After School Unwind Session: "Move like a jellyfish"

Sometimes we need to just stop overthinking, planning, and worrying. Just go with the flow. In yesterday's blog post, I made a list of daily tasks to help my mind and body "reset." I thought it was a pretty solid list. I was able to check off a couple more things today than yesterday, which is a good start. However, my biggest success arrived last night when I was trying out a different meditation video. 

This meditation/hypnosis video was much better than the one I had on the night before. A man with a calming voice talks you through the meditation and hypnosis to help with jaw tension, clenching, and grinding. As I was relaxing and focusing on his words, there was a moment when I couldn't believe my ears. 

"...your self hypnosis will help you to safely relearn, retrain, and powerfully reset your body and your mind's habits with a much deeper sense of relief..."

RESET

It still amazes me how the universe knows exactly what we need.  By me blogging about how I wanted to "reset" my mind and body each day, I ended up putting it out into the universe. Then during the video I hear him saying that listening to this will help me "reset." I actually laughed out-loud. The universe brought it to me. All of that planning I did by creating that list...for nothing?!

No, not for nothing.

One video on YouTube is not the end all, be all. I still have to pay attention to what I'm doing during the day and break the bad habits and routines that I got myself wrapped up in. Don't get me wrong, the video was VERY helpful! I fell sound asleep before it even ended. The only negative thing I have to say about the video is that when it ended, a YouTube add came on immediately afterwards, which startled me out of my sleep since I had the volume up quite a bit to hear the calming background sounds during the meditation. So, that advertisement messed things up a bit, since I was using it to relax and get a good night's sleep! However, I did fall back to sleep shortly after and slept the whole night! It didn't "cure" my jaw pain. I still must have been clenching and grinding my teeth at some point during the night. But there definitely was a different in the quality of sleep that I got and the pain level in my jaw in the morning. 

Go With The Flow

So maybe I just need to go with the flow. I need to stop overthinking, over-planning, and worrying about things. Maybe I just need to give things some thought, then go with the flow to see what happens. It's always good to have a plan for anything in life. But, it's ok if we deviate from that plan a little. 

Tonight I'm listening to Jack Johnson. It's perfectly fitting because even though I have never met the guy, he seems like the most chill and laidback person ever. Listening to his music always puts me in a very calm, serene, and light mood. So, I'll follow his advise this evening and throughout the weekend:

"Move like a jellyfish,

Rhythm is nothing

You go with the flow

You don't stop"
Jack Johnson - "Bubble Toes"

Album: Brushfire Fairytales

Hmm...now that I think about it, reflecting on the day while listening to my music, I realize that I must have subconsciously known this morning what I was going to listen to tonight. I read to my class "Octopus's Garden" by Ringo Star and Illustrated by Ben Cort. Definitely a water theme going on today. I added this book to my Music Themed Children's Books list. 

So tonight, I'll be a jellyfish, just going with the flow, "in an Octopus's Garden in the shade." I'll try to just live life, enjoy every moment, and see where the current takes me, without over-thinking.

"I keep my sunny side up"

Ever think to yourself "Wow, today has been such a good day! Everything is going so smoothly!" But then wonder "ok, it's too good to be true. Something is BOUND to happen!"

MINDSET

Mindset is everything. Today went so smoothly with our full virtual learning from home. My students, along with their parents and siblings, seem to really be enjoying listening to our classroom playlist as they wait for the Google Meet to start! Not only did the MUSIC lift me up this morning, but seeing the students and their family members smiling, bobbing their heads, and even dancing around made my heart smile! I was on cloud nine! The whole day went so smoothly with this brand new schedule. Shout out to my rock star parents who are going with the flow and easing into this routine with me!

Of course there were some of the usual hiccups that go hand in hand with virtual learning, such as Google Meet glitches, televisions on in the background and children being distracted by it and watching it instead of me. And we can't leave out that face that I feel like a "broken record" repeating "PLEASE mute yourself!" about 50 times. But other than that, it was great!

I'm training my brain to keep focusing on the positive. I'm breaking myself of the habit of thinking "yea, but it's too good to be true...I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop." Why is this so important to not fall down that slippery slope?

We create the energy around us. 

If we think positively, we will attract positive things into our lives. If we have negative thoughts, we will attract negative things into our lives. Now, don't go thinking "I'm going to win the lottery tonight!" and then expect that to happen, then get all upset with me if you don't win! Trust me, if I won the lottery every time I thought positively about it, I would be retired by now at an early age and probably living someplace warm!

