Saturday, September 19, 2026

"Why Is That Lady Always Singing?" and Other Tales from the Music Room

We are well into the school year, and the kids are making themselves quite comfortable in the music room.  

Help Me, Obi-Wan Kenobi  . . .  
During the first weeks of school, I showed my classes a couple of pictures of my family. A picture of my husband, Dan, and I on our summer road trip popped up. 
 
One of the third grade boys blurted out (before I could stop him since he was not supposed to be blurting out), "He looks like Obi-Wan Kenobi!" 
 
Several of the other kids agreed, "Oh yeah. He does look like Obi-Wan . . . " 
 
I'm 99.9% sure the kids meant the Ewan McGregor version, not Alec Guinness.
 
 
Kindergarten Throwback 
My sixth graders are getting nostalgic early this year. They beg to sing "Slippery Fish" every music class. 
 
"Slippery Fish" is a kindergarten song. 
 
I even use it as an incentive now. If the sixth graders behave well, I let them sing "Slippery Fish" the last few minutes of class. 
 
Classroom management has never been so easy.
 
They also sing it around the school, for the PE teacher and the classroom teachers. Sometimes, I hear the spontaneous renderings of "Slippery Fish" down the hall.  
 
 
That Weird Lady Who Is Always Singing . . .  
The first week of school, one of the kindergartners passed by my room and said, "Why is that lady always singing? She's the only one who does it." 
 

The Cult Of Copy Cat
Copy Cat, my singing companion, is way more popular than I am. 
 
I'm starting to understand that the little kids aren’t sure if Copy Cat is a puppet or an actual cat friend of mine.
 
At first, they act like they have figured it out, "He's a puppet!" 
 
Then they give me the side-eye, "Right . . .?"
 
Some of my current sixth graders, who were online as kindergartners during COVID, recently confessed they thought Copy Cat was real for a long time.
 
 
 
The other day, before choir started, I found the kids doing this . . .  
 
 
 
"All Hail Copy Cat!" they were chanting.  
 
"Are you starting a cult?" Dan asked when I showed him the picture. 
 
"Apparently, Copy Cat is."
 
(By the way, this is a total joke. Nobody is indoctrinating the children.) 
 
Copy Cat celebrated "Talk Like a Pirate Day" this week. 
 
This prompted one of my second graders to tell Copy Cat the following joke, "What does the pirate say at the auto dealership?"
 
"I want that carrrrgh!"
 
 
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