"Time may change me, but I can't trace time..."

Today's Earworm: David Bowie - "Changes"

It's fitting, really. 

We had a last minute change yesterday afternoon. These two days that we have left of school this week before the break has changed to all-virtual. Today I was supposed to meet with my all-virtual students anyway. But, I just have to do it from home now instead, not from school. Tomorrow though, I'll have to meet with my kiddos who normally come in to school virtually instead of in the classroom. 

Do I like teaching virtually? NOPE. By the end of the school day, my eyes and head hurt from all the screen time. I do have blue light glasses and they help...but it's not a total cure/fix. I miss my classroom. I miss my kiddos. I miss my structure/routine. And as you can see, I miss my normal dining area in my house that has now become my classroom. Here is a selfie I took yesterday. This was taken at the end of the day:

Now, here is a picture of my "classroom" this morning:

Imagine trying to teach 6 year olds how to read and write VIRTUALLY. I'm not going to sugarcoat this one bit! It's nothing against them at all. In fact, I'm very proud of how hard they are all working during these unusual times. But there are certain things that just HAVE to be taught in person. Here I am, using my fingers to tap out the sounds of a word to help a child decode it.

Example: the word "cat:" pinch first finger to the thumb for /c/, middle finger to the thumb for /a/, ring finger to the thumb for /t/. 

Easy peasy? Nope, no easy peasy lemon squeezy here. Just picture it:

"No, not that finger! We start with our first finger. Point to your pointing finger. One sound for the first finger. /c/. No, don't say the whole word, just the first sound. Watch me. Wait, is that a TV that is on and you're watching it? Yes, I know you have a cat, but let's try to tap out the word to SPELL cat. No, wait, come back! I'll give you time to show me your cat later!"

The one perk right now? At least I don't have to wear a mask while teaching. YOU try teaching the /th/ sound to a child wearing a mask! Normally I direct their attention to my mouth so they can see my mouth formation: bite down slightly on your toungue with your front teeth, making a "tongue sandwich." Nope, they can't see it with my mask on in the classroom. And I can't see if they are making the sound correctly either since their masks are on. Sure I try to listen, but the /th/ and /f/ sounds are pretty similar and are commonly mixed up with the children at this age.

These poor kids and these poor parents! I've had so many reach out to me thanking ME for MY patience! But really, THEY are the real rock stars because they are pretty much becoming teachers themselves during virtual learning while I'm meeting with other students and they are required to do assignments and watch video lessons. So to all the parents out there reading this:

THANK YOU!

And not just my own students' parents. Parents of all young children who are learning virtually everywhere. You have no idea how grateful all of us are for your support! It would be a lot more difficult and stressful if it wasn't for you!

So what am I doing NOW to help my students AND my parents? I'm creating a class playlist. We have certain songs that I've introduced them to already. They can be found on my Classroom Playlist page. But now I'm wanting to hear more from the students and parents. I want to hear about the songs that make THEM smile and the songs that cheer them up when they're having a rough day. What I'm going to do is create an Amazon Music playlist of all of the kid appropriate songs they share and play them for the students and parents as they log into our daily Morning Meetings and wait for it to start. I want to start each day in a cheerful way and play music that resonates with them. I'm continuing to try to use music as therapy with my students, but ALSO with my parents.

This school year has been stressful on everyone...teachers, students, and parents. I'm just trying to make these times less strange for us and make us feel more at ease. We will "turn and face the strange..."

Now, off I go to the hair salon to get these gray hairs colored.

🎵"And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Don't tell them to grow up and out of it."🎵

-David Bowie, "Changes"

After School Unwind Session: "Well, I've been thinking too much"

Today was not my finest. We are all allowed those kinds of days. But, just like I tell my students, we have to pay attention to how we react to things. Only WE can control how we react. Many things were setting different emotions off for me. But, I kept myself in check. I reminded myself that it's all about my mindset and I tried to keep my energy shield up, blocking out negative energy and only letting in the positive.

