My Worst Class

 

I was delighted when my colleague Sofia asked me to sub for her and teach a first-grade music class. I had my game all picked out and was ready to go. The kids came in and I got them into a circle and sat down.  But then some kids got up and switched to another place. Some moved forward or back so the circle shape was lost. One just sat in the middle of the circle. 

 

I re-positioned some kids and told them clearly that no one could move to another place. And had the kid in the middle sit in a chair on the side for a little time out. Then a couple of kids grabbed chairs and brought them back to the circle. So I had to re-direct them. It wasn’t a good start.

 

Finally, off I went with a little pat and clap, but only a few joined in. I spoke the first line of the game’s text for them to echo and only a few echoed. I reminded them that everyone needed to join in. Some looked at me as if I was speaking some ancient Icelandic dialect and when we started again, they still didn’t. 

 

Needless to say, I was feeling frustrated and felt like I was herding cats. I cajoled them. “Hey, if we learn this game, we can go swimming at the beach afterwards!” I shamed them. “Kids, I have been teaching for 50 years and I’ve never had a group as bad as you!” I threatened them. “When Sofia gets back, I’m going to report all of you and you will be in big trouble!” But nothing, and I mean nothing, had any effect. Nothing was helping me get out of this nightmare of a class. Until……

 

I woke up.