No Ordinary Song and Dance

Use all your resources! Be animated! Throw self-consciousness out the window! That's a lesson I learned some time ago and it has served me ever since. As a parent or teacher it is helpful - even necessary - to climb out of your shell and sing and dance as a part of a child's learning experience.
Before teaching in the Early Childhood field, I was an art teacher who used a pretty straight-forward approach to teaching my lessons. Giving instruction and encouragement to the older age groups left little room for animated performances, much less singing. After all, the creation of art itself was enough creative expression.
Encouraging creative learning in the young mind soon beckoned me, and I shifted gears to become an Early Childhood teacher. During this transition, I was pretty confidant using art as a learning tool for many things besides art itself, and that was my angle when interviewing for positions in this field.
After one fateful interview, I received a call back requesting a "working interview" where I would be observed by the staff as I taught a lesson with the children at the school. I enthusiastically put some lesson plans together and had a good feeling about how they would play out. In preparation, I called a teacher friend of mine who worked with young children and asked her for any feedback regarding the lessons I put together.
She gave me a big "thumbs up" on everything and added that I should sing a particular song to go with the lessons. After teaching me the song itself and the happy motions to accompany this number, I told her, "I'm not singing in front of a room full of people! Nobody needs to experience that - especially me!" She respectfully disagreed and told me how useful singing and dancing are with children as they are learning. "Forget about the adults in the room - they don't exist. It's you and the children and they WILL respond in a positive way to your singing. I promise!" I made no promises of my own at that time.
During my working interview I did indeed have fun and kept the interaction between the children and myself. Nearing the end of the art section I felt things were going very well when a voice somewhere inside me (not thinking it was mine) said, " ...And now I have a great song to teach you that goes with our activity!!!" Before shock and dread could set in I found myself performing this ditty as well as blatantly singing off-key and even messing up the lyrics. I had no time for remorse as I found my audience smiling, laughing AND participating. This had an immediate and universal appeal in our group.
To no surprise, I was told as I was offered the position that "my animated presence really engaged the children". After all, that is the goal when teaching. Now there isn't a day that goes by without a song and dance.

Mr. Charlie