Now Spinning: 

Gary Clark Jr. - Live/North America 2016

Key lyric:
"This music is my healing
This music is my healing
Lord knows I need some healing
'Cause when this world upsets me
This music sets me free, yeah"
Gary Clark Jr. - "The Healing"

That lyric is absolutely perfect for me in this moment. And listening to this live album is exactly what I needed. As I listen to this album, it brings me back to the few times that I was able to see him live in concert. 

The first time I saw Gary Clark Jr. live, I was in awe. I heard some of his stuff before just from streaming music. This boy can play! He is bringing the blues back! It's been a long time since we have had some really good blues/blues rock. Think about it...has there been anyone in the last few decades that could really move you like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, or Robert Johnson? Robert Johnson passed before my time. Muddy Waters left this world when I was only 2 years old. But I was blessed enough to have had the chance to see B.B. King live. I went alone to this concert because it was last minute and I really didn't know of anyone who would be interesting in seeing him, Al Green, and Little Richard. (yes, it was as amazing as that lineup sounds!) 

Getting to see Gary Clark Jr. live was great because I could FINALLY see some good, live blues/rock of modern times. It was a phenomenal show. So, when the opportunity came around again to see him, I knew I had to go back for some more! I got a friend of mine to join me and really pumped him up on what to expect, how his mind will be blown away and how he will get all "the feels." I just couldn't wait to share this live experience with someone who never saw him live before!

Well, sadly, this show wasn't as good as the first for me. Honestly, it was a bit of a letdown. So much so that we left a little early just to beat the crowd and the traffic. I NEVER leave concerts early! It's not that it was a BAD show. It was just...meh. He was playing a lot of his brand new songs. Most of the songs all sounded the same to me. And I don't think the sound in the venue was the greatest that night as well.

I'm a concert junkie. So with as many concerts as I go to, there will of course be some let downs. 

The Takeaway
After listening, unwinding, and reflecting this evening, I have to realize that we all will have an off-day. We can't hold this high standards and high expectations and assume that each day will go smoothly. We will just let ourselves down. I'm not saying that we should have expectations and standards to live by each day and try to accomplish. However, we shouldn't be so hard on ourselves when things fail...or when we fail. We need to reflect and learn from it. We have to keep moving forward. 

We are the rock stars of our own shows. Only we can control how we live it, how we learn from it, and how we grow each and everyday. 

Even when we feel like the crowd is booing us, the show must go on.

"Singing about the good things and the sun that lights the day"

Ever notice how being around a body of water can feel so healing?

I spent this beautiful day walking the Ocean City Boardwalk with my mother. It felt so good being out with the sun beating down on our faces and breathing in the salt air. It's amazing what being near the ocean does for your soul.

Today's Track: Led Zeppelin - "The Ocean"

"Singing about the good things
and the sun that lights the day" 

- Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)

I know the temperatures will soon be dropping as winter approaches. I mean, here in South Jersey, we already had some mornings that were only in the 20s! So, since today was going to be so gorgeous, I had to take advantage of it and  spend as much time as I could on my day off outside.

Walking the boardwalk and staring out into the ocean, it really got me thinking about all of the songs out there with water in the lyrics. There are a ton of songs out there about water! Some of my favorite include, but not limited to (in no particular order):

• Led Zeppelin - "The Rain Song"
• Led Zeppelin - "When The Levee Breaks"
• Led Zeppelin - "Fool In the Rain"
• Pearl Jam - "Oceans"
• Billie Eilish - "Ocean Eyes"
• Prince - "Purple Rain"
• The Talking Heads - "Once In a Lifetime"
• Incubus - "Aqueous Transmission"
• Simon & Garfunkel - "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
• Deep Purple - "Smoke on the Water"
• The Band - "Up On Cripple Creek"
• Ottis Redding - "(Sittin' On) "The Dock of the Bay"
• The Beatles - "Octopus's Garden"
• Toad the Wet Sprocket - "Walk on the Ocean"
• TLC - "Waterfalls"

Why write songs about water?

