Teaching Notes, 2nd, 20130613

We didn't have another class during the week of the Spring Sing, and thanks to a field trip for 2nd graders on 6/20, the class on 6/13 was going to be our last for the year. Both myself and the other docent co-taught this last class.

Haul Away Joe

Lead students into class in song

The students always line up before entering, and this time, I had the students practice the response to Haul Away Joe ("Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe") a few times, including as a response to my singing a line. I had them walk in to form a circle while I sang a variety of verses. It seemed like the students had a pretty good time with the song, although I sensed that once we were fully in the room that we didn't want to drag the song out for more than 1-2 more verses. Haul Away Joe is one of those old traditional work songs like Pay Me My Money Down, with lyrics that aren't always so kid-friendly, and so I had to use a combination of lyrics from various variants of the song, including a few lines from the Okee Dokee Brothers. But, I certainly had enough verses and more to last us while we got all of the children into the room. Note that I didn't bother singing the bridge of the song, since that didn't involve the same response that the students sang.

Abiyoyo	Recite/sing song
I asked if the students were hot and tired (of course they said "yes"), and so I had them sit down for story time. I figured that this was the last music class for the year, and so I thought we'd treat the students to a classic musical story (more story than song, in this case). There are several people/groups/shows that have told the tale of Abiyoyo, and I tried to model my rendition based on Bill Harley's telling of the story. The students were captivated by the storytelling (as if they hadn't had a story read straight to them before), I brought my uke to class that day, and of course I used it during the story. There were a few students, particularly in the second class, that knew the story, and there was a little bit of distraction during the activity when students blurted out parts of the story (not necessarily corresponding to where we were in the story). But the story seemed fresh for all. Just like Bill Harley's recording, we all sang together as a group the Abiyoyo song.
Spring Sing Video	Show video recording of the spring sing
I wanted the students to see themselves sing, even if not all of the 2nd graders made it to the Spring Sing. The students always love hearing or seeing themselves in action, and in some cases, the students started singling along with recording. I even grabbed my Rubber Baby Buggy Bumper lyric slides to help them with the chorus
Auld Lang Syne	Teach and sing
The other docent led this song; she had prewritten the lyrics to the song on the whiteboard for the students to sing. But, before we started with the music, she spent some time talking about the meaning of the words "Auld Lang Syne", and what the song meant. She had a recording of the background music on an iPad, which she played for the students, and then we all started singing. Mid-way through the iteration I picked up my uke and started accompanying the students. After singing it through twice, she had the girls and boys split the song, which seemed to work well with two docents in the room.
Haul Away Joe	Reprise to get the students lined up again
I had treats for the students to be distributed after the spring sing, but the students departed too quickly for me to give them out. So, I brought them to this last class. In order to give them the treats, I had the students reprise Haul Away Joe, and as we sang the song, I had them walk slowly so form a line out the door from which they came. I then rushed to the front of the line and handed out treats to each student as they walked out.

As they say, the rest is history. This was the first year that I tag-team taught a class, and while it meant that I couldn't cover as much material that I normally would have liked to, it was still a lot of fun, and I know that the students were exposed to other songs and activities that I normally wouldn't have used. I do feel that over time, especially during the spring and in May-June, the challenges of keeping the students engaged, particularly with the second class, improved somewhat; I can think of a few kids who were typically challenging during the earlier parts of the year who became consistent participants, if sometimes a bit more enthusiastic than others.

It's unclear whether or not I'll tag team again, as next year's schedule may change altogether. I may even finally teach Kindergarten for the first time for the whole year, as my daughter will be entering as K in the fall. Speaking of which, "fall" for this school is actually only 5 weeks after school ends, so I'll be back here not too long from now. Have a great summer!