Just start changing your mindset. Change the negative thoughts into positive thoughts. It isn't easy. But the first step is to be able to recognize when you have negative thoughts. Be more aware of your thinking. No one is perfect. A negative thought usually will sneak its way into my mind every day. But when it DOES happen, we need to address it and turn it into something positive.

I'm sure you all have said "UGH I'm so tired this morning! I want to stay in bed and not go to work! Why isn't it the weekend yet..."

Change your mindset and think "I'm grateful for the sleep that I got last night. I'm blessed that I have a job, and soon enough I will have a day off to sleep in and spend time with my family."

So right now, I'm very grateful for the day that I had with my students virtually. I'm focusing on that and being positive that the rest of my day will just like that, or even BETTER! I have my energy shield up and activated, blocking all of those negative thoughts that try to come my way.

I know, I know...this all seems like such a big shift to make in your thinking. But trust me, creating this shift will open you up to a more positive day to day life for you and those around you.

I want my students to start becoming more aware of their mindset as well. I think tomorrow I'll introduce them to this song and add it to our Classroom Playlist:

Surfaces - "Sunny Side Up"

🎵"I keep my sunny side up

So they can see me from above

I keep my sunny side up, oh

No more running from the love

Ooh, I keep my sunny side up

You keep your sunny side up

We keep our sunny sides up"🎵

Songwriters - Forrest Frank/Colin Padalecki

After School Unwind Session: "...gonna let your hair hang down..."

 Every take a bath and feel like you're being watched?

This evening I treated myself to a relaxing salt bath to wash away any troubles, stress, and anxiety down the drain. I've discussed this in a previous blog post...water is so healing. But I have one thing to admit, I had a glass of wine to take my relaxing bath up another notch. The whole time that drain plate watched me with those eyes full of judgement. AS IF! I had a stressful day and deserve every second of this! I'm not going on a guilt trip tonight!

Today was nonstop as I taught my students virtually in Google Meet sessions while also trying gather materials and supplies together for their virtual supply pick up. We just recently switched back to full virtual learning. So, I'll be teaching from home and students will be learning from home until mid-January the earliest.

I had so much to do that when I finally got home after 4:00, I realized I didn't even PEE today! This isn't the first time that has happened and I know it won't be the last. My doctor actually informed me that teachers and nurses are the number one professions he sees as patients coming into his office with UTIs. I believe it! (I better remember to drink plenty of cranberry juice tonight...someone remind me please!)

So tonight I didn't spin any vinyl (yet). Instead, I played some Led Zeppelin ballads from my phone as I soaked in the tub and meditated.

Tonight's Led Zeppelin Salt Bath Playlist:

• "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You"
• "I Can't Quit You Baby"
• "Thank You"
• "Since I've Been Loving You"
• "Tangerine"
• "That's The Way"
• "The Rain Song"

Yes, it was a long bath. No shame in my game. It was much needed. 

As I closed my eyes, meditated and listened to the music, I realized that there are certain days that I listen mainly for the lyrics and then there are days that I listen for the melody and instruments. Today, I was definitely focusing on the melody and instruments. I had the music loud enough that I could almost see each string being plucked. I visualized the tambourine vibrations. It was so grounding for me. 

I'm going to start making it at weekly habit of taking a salt bath with music after work. It is so good for the soul. I'm sure you're thinking to yourself right now, "I don't have TIME to take baths!" I'm sure you have a very busy schedule with children and family to take care of. But if it is something that might help you after a long, stressful day, don't you think you should at least try to make a plan to squeeze in even 10 minutes, once a week? 

Ask yourself this question: "Do I deserve it?"

I'm sure you already know that answer.

🎵"These are the seasons of emotion

And like the wind, they rise and fall

This is the wonder of devotion

I see the torch

We all must hold"🎵

-Led Zeppelin "The Rain Song"
Song writers: Jimmy Page/Robert Plant

"Every day can be a better day, despite the challenge"

Today started of fantastic! I sent some tweets out on my Twitter account to help get my blogging out. I also posted on my Facebook page, asking my followers what their go-to songs are that get them up and going in the morning. Some shared some fun songs that I listened to and pumped me up even more. I needed it for our last day of virtual school before Thanksgiving break!

