The first day of school can be a drag, even scary for kids, especially after enjoying a long, fun holiday. For toddlers, being left by mom or dad in the hands of total strangers can trigger a fountain of tears. One innovative teacher from Chicago, himself just getting into teaching, has devised a way to allay the fears of children and get them pumped up for the school term. Dwayne Reed penned a rap song to welcome his fourth graders to class instead of handing them the usual ‘Welcome Back’ newsletter. The song, which builds on a simple piano chord drawn from Michael Jackson’s ‘Will You Be There’, uses simple rhymes to entice kids to get excited about what’s in store. To make the song more groovy and danceable it has been pimped with a bit of trap.
“It’s my first year teaching so it’s all real exciting/Got some ideas and I’d really like to try them/Like making songs to remember what you hear/we’ll be leaning so much by the end of the year.” Reed spits in a slow, easy to grasp manner and you can be sure many of his students will have memorized the song by the end of the year. The catchy hook they will be humming by the end of the first school day. Besides getting students pumped about English, science, math, fractions and other subjects, Reed uses his song to remind his students to be respectful and hardworking as well as obedient to the rules. Where were such teachers when I was in school?
Miami Based, Internationally Known
Related Images:
