I teach math for 80% of my day and music for the remaning 20%. I really love doing both. My friend Kelly, the English/Language Arts teacher, is about to begin reading Romeo and Juliet. She asked if I would show West Side Story in music at about the same time. I jumped on it. I explained to my inner city seventh graders that musicals are a lttle different since the people stop to sing and dance at any given moment. I went on to explain the plot of West Side Story, talking about the gangs and relating it to what the kids see in their own neighborhood on a daily basis. After all of my prepping, I began the movie. All of the kids were hooked, until the dancing gangs appeared. Their reactions were HYSTERICAL!!!!! The looks over the shoulders at me in the back of the room, the comments ("Damn! What is up with this gang? Is this how gangs acted in the old days?"), and the rolling eyes. Eventually they got back into it. And in the end, they all LOVED it!
When the lights came on at the end of the movie, lots of kids were trying to 
cover their tears. So I brought up how I cry every time I see it and "isn't it the most tragic movie ever?". Then the kids started talking about other really sad movies while I was battling my new and fancy computer projector to it shut off. Someone brought up Stepmom and how it always made them cry. It was then that I got the best compliment ever! One of the kids said I was just like the mom (Susan Sarandon) because I was so understanding and organized but strict too. My head popped up to see who said it. Then another kid said I was more like Julia Roberts because I was cool and knew about kids' stuff. Then the group of kids talking agreed that I was the perfect combination of the two. ISN'T THAT THE BEST COMPLIMENT EVER? My fellow teachers will appreciate it. I felt wierd telling my friends - that they would think I was bragging. So I am sending this out into the universe. It just made me so happy!
Posted by: laurie | January 22, 2005 at 02:10 PM
Posted by: little things | January 22, 2005 at 09:34 PM
Posted by: queenie | January 23, 2005 at 05:01 PM