Yesterday I reached out to the parents and asked them to share with me their child's and their own go-to songs to lift up their moods and make them happy. I plan on adding these songs to my Classroom Playlist that I keep on my Amazon Music account. I stream the songs for the students as they arrive in our Google Meet and wait for others to join. I was happy to see that one parent shared with me a song that their child loves. There is no foul language in the song, which is great. But there are a couple lyrics that may deem  "inappropriate."

I played the song when the child arrived in the Google Meet and his face lit up! I tried to end the song early enough before any lyrics that may be questionable. All of the students were bobbing their heads along to the music...it was adorable! I told the class that their one classmate (we will refer to him as "R") requested the song. So many of them said that they knew the song and loved it! I reminded them to have their parents send me a song that makes them happy so we can start off the day happy and upbeat. Mindset is everything when starting the day. If we are in the wrong mindset first thing in the morning, it will end up being a struggle for the rest of the day for ALL of us.

"R's" Requested Song: Post Malone & Swae Lee - "Sunflower (Spider-man - Into the Spider-verse)"

After enjoying "R's" song, I told them that I wanted to introduce them to a song that always makes me feel good. This song reminds me of summer and warms me up!

New Classroom Playlist Track: 

Surfaces - "Sunday Best"
Album: Surfaces - "Where The Light Is"

🎵"Every day can be a better day, despite the challenge
All you gotta do is leave it better than you found it

It's gonna get difficult to stand, but hold your balance

I just say whatever 'cause there is no way around it"🎵

-Songwriters Forrest Frank and Colin Padalecki 

I told them to REALLY listen to the lyrics. I would like for all of you reading this to do the same. It has an incredible message. Surfaces' music always has a positive message. They never sing about anything negative. They use their music and their voices to lift you up. Their words are a good reminder to all of us to emit positivity and love with everything we do. No matter what life throws at us, we will get through it. We will all have our struggles, but it is part of life.

I connected this with everything that is going on in education during this pandemic. We are in school live, then we are virtual. Then some of us are back live on certain days of the week. Then we are all virtual again and we are trying to figure out our schedules. I'm trying to figure out how to meet with all of my students and meet all of their needs, but at the same time, not overwhelm them with too much screen time and work. I'm also trying to make sure I'm not overwhelming the parents.

The one thing that we all need to remember: Balance

Balance is important in everyone's lives right now. It's easy to forget to balance all aspects of your your life. Blogging has actually given me a better sense of balance. Before I started blogging, I would be doing school work until 9:00 at night. My life was completely unbalanced. It was all work. Sure, I'm a teacher. That's my job. But that is not ALL of me. That is not the ONLY thing that makes me who I am.

Who Am I?

Again, I am a teacher...but that is only one part of me. This picture shows how I ended my virtual learning today. But this is NOT all of me. I will not be sitting in front of my laptops all Thanksgiving break doing school work. It would be very easy to do. But being a teacher is not the only thing that makes me ME.

"Who am I?" This is a very important question to ask yourself in order to "rebalance" yourself. You are NOT just one thing. So many things make you "YOU." You should really take the time to think about it. Think deeply...down to the core of who you are. Only YOU have the ability to figure it out. Feel free to comment to this blog or on one of my social media pages where I share this blog post and tell us all about your journey in finding out who you are.

What I plan to do for the rest of the afternoon before heading to my parent's for Thanksgiving break is meditate and try to answer that question myself. I also think I'll stream the rest of that Surfaces album as well to keep this good mood and positive energy going.

Stay positive friends! Lots of love your way...

"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"

"...And A-Five, Six, Seven Eight..."

When I hear a count in at beginning of a song, my expectations are always high. You know the band is gonna bring it. Some examples:

• Outkast - "Hey Ya"
• The Beatles - "I Saw Her Standing There"
• Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs - "Wooly Bully"
• The Young Rascals - "Good Lovin'"

This morning on my way to work I was in the mood to listen to some Alabama Shakes. This one song that begins with "...and a-five, six, seven, eight..." came on had me bouncing all around. While sitting at the red light, I'm sure all of my bouncing and dancing was causing my stopped car to bounce and shake as well! The song instantly woke me up and put me in a good mood...so good that I had to replay it one more time on my short drive to school.