What draws a musician/song writer to write lyrics around the topic of water? This is what I have been pondering this afternoon. So of course when I got home I had to look up some things on the internet.

I found a great article shared by USA Today with a Q&A with marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols about his book, "Blue Mind." The book goes into how being around water brings people into a state of happiness and peacefulness. I just may have to check this book out someday after reading this article!

So, does even thinking about water and envisioning water bring us a sense of calmness and peace? Does it have those same affects on the songwriters when they are thinking of water as they write? Or...are they writing songs involving water to bring a sense of happiness and peace to us, the listeners? Maybe I'm just overthinking this whole thing and it's just easy for them to write a song involving water because it just flows (insert comedic drum sound effect here).

What is your take on it? The reason is obviously different from artist to artist and from song to song. But I'd love to dive into this some more. (insert  another comedic drum sound effect here). And I would love to hear your thoughts on this as well. What are some of your favorite songs about water? Please comment with your favorites!

"Where's that confounded bridge?"

So now as I'm going back and rereading everything that I wrote, I noticed a trend in almost every song I listed above: they conjure up big emotions in me. I believe that is why some of those listed are my favorite songs of all time. Maybe that is the bridge that connects each of us to the song: songs about water can stir up emotions if written properly and with the right melody to back it.

So will listening to songs with water lyrics have similar effects on our souls and mentality as actually being by a body of water since it invokes so much emotion?

Something definitely to ponder over...

After School Unwind Session: “How does it feel..."

I’m writing today’s blog feeling half asleep. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but it seems like I’m feeling overly tired everyday by the end of the day. More so than usual. I’m attributing this to mental exhaustion. I actually talked with a coworker/friend after school today and she was saying how tired she has been as well. We are somewhat confused by it because it's a different kind of tired. No one has ever experienced anything like this before. It's not so much the work load that is making us feel this way. It's the combination of that along with stress, anxiety, concern for our students and parents, and a lot of computer time and virtual meetings with our students and colleagues as well. With all of the adjustments we as educators had to make since March 13th, it has been mentally draining. And experiencing this type of mental fatigue alerts me that I need to do something about it.

I am going to be brutally honest here...I have absolutely no idea what to do for myself to help with this different type of mental exhaustion. I’ve been going to bed early every night. I’m also taking more vitamins (vitamin C, D, and calcium). I’ve been trying to avoid being on the laptop after school and have taken a giant step back from social media because that ALONE can be mentally draining. I’m also taking some time for self care by listening to music, relaxing, reading, and writing for self reflection. So the only thing I can think of doing that I’m not already doing is to devote time to exercise.  

I used to go to the gym quite often. I used to be there at the very least 4 days a week. I would do cardio each of those days by doing the elliptical machine or the bike for 45-50 minutes. I would then do some strength training on different muscle groups and focus on one or two muscle groups each day. While working out, my favorite thing to listen to would be a 90s Hip Hop channel. It always got me pumped and kept me going. My last day at the gym was March 11. So, I have a feeling that my body is overly craving a good workout regimen. 

I think my main issue right now is that I’m not holding myself accountable for exercising during the week. I feel like I need an accountability partner. My good friend Randy who lives in NY reached out to me and said that we could be walking buddies. We can walk at the same time certain days to motivate each other. We could text or talk on the phone to push each other to keep going. I’m definitely going to take him up on that offer. But we have very different work schedules that might make it difficult on most days. 

So I'm thinking maybe I should have a few accountability partners. I mean, really, I need all the help that I can get. Maybe we can create a playlist of songs together that would motivate us. The playlist is KEY to getting through a workout. It could make you or break you. The wrong songs on the playlist will have you wanting to take more rests than reps.  I also would want to have an accountability partner to think of different exercises that we can do from our own homes that target certain muscle groups and maybe walk “together” before the weather gets too chilly. If you're reading this and you are relating to this blog, PLEASE, reach out to me. Maybe we can do this thing together and support each other! 

