Party Time

I would have skipped it if it had been a single job.  I was subbing for a 4th grade the day before Valentine's Day.  The class was only 20 kids, the teacher had made interesting plans, and the kids and I were having a good day.  But then the secretary asked me if I would come back the next day, since the teacher's children were still sick and she needed a sub for the second day - Valentine's Day.  That meant Valentine's Day parties and marginally controlled bedlam.  But, I really hate to have kids have to have two (or more) different subs in a row, and we had had a good day, so I agreed.

Most of the day was fine.  The kids were disappointed that their regular teacher wasn't there, but we had a good day anyway - for most of the day.  And the kids would say for the entire day.  They do love their parties.

The parents were in charge of the party - food and activities.  There were two adjoining classrooms.  In the other classroom, they were going to play bingo.  In my classroom, they were going to dance.  The parent in my room explained that she had carefully chosen the music, in order to eliminate language and references that were inappropriate for 4th graders.  And most of it was.  It was hilarious to watch the boys start the dancing.  At that age, it is entirely group dancing, usually a circle of boys and a different cluster of girls.  Soon enough, a large number of the kids were dancing - slightly more girls than boys.

Their favorite songs were obviously "I'm Sexy and I Know It" and "Call Me, Baby".  I am glad that I had nothing to do with the music, since I would have been very embarrassed in front of the parents who were there, if they had thought I had chosen these songs.  Virtually all of the kids knew all of the words to those two songs.  It surprises me that the parents thought that they were OK for 4th graders.  And the kids got to vote on which of them they would play again for the last dance ("I'm Sexy and I Know It" won).

Maybe I am getting old, but I remember when we wouldn't have even been allowed to play this song in high school and we certainly wouldn't even have considered the chest shimmy that the girls were doing.

I know kids love parties and Valentine's Day, but I will avoid it if I can.  Sigh.