Tim’s bright idea: create an original musical with the entire 4^th grade class.

Today’s reality: Today I met with the group of 4^th graders who’s job it is to create the characters for our musical. The setting is old Texas, during the cowboy times.

Me: Ok, let’s create a character who could be our hero. What are some possible character traits?

Students: Annoying.
Stalker
Wears a RREALLY BIG gun
Takes credit for other people’s ideas
Carries a huge silver shield
Kicks butt

Me: OK, now, let me redirect our focus. Remember, we’re trying to create our hero. Let’s try to think of a real life person, someone we admire and look up to. Not a character from a movie we’ve seen, but a real live person. Someone the audience would be attracted to. Someone who would be an example of the kind of person we would like to be.

Students: Likes dairy products
Shy
Takes credit for other people’s ideas
Puts hexes on people

Me: You know someone who puts hexes on people?

Student: Uhhhhhhh.

Me: And this is your Hero????

Student: Uhhhhhhh.

Students: Mumbles
Reserved
Lonely
Wears a wolf skin hat

Me: You know someone who wears a wolf skin hat?

Student: Uhhhhhhhh.

Me Remember, we are trying to think of personality traits for our hero. Try to think of a real human that you like and look up to. Describe that person.

Students: Mean
Is an alien
Spits when he talks
Has big boots with spikes
Has a mask and a big knife

Me: (thinking) At what point today did I enter this alternate universe?
What happened to the bright little people I met in the classroom?
I’m speaking English, what language are they hearing?

Me: (talking) OK, let’s try another character……

I’m not kidding, these are actual responses that came from the mouths of actual 4^th graders who are responsible for creating the characters for our musical! I did, however, leave out the sparse smattering of insightful and clever ideas that popped out of the mouths of a few students. These young minds will provide some excellent material for our next group to work with, if we can sort through all the completely off the wall garble that predominates the conversation!