My Special Power is Music

This past week, I was inspired to share and play around with the song/story Abiyoyo by Pete Seeger.  I was first introduced to this story years ago at a summer workshop about music and children's literature.  What a deal that was!  Two days of paid training in an air conditioned space with a packet of books and sample lesson plans, plus time to make and take any manipulatives you might need to supplement the lesson?  Okay!

Since then, Abiyoyo has become an annual favorite of my Kindergarteners, who get to sing along with the title song, playing "air ukulele" and using pointing finger magic wands to help tell the story with me.  But their favorite part is when I put the book away and tell them that they are going to help me do some more magic tricks.  They then spread out throughout the room and as I say the book's magic words - Zoop!  Zoop!  Zoop! - they turn into whatever picture I show them.  After many years of doing this, I am still buoyed by their squeals of delight as they twist and turn their bodies to form the poses.  If we have time, I finish the lesson off with a "magic ball" trick I learned in an Orff master class a few years ago.  It never fails to impress the most skeptical of students, who end up thinking that I really can perform magic.  The true test of a good lesson is when the children ask to do it again, and this one has never failed.

But then, my true special power is MUSIC.  I never really thought of it that way until last week, when I received the following from a 5th grade boy:

"One day, Mr. D was waking up.  Suddenly he saw it was 7:00!  He quickly went out to school in his D-MOBILE.  He flew over to his classroom very quickly.  He was then ready for another boring day at school.

About Mr. D --> Mr. D was a strong handsome music teacher.  He always wore jeans and a polo.  He had short hair and a beard.  But people did not know that he was secretly a super hero."










Powers --> flight, handsomeness, knowledge

      Super practice suit
      Mask
      Awesome skills of instruments in brain
      Handsome
      Utility belt of instruments
      Super D-Mobile







I can only thank Evan for this depiction of my super hero personality and, while it's true that I am handsome and have "awesome skills of instruments in brain," I am a bit envious of the utility belt of instruments and the Super D-Mobile.  And, in reality, my alarm will go off at 5:00 AM tomorrow and I will wake up, head to school and, rather than endure another boring day, I will share my special powers of music and magic (and aren't those the same thing really?) with my amazing students!  Cheers to you all for sharing your special powers to inspire those around you!