High School Musical, Fourth Grader Style (9/27)

My students impressed me today. Not just a little, either. You may have heard of the movie High School Musical. Well. My students LOVE it!!! They listen to the movie music every opportunity they get. They dance and sing along with the English lyrics, and these boys and girls just enjoy themselves. Our principal walked in on their fun and invited them to perform for an assembly. So they set a date and the practice began. Each recess for the last month about 10 students (with additions and subtractions to the group and much groaning by others due to the inescapable presence of these songs) have practiced and added choreography to their routine. Today they performed their show, even including a student jumping off steps and into the arms of others, trustfall-fashion. It was so impressive that the assembled cried for a repeat. These students, joined by the other less-certain students repeated the act. And, due to popular demand, everybody was invited to dance to the song one last time. This was sheer pandemonium, but enjoyed tremendously by the students! To the point that children begged these fourth graders for autographs.

What impresses me so much about this is it was so student-oriented. The students were self-motivated, they were given an opportunity and they achieved in many ways. These students contributed to the school community in a way that will be remember for much longer than this year. It really was an incredible lesson for all of the fourth grade. I wish for opportunities like this in the States.