Ms. Wills, can you sing in cursive?

Well, here we go. I've decided to try my knack at blogging since I've been searching for a blog specifically for mobile music teachers and have had no luck finding one. So here I go, I'll dive in feet first. I would say head first, however I am no where near that graceful.
Before I became a musical educator a worked retail at a giant, over-sized, ego-inflated car wash for five years. Music education jobs, as you all know, are extremely hard to come by. Naturally when I heard there was an opening at a local charter school in my town I jumped at the chance, literally. I remember meeting the HR director at a job fair and telling him, "I will get this job." I was hired the day after I graduated. One of the many perks of this job is the wooden and creaky classroom with wheels under it. A cart. This was probably the biggest challenged I'd ever experience in my professional music career. At this point the car wash wasn't looking too shabby. I'm a fighter though so I dove in, and this time I belly flopped. 
School started at the end of August, and after a week long new-teacher orientation, I thought I was ready. Ha. That feeling of security was short lived. I had all these doe-eyed ideas, and little did I know I looked more like a deer in headlights as opposed to an innocent Bambi. Here's a recap of my first week:

• 1st Grader teaches me every four letter word they can think of, EVERY ONE.
• I was constantly asked by the middle school students if I was a new student.
• Apparently I sing Oprah. Not opera, Oprah. 
• Ms. Vanilla became my nick name. 
• I cracked a toe nail running over my foot with the cart. 
• Pencils, paper, books, shoes, erasers, and desks would go whizzing by my head.
• I was told I won't last.

I'll tell you, there is nothing like having your dream job, the thing you've always wanted to be since before you can remember, trampled on, spit on, and then run over by a cart. It got better though.

Urban kids require their own special kind of education, and this was a kind of education my private schooling didn't teach me, so I became a very fast learner. Over the year I've learned more than I had in the 18+ years of schooling I had previously. In this blog I hope to fill two gaps, the first being explaining and giving ideas for other teachers who have the pleasure of using a cart as their classroom, and teaching music education to urban kids. Here's some basic stuff I've learned so far:

1. My name is actually Ms. Wills, as opposed to Mrs. Will. 
2. Still singing Oprah all the time. 
3. The ONLY genre of music that exists on this planet is rap. Period. 
4. It is possible to change the urban misconception started above.
5. I'm a mom to over 360 kids at my school. 
6. Rhythm sticks can, and will, be thrown.
7. Cursive is a new way of singing.
8. A group of middle school boys can either make you have the best day ever, or the worst.
9. Chili can be served on a plate.
10. Pencils, and pencil tapping, should be added to orchestral masterpieces. 
11. School concerts give me nightmares.
12. Teaching on a cart has it's perks believe it or not.
13.  I love my job, and I won't change it for anything.

 Off to 4th grade....