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This used to be a joint blog, but unfortunately my participation peaked at a post about Baked Oatmeal. No promises about future writing, but when an important question arose I knew it was time to get back on Smorgasblurb.
In August, I will be entering a first grade classroom ready to discuss the mysteries of the term “o’clock,” what in the world happens when we add numbers, and how to make meaning out of all those exciting squiggles we call letters. I’m teaching at Maxwell Elementary which, for Denverites, is in Montbello. About 70% of the students are Latino and 20% are African American. Over 90% qualify for free or reduced lunches (the standard educational measure of poverty). It truly is diverse in its population and student backgrounds. I am so excited to have the opportunity to teach at Maxwell.

Which brings me to this post… I’m taking these months to get some planning underway. And, as the old adage goes, fun things first. I’m creating my go-to songs for an A+ (or, as we say in Denver, a 4) playlist. I’d love to create a thoughtful list of songs to introduce to my students. They’ll be incorporated into our day through celebrations, transitions, clean-up, etc… Sure, we could use some traditional kid music, but why not take the opportunity to expose them to some classics or greats?
Some songs should be windows (a look into a different way or time of life) and some should be mirrors (affirming their own culture or experiences) for my classroom. With that in mind…
What songs or artists do you think my students should get to experience?