When you work as a substitute teacher, you have to be prepared for just about anything. Be prepared----a good motto for so many things in Life, right? Come prepared, then be prepared for any number of scenarios. Working with a class of young children----right there you have a case for wanting to be as prepared as possible. You know you can expect the unexpected.
When I'd walk into a classroom to be the substitute teacher for a day, one thing I always liked having with me was a song or two to share. Singing has a way of mixing up the mood instantly. It has a soothing effect. Hearing the teacher start singing has a mesmerizing effect on the students. It's a novelty that I could count on to get their attention, soften the mood, brighten the day. And not just singing a song for the song's sake. Singing their names, singing a transition instruction, singing a greeting or farewell. Singing can "soothe the savage beast". There's something about our singing voices that uplifts and calms.
I think of singing as something so utterly natural, something inherent in all of us. We are fundamentally vibrational beings . We have rhythm and sound in our bones. I wish for every child and adult the freedom of singing without any self-doubt or self-consciousness and the pleasure of joining our voices in song together.
While the time and resources for Music Class may be disappearing from our schools, there will always be opportunities to sing in the classrooms, and ways to incorporate songs on any subject or theme. Viva la Música!
