FUN MUSIC: from frustration to fun 101
With 24 years teaching preschoolers social and emotional skills, I surprised myself this year by discovering a new tool: FUN MUSIC or what the kids call: making up songs about us. And that's just what I do, I make up songs about what I appreciate in them; about what I value; about the behavior I observe. And I have fun with music by singing about what I'd like to see them doing differently. It's particularly fun to make up a song about myself, my responses to their behavior, particularly misbehavior. Laughing at myself was a wonderful way to move through my frustration and back to having fun with these amazing preschoolers.
After specializing in puppetry and the expressive arts, having fun with music did not come easily. It came from necessity, the mama of all inventions. I was experiencing a great deal of frustration, particularly when it came time for clean up. All my effective tools had lost their edge as the children turned four and became more independent
(ie: pushing limits).
I was losing some of my joy and delight in working with the children, and this was unacceptable to me. I could have put the blame on burnout, or told myself it was time to retire. I could have put the problem on the kids themselves. But, being an emotionally intelligent adult, I chose instead to change my response to the situation. I had the burning desire to change how I felt about their behavior but didn't know how to do so.
As is often true of burning desire, the answer comes, from within or from others One day during a particularly frustrating session, where I'd been virtually ignored by the preschoolers, I found my emotions expanding. Here I was a veteran preschool teacher engaged in a power struggle with eight four year olds. And I was losing. It's a known fact that even when we win a power struggle with a preschooler, what we lose is peace of mind.
For those of you who appreciate brain science, my emotions were about to hijack my amygdala. I needed to get back to a place of choice, to let my intellect catch up. It was then, from the depths of me came: FUN MUSIC. Spontaneous Song!
To the tune of This Old Man, I sang out:
"That little boy,
He's two plus two;
He won't put
On his shoe."
"What can I do,
What can I do?
He won't put
On his shoe."
The room grew silent. They were listening. Preschoolers love repetition so I sang another verse:
"That little girl
She's two plus two.
She will not
Put on her shoe."
"What can I do,
what can I do?
She will not
Put on her shoe!"
The room of preschoolers burst into giggles. I had them now and invited them to help me solve the problem.
"What can I do
What can I do?
They will not
Put on their shoes."
Within moments, the children grabbed their discarded shoes and put them on.
Having fun with music had saved the day. I had again fallen in love with my preschoolers.
I laughed through the final verse:
"I was frustrated
Now I'm calm.
Thanks for helping shut off
The Elyse alarm."
After specializing in puppetry and the expressive arts, having fun with music did not come easily. It came from necessity, the mama of all inventions. I was experiencing a great deal of frustration, particularly when it came time for clean up. All my effective tools had lost their edge as the children turned four and became more independent
(ie: pushing limits).
I was losing some of my joy and delight in working with the children, and this was unacceptable to me. I could have put the blame on burnout, or told myself it was time to retire. I could have put the problem on the kids themselves. But, being an emotionally intelligent adult, I chose instead to change my response to the situation. I had the burning desire to change how I felt about their behavior but didn't know how to do so.
As is often true of burning desire, the answer comes, from within or from others One day during a particularly frustrating session, where I'd been virtually ignored by the preschoolers, I found my emotions expanding. Here I was a veteran preschool teacher engaged in a power struggle with eight four year olds. And I was losing. It's a known fact that even when we win a power struggle with a preschooler, what we lose is peace of mind.
For those of you who appreciate brain science, my emotions were about to hijack my amygdala. I needed to get back to a place of choice, to let my intellect catch up. It was then, from the depths of me came: FUN MUSIC. Spontaneous Song!
To the tune of This Old Man, I sang out:
"That little boy,
He's two plus two;
He won't put
On his shoe."
"What can I do,
What can I do?
He won't put
On his shoe."
The room grew silent. They were listening. Preschoolers love repetition so I sang another verse:
"That little girl
She's two plus two.
She will not
Put on her shoe."
"What can I do,
what can I do?
She will not
Put on her shoe!"
The room of preschoolers burst into giggles. I had them now and invited them to help me solve the problem.
"What can I do
What can I do?
They will not
Put on their shoes."
Within moments, the children grabbed their discarded shoes and put them on.
Having fun with music had saved the day. I had again fallen in love with my preschoolers.
I laughed through the final verse:
"I was frustrated
Now I'm calm.
Thanks for helping shut off
The Elyse alarm."