On a lighter note, what are some "must have" songs on your work out playlist? Do you play one type of genre for cardio, then something completely different weights/strength training? Please comment and share! As I mentioned earlier, I usually play a 90s Hip Hop mix. I'm curious to hear what all of you listen to !

For now though, some music therapy to unwind and relax a little. 

Now Spinning: "Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits"

🎵 "If your time to you is worth savin'
And you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'" 🎵 
-Bob Dylan

"Pick Me Up, Love...EVERYDAY!"

My students this year definitely have personality. I can have fun with them and joke with them during the school day. One child didn't quite seem his normal upbeat self today. So, when I started asking the class to name their feelings this morning, he said "sad." I asked him if he knew what was making him feel sad and he stated that he missed spending time with his dad. We had a class discussion about how we are all allowed to feel what we feel and no one can tell you NOT to feel a certain way. But what we CAN do for each other is help each other cope with uncomfortable feelings.

I told them about a song that I enjoy by a band that I really like. Ok, ok, I don't just really like them....I guess you may call it more of an obsession since I have seen them live in concert 64 times in the last 22 years in 2 countries and 8 different states. It's more than the music for me...it's the friendships that I've made with some amazing individuals from all over. They are my what we call "Jamily." Anyway, I could have a whole different blog page on this topic, so I'll save you from me rambling on about this.

Today's Song: Dave Matthews Band - "Everyday"

I explained to the children that in the music video they will see a man walking around all over town and going up to people, but the people just walk away and dismiss him. But then eventually people start responding to him. I asked them to pay attention to the words of the song to try to figure out what he was asking of the people. About halfway through the video, they knew that he was asking for hugs. I asked them WHY he was asking TOTAL STRANGERS for a hug? Their responses were beautiful:

"Maybe he was feeling sad and just wanted to be loved."
"Maybe he wanted other people to be loved."

On top of their beautiful responses, one child even made the connection to a book that I read to them back in September "All You Need Is Love" by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Illustrated by Marc Rosenthal. They realized that the songs were very similar with the same message. We should spread love and we want to receive love.

As I mentioned in my past posts, this pandemic is doing a number on all of our emotions. Some of us just want to be hugged and give hugs! So, on top of discussing our feelings, understanding our feelings, watching and discussing the music video and lyrics, I improvised a bit to help this child out with his feelings EVEN MORE (if you don't know this by now, "go big or go home" is part of my classroom teaching philosophy). We all traced our hands and colored them bright, cheerful colors and designed them however we wished. Then I had them cut them out and I taped them on rulers. We were then all about to give each other "distant hugs" and "germ free high fives." They LOVED it! They are so excited to use these every day in school! Oh, and the child who was feeling "sad?" Not sad anymore. Positive energy, good music with a good message, and showing that we love each other can help us all cope with our feelings and emotions.

High fives and hugs:

Showing off our creative hands:

Miss Inferrera's Creative Hands:

🎵"All you need is...what you want is...all you need is lovvvvvvvve...."🎵 - Dave Matthews Band

"Well I'm on my way...I don't know where I'm going..."

...ok, well, that's a lie. I know where I'm going: to school. At least I'm awake enough to drive and know I'm on my way to work.

Sometimes all we need is some light and upbeat music to get us up and moving. If you're anything like me, Tuesday mornings are just as sluggish as Monday mornings. I always have my coffee first thing in order to get me going, but it works best when combined with a great melody to bob my head and dance to while driving to work. Of course I get some strange looks, but they just wish they were in MY car listening to MY music! 

During my short 7 minute drive to school, I decided that every morning I want to ask each child to give me a word or two to describe their feelings. I really want to know and understand what they are feeling and why. That way I know what I'm working with that day and there are no surprises.

