Thankful!

A Little About Me

Even though you can read the section at the right, the blog template wouldn’t let me include my whole (eloquent) essay. What is THAT about? Maybe it was trying to protect you from having to read an essay of me going on and on. So, the couple of paragraphs that I left out will be included in my posts here and there. I need to include the information from those deleted paragraphs so that I can segue into thanking some other people as well.

A Common Thread

One common thread amongst all of the elementary students is that all of them like to sing or rap educational songs during school. My problem was that the only songs that I knew and loved at the time were Dr. Jean songs, which are generally geared toward kindergarteners and first graders.

Dr. Jean had opened a whole new world to me by singing songs to children that teach them important information while entertaining them at the same time. She rocked my world! (Even though that phrase was probably not coined or widely used at the time.) If you do not know Dr. Jean, visit her website. She will CHEER YOU UP! Thank you, Dr. Jean!

Needless to say, I began writing lyrics to familiar childhood songs so that my second graders would have a fun way to learn the information. Actually, I thought of rhyming words and phrases to tunes whilst in the shower. Then I would jump out to try to write them down as quickly as I could so that I didn’t forget the songs. These days, it’s a good thing that our phones have recording devices!

My Goal in Life as a Teacher

~You know how you get a song stuck in your head?~

My goal is to sing and chant

                    skills,

                    strategies, and

                    content

so that the kids

smile while they are learning,

accidentally sing the songs at home, and, eventually,

have the songs “stuck in their heads.” 

After all, we want them to retain all that they have learned. Wouldn’t you agree?

Thanks for stopping by!

                                 Carrie

{My TpT store should be up and running in the next few days. It’s summer after all…the time when we teachers do the things that have been accumulating on our lists for the entire year.}