Fourth-Grade Rock Band

So, the new school year has started and I have had several people ask me if I miss teaching. There are certain parts of teaching that I miss deeply and there are other parts of teaching that I do not miss one iota! I miss the students and the crazy antics. Each day I had a story to come home and tell my family. Many evenings, we would sit and laugh around the dinner table over the funny things that occurred in my classroom.


One year, while teaching fourth grade our school attended an assembly that was about a man that could play the spoons, (that's a whole blog in itself!) My students were inspired- so inspired, that they wanted to start their own band. The idea was that each one who wanted to play would have to choose a ruler, pencil, or any other school supply as their instrument and try out in front of the classroom bully.

After several recesses of trying out- some were accepted and some were cut!

When my students came in from recess- I knew something bad went down on the playground. Everyone was yelling and two students were crying. When I finally got the story, I found out that the "band" had instructed their bodyguards (they thought of everything) to "pound" anyone who came near them.

Well, by the time I got to the bottom of everything, I had enough! In my very stern teacher voice I told the band that they were disbanded and that they could no longer play.

With that, we lined up and took a bathroom break.

While I was waiting for my students to finish getting a drink, one of the boys approached me and said in a very gangster-type whisper "Mrs. Wulf, I've got to tell you something, but I can't tell you here."

When we returned to the room, and while other students were preparing for Math, I asked the boy what he wanted to tell me.

In his gangster whisper,he said "There is talk that the band will be getting together to practice secretly- I just thought you should know."

As the "Godfather" of the room, I put them in their place and threatened to send them to the principal if they could not abide by my rules. I know that seems like a rather lame threat- but to a 9 year-old, going to the principal's office can cause a serious meltdown. (that's another story)

It is moments like these that I miss and when I reflect on them....I catch myself smiling!