Today's feeling words: tired, happy, excited
To get my rock stars' blood pumping and energized this morning, I had to introduce them to a fun, classic song:

"Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard" by Paul Simon

I told them that this is one of my favorite songs to dance around to with my 15 month old niece, Ariya Rose. Trust me, if I have ANYTHING to do with it, this girl is going to be well rounded with her musical tastes and knowledge! 

I presented my students with a challenge. I told them that the beat and melody to this song was so much fun that it is IMPOSSIBLE to sit still during this song. Of course they didn't believe me and said they were too sleepy, so there was absolutely no way this song would wake them up enough to dance in their seat, let alone around the room. I'm sure you would be doubting yourself as you looked around at your 6-year-olds at 8:30am, laying across their desks. 

However, I don't doubt myself when it comes to this kind of stuff. I mean seriously...do they NOT know know me well enough to believe me when I talk about music? Today is the 38th day of school for crying out loud!

Well, can you guess what happened?

Before...

After...

Don't worry, we all made sure we socially distanced while dancing around the room. I don't want anyone to be 🎵 "the queen of Corona..." 🎵

"Don't worry about a thing..."

For me, one of the most difficult things about teaching this year is that we have to be "socially distant." My little rock stars (that is what I call all of my students) would normally be getting hugs, high fives, and fist bumps every morning. When they are sick, I rub their back as I walk them to the nurse while carrying a trash can in front of them. When they are sad, I would normally comfort them with a hug. So, it tears my heart apart that I can't do those things anymore without risking the health of them, their families, or myself.

This morning, my first student to arrive had tears coming down her face, wetting her mask. It was killing me to not offer a hug while asking her what was wrong. She stated that she "missed her mommy." This is pretty common with first graders, especially after spending  a long weekend with their families (we had a 4 day weekend for NJ Teacher's Convention). So I asked her to use words to describe her feelings. She stated she was "sad." I did my routine of taking her temperature, got her set up with her breakfast, and was about to talk with her to calm her down when another student arrived.

First let me "introduce" you to this student. This little rock star already has a love for music, which makes our teacher/student dynamic incredible. A couple weeks ago he excitedly entered my classroom, showing me his shirt with pride. "Miss Inferrera! Check out my shirt! It matches the story you read to us!" Now, you could just imagine my reaction! I was so excited and had to take a picture to remember this always.

Now, fast forward back to today. I had to to pick this little guy's brain about the song "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley. I made sure the sad child was included in the conversation as well. He mentioned that the song is special to him. I asked him to explain to our classmate and to me why it is so special to him. He explained to us that "it helps people feel better when they're nervous or scared." Of course I was intrigued to know if he remembers the first time he heard the song. He told us the story about his mom telling him about this song when he was nervous or scared. He thinks it was on his first day of school. He told us that the song helped him with his feelings. I asked him if he still uses this song whenever he gets nervous and he replied that yes, "when I'm nervous, I sing this song in my head."

I asked the sad student if she would like to hear the song. I played "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley for the class and reminded them that I read the book "Every Little Thing" by Cedella Marley. Cedella takes some of her father's songs and adapts them into children's books. The stories, illustrations, and lessons are beautifully crafted. While we listened, I sang the lyrics aloud, even though I have the most awful voice (trust me on this one, folks). Then some students started to sing along. I replayed the song once. Then after listening and singing along during the children's breakfast time, I asked the class to describe their feelings. Some words used were "excited," "happy," and "tired." I then asked the little girl who was crying before how she was feeling now. She explained that she was still a little sad, but definitely not as sad as when she first arrived. 

So, within 10 minutes, the unbelievable power of one Bob Marley song and the discussion about the song helped calm a 6 year old child.

During lunch, I put the song on again. Without me prompting, the little girl called out to me, "Miss Inferrera! I'm so happy now!" She said listening to the music and learning during the day calmed her down.

My take-away of the day? Hugs don't have to be physical to show compassion and change your feelings and emotions. Today, everyone in my classroom (including me) received compassionate hugs from the music.

🎵 "...this is my message to you. Don't worry about a thing, because every little thing is gonna be alright." - Bob Marley 🎵