We love when teachers send a story that perfectly captures what the First Five is all about. Recently, this one absolutely hit the mark. Shout out to Ms. Carrigan from the great state of New York!
Ms. Carrigan shared that her class watched the video with a little girl joyfully singing RESPECT by Aretha Franklin. Instead of stopping at, “Wasn’t that cute?” she used it as an on ramp. She asked her students how a child could love a song that came out in 1967, decades before she was born.
Then, she took it a step deeper. She talked about how someone in that little girl’s life such as a parent, a grandparent, an aunt or uncle must have shared that song with her. With that thought, the room shifted. Students began sharing the songs that remind them of someone they love. She joined in and told them about her grandparent, Hee Haw, and about the old 8-track tapes. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a video, it was a beautiful shared moment of memory, belonging, and joy.
This is the power and potential of the First Five. Ms. Carrigan used that video as a quick, fun, and warm way to set the tone for the math lesson that followed!
Link to the video if you missed it: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3_y3HXFWrGI
Share your moments with us as well, we would love to hear them!
-Brian Mannas