Today's Track: "The Greatest" by Alabama Shakes

Album: Sound and Color

After my virtual meeting this morning with the whole class, my five other students who are live with me are so used to our routine that they immediately walked towards the front of the room to begin Number Corner (calendar and other math skills). I told them I was going to change it up a bit. I wanted to get their blood pumping and make sure we were awake enough to start the day. So, I played the first half of the song for them (they were pretty upset with me that I ended the song before it was over, but I had to). They were a little sluggish at first. But when they saw me jumping around like a crazy person, dancing, and playing an incredible air guitar (I have quite the skills), they knew that I wasn't going to stop hounding on them until they joined in. They caved. Halfway through, they all had huge smiles on their faces, jumping around, and even trying to mimic my air guitar. 

It felt good to get that energy out with them. But there were some important things also that I wanted to show them:

• Yes, school can be fun. 
• No, teachers are not robots.
• Yes, teachers like to have fun and dance around the room too.
• No, we do not have to be so serious all of the time.
• Yes, it is important to dance like no one is watching sometimes and just let loose.
• No, we do not have to stick by a schedule and routine every single second of the day; it's ok to change it up.

In the classroom this year, I think it is extremely important to address students emotional and mental health. So many things have changed for my little 6-year-olds since March. Think about it...they didn't even have one full "normal" school year...ever! They don't really know what it's like! So, I'm trying to make things as "normal" as possible, but also bringing in some different components that you normally wouldn't see if you walked into a first grade classroom, like music therapy. We all need these mental breaks and emotional releases. Not just the children, but the teachers.

Don' worry, I did actually do some teaching today. 🤣😂

When you think about it, "5, 6, 7, 8" IS counting...so our jam session WAS cross curricular!

🎵😉🎵

After School Unwind Session: The Deep Tracks

Have you ever started a hobby or anything to do in your spare time and enjoy it so much that it makes you wonder, "Why did I wait so long to try this out?" That is exactly how I'm feeling with blogging. I always enjoyed writing, but I usually wrote a lot of poetry. Then of course when I slowly stopped writing, I had the old, overused excuse "I'm too busy...life is getting in the way." But I had a couple friends within the last few months mention to me and say "Mel, you should be blogging or vlogging!" I thought, yea, sure...someday maybe I'll give it a try. But only recently did I finally decide to dive in head first. Mentally, I don't think I was quite ready to begin my blogging journey months ago. I believe I had to wait until something hit me hard enough to make me passionate about writing. And obviously now, I'm ready.

Now Spinning: Muddy Waters - I'm Ready

🎵 "I'm ready, ready as anybody can be

Now I'm ready for you, I hope you're ready for me."🎵 

- Muddy Waters

Man, do I love listening to the blues. It puts me in a special kind of mood. I can't even begin to try to think of the word to describe this mood. Creative? Deep? When I listen to Muddy, I FEEL it. It's in my chest, then goes through my veins. I have to close my eyes and either sway or rock forward and back to the beat. This might sound insane, but I would LOVE to have a scan of my brain and body to see what happens when different types of music is played and compare them to each other as well as when no music is being played for me. I'm sure chemicals are being released from the brain...I would just love to know more about the physical affects of music on the body. So, if there are any doctors or music therapists out there who would be interested in this case study...I'm your girl!

Passion

Ok, so as I'm listening and writing, I'm thinking about having passions and how they drive us. I believe you need to be passionate about something in order to do it right. I'm noticing every day after work I have the desire to blog. It's never forced and I will never try to force it. But, does that mean that as long as we are passionate about something, we will always succeed? Well, I'm not so sure...

As you already know from reading my blogs, I'm extremely passionate about music. One of the things that I've always wanted to do was learn to play an instrument. Preferably guitar and piano. And yet here I am, 39 years old, and I haven't learned either. So why is that? If I'm so passionate, why haven't I learned yet?

To me, there is much more involved than just passion. You need the drive, the dedication, and the discipline. I can easily say that I'm passionate to learn music and I have the drive to learn it. However, I never dedicated any time faithfully to learn it or disciplined myself enough to stay on a routine to teach myself.

Did you see what I did just there?

I actually dug down deep and got real with myself. I mean, why lie to myself? It won't get me anywhere. I did a little self-evaluation to figure out what my problem is. So maybe that is the first step that we all need to take with not just figuring out why we never picked up a hobby that sparked interest within us, but with EVERYTHING that we do.

WHY?!

Three letters. One syllable. For such a small word, it truly is huge! Since wondering why I  haven't learned to play an instrument yet, I'm now asking myself more questions, diving in even deeper...

