Show and teach...

I love how kids long for show and tell at school. In fact I think more time is spent picking out their show and tell item than doing their homework. They're being taught at a young age the art of presentation - they stand in front of their classmates and shyly talk about their item with a few prompts from their teacher. And by the time they're able to stand up and talk for five minutes on their item without prompts the schools don't do them anymore.

I was surprised to get a note from Hallie's school for a variation on show and tell; show and teach. One time during the year she would be assigned a day and she would need to present/teach something to her class for 15-20 minutes. At first her thinking was really limited to things she had already seen other students do. But the more presentations she saw the more creative she became with her idea. She chose to teach her class the "cups song". A short rhythmic song in which you tap, move and hold your cup, staying on beat.

It's not hard, but rhythm in general is hard for many people, especially kids. She worked for 20 minutes teaching them the song. The majority caught on and were able to stay on beat by the end. I wish I had video footage of her little voice trying to project out above all her classmates who were playing with their cups! She did a great job and I appreciate the school's push to get these kids leading in front of their classrooms.