What Makes Me Fly: Part 1

Just a regular day in the classroom…

So, some of you may wonder what it is that makes me the fly mom that I am. Where did this name even come from, and why was it chosen?

Or, maybe you haven’t wondered, and you may have just assumed that this blogger is a bit whack and… whatever, just go with what the crazy lady claims.

You’re not TOTALLY off in that, but I’m going to explain the full story anyway.

It all starts at the school that I taught at two schools ago. I was one of 13, yes 13 English teachers in a department for 9-10th graders alone. We had a major clearing out of the department, and a bunch of fresh, young teachers replaced them. While I loved my elder co-workers and their invaluable experience and mentoring, I was pumped for some people closer to my own age.  It was awesome, and all that I had hoped that it would be. I was getting much  more comfortable in  my skin as a teacher, and I guess as a person in general, which can only mean one thing.

The weird is free to come out…

I tend to be a rather sarcastic person, love to crack jokes ( often at others’ expense, but I am not completely against holding myself as the target now and then) and it was during this stage of my life that I found that I loved, I mean LOVE to rewrite songs.

It all started so innocently, well sort of innocently, at Christmas time when I rewrote “The Night Before Christmas” poem for my co-workers and included funny little snippets about them. If I remember correctly, it may have been targeted mainly at one particular co-worker who was being a little bit of a Christmas Grinch, but she and I were good friends, and all in the department loved it.

A little bit of encouragement is a wonderful thing, until you give it to someone like me.

A spark was ignited for rewriting to serve whatever purposes I deemed appropriate. Please know that I am very loosely using the meaning of the word appropriate here. I remained at this school for another year, and then soon would be leaving to find a job closer to my husband-to-be, and  that’s how I came to the last district I taught at and really coming into my own as a teacher before becoming a SAHM 

This group of students, whom were my first at NW, will always hold a special place in my heart. The year could not have gone better as a first year at a new school, as I now had a little bit of experience with that. I was completely myself with these kids, and I had some new technology at my disposal. It resulted in this rendition, if I dare call it that, of Juvenile’s “Back That Thang Up”

 

4Sight Prep 2 from Patricia Wood on Vimeo.

It’s primitive. It’s a bit monotonous. But it was a big hit with the kids, and it was fuel for my educational lyrical gangsta fire that would continue throughout my teaching career.

Typically, my “go to” song of choice is, of course, one of the BEST songs of ALL TIME …

none other than Vanilla Ice’s  “Ice, Ice, Baby”… he has helped me fulfill many a dastardly deed.

Check it out…

medium from Patricia Wood on Vimeo.

New Project 5 – Medium from Patricia Wood on Vimeo.

I will survive – Medium from Patricia Wood on Vimeo.

Do you wanna learn some grammar? from Patricia Wood on Vimeo.

If you noticed, I got a backup dancer in the last two videos, and she is the  reason this blog is named “prettyflyforawhitemom.” While I may be able to direct my mad lyrics at others, I can’t always reflect upon myself, and when I asked her, “If I were to start a blog, what should I call it?”  her no-hesitation of a response “prettyflyforawhitemom” struck to the very core of my heart, and I knew it was to be.

AK-47 was the best co-teacher… like EVER, and also a dear, dear friend with way more street cred than I can ever hope to achieve.

So, there it is folks. Notice that this blog is a “Part-1”- so… oh yeah… there’s more!

mic drop