• Why do I love music so much?
• Why do I even want to learn?
• Why am I not dedicating time to learn?

Wow. That got pretty deep pretty fast. You see what blues music does to me?!

So now that we dug a little bit into our passions together, did I spark anything in you? Are you asking yourself some questions about your own passions? This "Unwind Session" was just the tip of the iceberg for me. So the important thing for all of us now is to do SOMETHING with everything we gained from looking deeply within ourselves. For me, who knows what that "something" will look like. Maybe I should look into actual guitar lessons from someone since I do not have the self-discipline to do it on my own. All I know is that if you don't attempt to explore your passions, you will never know what you are missing out on.

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

“All You Need Is Love”

Remember last week’s project I did with the kids that involved tracing their hands to put in rulers so we can give distance hugs and high fives? Well, I was super excited to do that project with today’s group of students (I only did it with my Thursday/Friday group). They were just as excited about finally being able to give hugs!

Not only did I play the song “Everyday” by the Dave Matthews Band, but I also played the infamous Beatles song. 

Today’s Track: “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles

I also held up the boom “All You Need is Love” that I read to them in September and they immediately made the connection. They really enjoyed the song and the meaning behind it. 

As much as I love playing music in the classroom, I have to be careful and make sure I don’t play anything with lyrics while they are working. Listening to lyrics being sung could end up backfiring and cause them to focus more on the song and not their work, ESPECIALLY while writing. Let’s be real...I would end up singing along instead of writing my story that I’m supposed to be working on! But there is a very easy remedy to get the best of both worlds with work completion AND listening to and enjoying music. 

Classical music. 

I took 10 years of dance...primarily ballet. So I love listening to classical music still to this day. But you’re probably thinking “yea, ok. But what 6 year old child wants to listen to classical music?” Well, you would be surprised. 

Please, if you take away one thing from today’s blog, I hope it’s this: listen to The Vitamin String Quartet. Like the sound piano more? Check out The Piano Guys. But for now, let me focus on The Vitamin String Quartet. Think of your favorite singer/band. Got it? Ok...well guess what? The Vitamin String Quartet probably has an album made of their music or at least a song. They range from Aerosmith to Zeppelin. Not just classic rock either! Metallica, The Cure, Eminem, Gorillaz, and yes, even Kanye West. 

Why do I love playing this while the children are reading and writing? I get to jam out to some of my favorite artists and songs, not be afraid whether or not the lyrics are kid appropriate since there are no lyrics at all, and the kids LOVE it! They will always chime in and say “hey, wait! I know this song!” And I’ll say “yes, that’s an Imagine Dragons song!” So today, we got to listen to more Beatles songs while we read and completed our writing assignment thanks to The Vitamin String Quartet!

We want these kids to feel excited about school. I don’t want them to ever feel bored in my class. I have to play to their interests as well as my own to make the classroom environment comfortable, fun, and exciting. Music brings that all together. 

🎵 “There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be, it easy...all you need is love...”🎵 -The Beatles

After School Unwind Session: "I Do What I Want When I'm Wanting To"

My favorite thing to do on Friday evenings is spin some vinyls from my record collection. It usually takes me a while to browse through and pick something out that I'm in the mood to listen to. Today, I knew exactly what I wanted to hear.

Now Spinning: Billie Eilish - Live at Third Man Records

My. God...

Eighteen. Years. Old. (Well, 17 when she performed this)

She was, I believe 14 or 15 when she recorded her first album. WHAAAAAT?!

Some people love her. Some people also just don't get what the hype is about her. Me? Well, I'm one of those who just got sucked in the very moment I first heard her sing.

Her vocals are just so different. So...raw. This girl has some serious lyrical talent. I mean, her and her brother recorded her first album in her bedroom. Imagine what this girl will do as she matures even more with her music and continues to have the resources to produce more and more! (honestly though, I'm kinda scared for that. I don't want her to start sounding "overly produced." Keep it raw, girl!)

When I first heard her sing, I immediately thought "where was she when I was in high school?" It just fits with my musical tastes then and my teenage mood swings. But at least she is gracing me with her beautiful lyrics now. I can now sit with a glass of wine, kick up my feet, reflect on my life, and get into a trance from her hypnotic songs. 

Key Tracks:

• "Ocean Eyes" - Emotional...you have been warned. So beautifully and perfectly written. Important thing to keep in mind, she was only 14 when she wrote this song.
  
