Monday, March 18, 2019

All We Hoped it Could Be

Skimming through a few posts from my early-morning writers, it didn't take long for a theme to emerge:
It is Monday, ugh. I just want to go back to bed.
Monday. The second worst day of the week. I really just wanted to sleep in. 
I don’t like Mondays. Monday’s are always bad luck for me. 
It’s a Monday... Not a good day. 
Ugh Mondays. I really hate Mondays because they’re are the start of a new week, and it’s hard to adjust to waking up early in the morning.
Waking up on a Monday is the worst for me because I usually can’t get up. 
Ugh it’s Monday. I don't like Mondays, I hate it with a burning passion. 
Monday’s feel like a year they take so long.
I sighed and turned away from my laptop. Of course I could relate.

Just then the morning announcements came on the TV. As she does every Monday, our principal shared some words of wisdom. In light of the shootings in New Zealand, this morning her message was one centered on open-mindedness and freeing our minds from intolerance. At the end she played a few bars of Free Your Mind.

I looked around at my Monday-weary kids and realized that a little music was a great idea. Cleaning out their binders was next on our agenda.

"Organization dance party!" I declared, grabbing my phone and the Bluetooth speaker on my desk, and after a little more En Vogue I continued, "I'm taking requests!"

"Livin' on a Prayer!" suggested one student without hesitation.

A little Bon Jovi later, I asked again.

"Country Roads!" someone else shouted.

Who are these kids? I wondered as I blasted the John Denver song.

After that, the requests got a little more contemporary. We listened to Castle on the Hill by Ed Sheeran.

Most of the class was jamming as they recycled, hole-punched, and clipped, but one guy sat clicking his tongue disapprovingly. "What's the next song?" I asked him.

"How about peace and quiet?" he suggested archly.

I laughed and hit search. A minute later the song Peace and Quiet by Drew was playing.

It wasn't quite what that student meant, and he had to tolerate everyone else singing We Will Rock You and Something Just Like This until the bell rang, releasing 15 energized sixth graders into the rest of their Monday morning.

3 comments:

  1. What a great start to the day! I love this!

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  2. Nice choices. I want these kids to make me a Spotify playlist!

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  3. I wish I was in your T/A. Really, where did Country Roads come from?

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