Where's My Banana

“Ooooh! Can we do that fast and slow one where we move around the room?”
“Where’s my banana?”
“How did the Great Depression affect Louis Armstrong and his family?”

Other than seeing the smiling faces of my car rider parents, these three statements have been the highlights of my first week back. Let me explain:

Last year at the end of the year, I taught fast and slow to my Kindergarten and 1st graders. One of their favorite activities was moving around the room at the appropriate speed. Sometimes, they even moved so fast that they made the ceiling fans turn! When I began fast and slow with my 1st graders this week, I realized just how many students remembered what we did last year. I’ve had at least one student from every 1st grade class ask if we could do that fast and slow activity. Students in other grades have asked about activities that we did last year, too. It makes me feel good that my students are remembering.

One day last year, I accidentally left a banana on my desk beside the computer where one of my autistic 3rd grade students, J, sits for music class. As I was teaching, I began to smell a banana. J had decided to eat my banana! The next week, I intentionally left a banana to see what he’d do. He ate it. The next week I left a cutie orange. He ate it. For the rest of the year, I delivered fresh fruit to J…so I guess it only seemed to natural for him to expect fresh fruit in music class this year—only, I forgot! I taught J’s 4th grade class on Tuesday. He sat down at the computer, looked at me, and said, “Where’s my banana?” 😊 I will be going to the grocery store to buy J a banana before class next week!

Each month, I put up a bulletin board of composers and musicians who were born in that month. Louis Armstrong was born in August. To set up my unit on the International Day of Peace, I decided to teach my 5th graders a little about Louis Armstrong and his song “What A Wonderful World.” One of my students who is good with history and numbers evidently made a connection about the time period in which Louis Armstrong lived. Completely out of the blue, he raised his hand and asked, “How did the Great Depression affect Louis Armstrong and his family?” Dumbfounded, I responded, “Well, I don’t know. But between the two of us, let’s find out.” I’ve been reading books and articles about Louis Armstrong ever since. I even downloaded a book in Spanish by accident!

Today’s calendar reading told me to make a list of everything I’ve accomplished today—that I might be surprised at how much I’ve done. Instead, as I’ve written this post, I’ve been surprised at just how full my life has been this week. Every moment. Every day. There is life to be lived—moments to be celebrated—sometimes we just need to slow down and think about them to let them sink in…

What is something that has made you feel good this week? Something that has made you laugh? What is something that has dumbfounded or surprised you? A silly mistake you’ve made that could have been avoided had you paid attention? Have you been studying something new—learning about a life you never knew about before? Are you an expert on how the Great Depression affected Louis Armstrong and his family? I’d love to hear, friend. And now. Go eat a banana! 😊