• "Bad Guy" - This is one that just feels so dirty, sexy, raw, and powerful.
• "COPYCAT" - Love her humor and it just oozes sarcasm.

Why did I choose to listen to this album this evening? Well, first of all, why not? But really, this live album makes me feel like I'm in a small, intimate venue. I'm not in my house anymore. I'm in Nashville with my friends, enjoying live, acoustic music, drinks, food...there is no pandemic. I am in my happy place. I am free.

🎵 "Too shy to say, but I hope you stay..." 🎵 - Billie Eilish

"Feet Don't Fail Me Now"

We made it to Friday! WHOOP WHOOP!

This morning was another cold, rainy miserable morning...the kind that you just want to stay in your pajamas wrapped in a blanket. I had to change my mindset first thing this morning and put up my energy shield because I was NOT letting this weather determine the kind of day I was going to have.

If I tell you that these kids came in today with a lot of energy, that is a complete and total understatement. Seriously. I wish I had the energy that they had just in their little finger! I hoped and prayed that their energy would be contagious, but my immune system must have been REALLY strong against catching that today. So what to do?

Dance it out, of course!

Today's Track: "You and I" by The Revivalists

"'cause all I wanna do is dance

I just wanna raise my hands

Raise em' up to the sky

It's just you and I"

When the kids come in with that much energy, we have to make sure we take many "brain breaks" throughout the day to get the wiggles and excitement out. Dancing it out to THIS song in particular actually wore them out! Plus, it gave me the jolt of energy I needed to survive the day. (side note: it made me realize how desperately I need to get in more cardio!)

Today, music wasn't used in my classroom to cope with uncomfortable emotions. It was used to release excess energy so the students could focus better on the lessons and their work and not feel restless. But at the same time, the same song was used for me to wake up and give me more energy. How wonderful and powerful it is for a single song to have the ability to help us with our energies in two completely different ways.

Your homework assignment for the weekend (sorry, but I'm going to be THAT teacher right now): really think about my favorite line from this song. See if you can apply it to your own lives...

🎵 "Do you live in the moment when you think about the future?" 🎵

"Holdin' On"

Unfortunately last night I didn't make the time to relax to some music. It was a very busy day after school and preparing for my evening conferences on Google Meet. I went to my mother's to have dinner with her and my step-father and decided to just stay there to conduct my conferences. Don't get me wrong...the conferences went well. I have an amazing group of parents this year who are extremely supportive. But as you know, it's 2020 and we are all full of different anxieties over different things. 

It saddens me that some of my little rock starts become full of anxiety when doing their work virtually. We must remember that every child is different and they  process things in different ways. Some children thrive with virtual learning, while others need that in person contact with the teacher. So hearing about some of them having anxiety while learning from home hit me hard. I felt grateful that this one parent felt comfortable enough to open up to me about it. We discussed ideas, strategies, and tools they can use at home to help their child with coping with virtual learning. What just about broke me though was when the mother just about broke down crying in relief. It was like a ton of weight was lifted from her just knowing that we are going to all get through this together as a team. I reassured her that she is an amazing parent and has raised her child so wonderfully that she should not only be proud of him, but to also be proud of HERSELF. She got very emotional and all I wanted to do was give her a hug. But alas, we are on Google Meet.

I am one of those empaths that physically and emotionally feel what others are physically and emotionally feeling. So when this parent was telling me about their child's struggles with anxiety during their virtual learning days, I became overwhelmed with anxiety myself. I was literally feeling the same things he probably feels. I went to bed last night feeling restless, my heart racing, and my mind going a mile a minute. 

What I should have done? Listen to music. Obviously.

But did I do the obvious? Well, let's just say I'm hanging my head in shame as I answer with a pathetic "no." 

Out of all days/evenings, music was needed the most last night. I'm sure I would have had a little better of an evening and a better night's sleep if I did listen to some music. So, hopefully I learned my lesson.

Today is an all-virtual day for all students. They are all watching the video lessons and completing their assignments at home while I'm alone in my classroom meeting with students in groups and some 1-on-1 sessions. It's probably for the best that I'm alone in my room. Why? Well, can you guess what's going on in my classroom?

Music is playing. Yes, I do learn from my mistakes quickly (well, most of the time at least...no one is perfect and sometimes I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment).

