Class Participation

It is typical of adolescent students to either act or to actually be disinterested in whatever is happening in class. In order to circumvent a complete absence of participation, I sometimes will choose "randomly" among students for participants (though I generally call on the most notorious non-participants). One student, N, was apparently not prepared for this inevitable interaction, but knew how to end it quickly:


Mr. F: "N, could you please clap measure 3?"

(silence)

Mr. F: "N, a little louder please."

N: "Whu?"

Mr. F: "Measure 3. Let's go!"

N: "Nah, nah, nah."

Mr. F: "Yes yes yes. Ready and..."

N: "Cuz...you got the wrong n*gga."



Moving on...

The student becomes the master

On a day when, after waking up late, I neglected to even look at my hair (let alone trim my beard), some students leapt at the chance to tell me about it:

D: "Mista, you look NAPPY today!"
Mr. F: "Not that it matters, but I really didn't have time to do my hair this morning."
D: "Yeah. We can tell!"

T: "Mista, you look like Mr. Tumnus!"
Mr. F: "I'm sorry, I don't know him."
T: "No he's from Narnia! He's the goat man! You look just like him!"

F: "Mista, you know who you look like today?"
Mr. F: "I know, I know. Mr. Tumnus from Narnia. Someone already told me that one."
F: "No! You look like that monkey from Dora! What his name is? Boots! You look like Boots!"


Since I expend a good deal of effort and time here mocking students, I think it's only fair that I also use this forum to validate their mockery of me. The previous comments were unprompted, and in some ways, I am glad that my students have become comfortable enough to tease me (perhaps, even, in a manner more playful than malicious).

Divorce Posture

I somehow became involved in the following conversation while covering a yoga class (yes, we have a yoga class; for senior girls). It was never the students' intention to involve me in the conversation, but by virtue of being present for it, I became involved:

S (mid-sentence): "...always asking me if I'm sad that my parents are divorced. I'm fine; that sad stuff is for white kids!".

Awkward pause...

K: "Sorry Mr. F..."

Mr. F: "Don't worry, I'm not a white kid. I'm a white adult."

Awkward pause...

Mr. F: "And besides, my parents divorced, and I was fine with it. It just meant twice the number of presents at Christmas time."

S: "Mista, I'm BLACK. I'm gettin' the same number of damn presents no matter how divorced my parents are!"

Don't be such a n00b

This is a rather endearing series of responses provided by 6th grade students. I want to preface this entry with the statement that these students are are, without exception, new to music, and that this entry is in no way intended to degrade them (nor is it intended as a commentary on their past or current music education).

Mr. J: "Can somebody tell me what a staff is?"

D: "Staff are the people that work at Summer camp. You know, like counselors and stuff"

G: "Like a custodian?"

Mr. F: "There is actually a staff, even more than one, somewhere in this room. Can someone show me where?"

C: (points to Mr. F and Mr. J)


Continuing the lesson...

Mr. F: "This symbol, on the staff, is a type of clef. Does anyone remember what it's called?"

F: "A tremble clef!"

Mr: F: That's close...can someone help F out?"

G: "A trouble clef!"

T: "What? We're in trouble!?"

Ebonic Mnemonic: Year 2

The assignment: create your own mnemonic sentence to assist in remembering the lines of the treble clef (EGBDF for those not in the know). I was confident that no one was going to be able to top last year's winner (entry dated 9/8/07). I am happy to report that I was very wrong. This year's winner:

Every Gangsta Be Dissin' Fuzz

The journey of 180 days begins with...

I suppose I am rather fortunate that in the first week of my second year there is no particular story or event involving students that is worthy of recording here. However, my administration, as usual, has risen to the occasion and provided me with my inaugural entry of the school year. Here is a backhanded insult delivered by the administrators themselves:

"I've got good news for you. This year, we're going to treat music like a real subject."

Welcome back.