*ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 9, 2020*

For me, one of the most difficult things about teaching this year is that we have to be “socially distant.” My little rock stars (that is what I call all of my students) would normally be getting hugs, high fives, and fist bumps every morning. When they are sick, I rub their back as I walk them to the nurse while carrying a trash can in front of them. When they are sad, I would normally comfort them with a hug. So, it tears my heart apart that I can’t do those things anymore without risking the health of them, their families, or myself.

This morning, my first student to arrive had tears coming down her face, wetting her mask. It was killing me to not offer a hug while asking her what was wrong. She stated that she “missed her mommy.” This is pretty common with first graders, especially after spending  a long weekend with their families (we had a 4 day weekend for NJ Teacher’s Convention). So I asked her to use words to describe her feelings. She stated she was “sad.” I did my routine of taking her temperature, got her set up with her breakfast, and was about to talk with her to calm her down when another student arrived.

Meet “K”

First let me “introduce” you to this student. This little rock star already has a love for music, which makes our teacher/student dynamic incredible. We will call him “K.” A couple weeks ago he excitedly entered my classroom, showing me his shirt with pride. “Miss Inferrera! Check out my shirt! It matches the story you read to us!” Now, you could just imagine my reaction! I was so excited and had to take a picture to remember this always.

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Now, fast forward back to today. I had to to pick this little guy’s brain about the song “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley. I made sure the sad child was included in the conversation as well. He mentioned that the song is special to him. I asked him to explain to our classmate and to me why it is so special to him. “K” explained to us that “it helps people feel better when they’re nervous or scared.” Of course I was intrigued to know if he remembers the first time he heard the song. “K” told us the story about his mom telling him about this song when he was nervous or scared. He thinks it was on his first day of school and that the song helped him with his feelings. I asked him if he still uses this song whenever he gets nervous and he replied that yes, “when I’m nervous, I sing this song in my head.”

Connecting Music With Books to Improve Our Emotions

Following that conversation, I asked the sad student if she would like to hear the song. I played “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley for the class and reminded them that I read the book “Every Little Thing” by Cedella Marley. Cedella takes some of her father’s songs and adapts them into children’s books. The stories, illustrations, and lessons are beautifully crafted. While we listened, I sang the lyrics aloud, even though I have the most awful voice (trust me on this one, folks). Then some students started to sing along. I replayed the song once. Then after listening and singing along during the children’s breakfast time, I asked the class to describe their feelings. Some words used were “excited,” “happy,” and “tired.” I then asked the little girl who was crying before how she was feeling now. She explained that she was still a little sad, but definitely not as sad as when she first arrived. 

So, within 10 minutes, the unbelievable power of one Bob Marley song and the discussion about the song helped calm a 6 year old child.

During lunch, I put the song on again. Without me prompting, the little girl called out to me, “Miss Inferrera! I’m so happy now!” She said listening to the music and learning during the day calmed her down.

My take-away of the day? Hugs don’t have to be physical to show compassion and change your feelings and emotions. Today, everyone in my classroom (including me) received compassionate hugs from the music.

🎵 “…this is my message to you. Don’t worry about a thing, because every little thing is gonna be alright.” – Bob Marley 🎵