Now playing: Citizen Cope (all albums on shuffle on my phone)

Today's spotlight tracks: "Holdin' On" and "Sideways"

If you haven't heard of Citizen Cope, I highly suggest giving them a listen. Very mellow stuff. One of my recent favorite tracks is "Holdin' On." It is one of those songs where the melody hits you straight in your core. I literally "feel" this song. Yes, I'm also one of those people who physically feel music. Sometimes I feel it on my skin. This song...well, I actually feel the melody running through my veins. 

There is some music I listen to for the lyrics. Then others I listen to for the melody. Then there are some special ones that both the lyrics and melody are equally powerful. I usually listen to Citizen Cope for the melodies. The instrumentals that I am listening to as I have it on shuffle are so soothing and therapeutic for me today. 

I am working hard today to keep my energy shield activated to block out negative energy. I'm continuing to take in only positive energy around me and release it into the world around me.

In the meantime, I continue to sing myself the lyrics
🎵 "Let yourself go girl, let yourself go..."🎵

After School Unwind Session: "It's the music that we choose..."

Time to unwind after a productive day of teaching, google meets, parent teacher conferences, and recording math video lessons for the virtual students. Normally I would play very calm and relaxing music so I could unwind easily. However, today I need to dance it out a bit.

Now Spinning: Gorillaz - G-Sides (August 2020 Record Store Day release)

What I love about this album is the fact that there are songs that I can dance like no one is watching, such as track one, "19-2000," immediately chillax during track two "Dracula," then groove to the funky style on track four, "The Sounder."

Throughout my life, I was always on the hunt for new music to listen to. During my middle school years, you would find me sitting on my bedroom floor with the radio on and a blank cassette tape ready to record my favorite songs, then cursing the radio DJ for cutting the song short or talking during the ending (I mean COME ON! REALLY?!). I worked my high school years to buy CDs and save for a car. College years were dedicated to searching Napster and Limewire for anything and everything that I could find (ultimately resulting in multiple computer viruses...SORRY MOM!). Making my own mixed tapes and CDs is what I did when I wasn't in class or working.

Mind you, I have an extremely diverse vinyl collection. Many of my records lean towards classic rock. From birth to the day I moved out of my parents' house, there was always music (usually vinyls) playing in the house. Rock, Motown, and R&B classics from the 60s and 70s were always spun from the record, to the speakers, to my eardrums, then into my soul. 

So, it was inevitable that I became a "music junkie." As you can see, music in general has been embedded in me since birth. Literally, since my mother attended concerts while pregnant with me.

With all that being said, you have been warned. 😁  This "After School Unwind Session" is the first of many more and diverse sessions to come. Consider this your free ticket to virtual concerts of my vinyl collection. I will probably go from one style to the next each day. My mood sways me to whatever album I put on. I look forward to sharing with you every evening what I listen to, why I listen to it, and what feelings it brings out. So take your seat, refrain from dancing in the aisles, relax, and enjoy the show. 

"Headphones on. World off."

"Easy Like Sunday Morning"

Well, today I finally started my blog. I've been thinking about starting a blog for a while, but really didn't know what I actually wanted to blog about. Teaching? My meditations? Music? So I found a way to combine it all into one. 

I'm a first grade teacher. Teaching in the year 2020 has been "interesting," to say the least. Sundays never seem to be quite easy for me. My anxieties usually come to surface as I imagine the week ahead of me. I've been working on ways to keep my own anxieties at bay, while finding ways to keep my students' (both who are live and virtual) low. I always found that music can change your mood instantly. It's incredible how certain melodies or lyrics can mess with our emotions! I've always found ways to infuse music into our everyday routines in my classroom. But this year, I want to take it a step further. I want to see exactly how students react to what I play for them, their opinions of the music, and how it made them feel.

I also want to play my own music after school to unwind and decompress. I'm a vinyl lover and have a pretty decent size collection. You may be curious to what I listen to in particular. The answer to that isn't quite simple. I practically listen to EVERYTHING. I'm always eager to listen to new music that friends, family, and even complete strangers recommend!

With that being said, I want to reach out to YOU...yes, YOU, sitting there, reading my first blog post. Something drew you to this page. It was meant to be. 

Maybe it was meant for me to share the music I listen to with you. 

Maybe you are a teacher and it was meant to let you know that you are NOT alone with your anxieties and emotions right now. 

Maybe you were meant to share with me some music that inspires you and conjures up different emotions.

Whatever the reason that you decided to view my blog, I hope that you stick around. Let's go on this journey together, exploring how music affects us.