rush in to fill the chairs. Once everyone settles, I make the announcement about the spring program, and they’re ridiculously excited by the news too. It’s official: Disney is a win with the kids.
After I pass out the sheet music, we practice the song all the way through. They catch on much quicker than the kindergarteners, and not long after, I add in the hand movements for them to mimic. Before the class ends, we start at the very beginning again, and I’m pleased when they get most of the lyrics and choreography. This concert is going to be so cute, and ideas for other songs start flooding in.
“Great job! You all make me super proud. We’ll have more songs to learn, so take your music folder with you and practice at home. I can’t wait to see how great you are next time!” I try to encourage them every chance I get.
The second half of the day passes quickly, and by the time the final bell rings, I’m more than ready to get home to Brandon. Being with him melts away all my worry and stress.
As I walk to my car, I pull my phone from my pocket, and a smile instantly fills my face when I see an unread text message from my little sister, Madelyn. She’s four years younger than I am but moved from Utah to California to be near our older sister Sophie and me. The three of us have always been close, so being within driving distance of each other is something we’ve always wanted.
For Maddie, staying with our parents during high school was difficult because she felt so alone without us. It was an adjustment when Sophie left. A year later, I followed, and Maddie was basically an only child without us there. She’s been here for a year now, though it feels like only yesterday since we haven’t been able to spend a lot of time together due to our conflicting schedules. She’s such a talented dancer and received a full-ride scholarship to CSU in Sacramento.