Submitted by Willard (Bill) Ahlman, Coppell, Texas

Idea posted October 9, 2003

A little something to get parents involved and on your side...

I have a "WHAT IS IT?" bulletin board. Every two weeks, I hang something on this board that has something to do with music. (The first one this year was a set of spoons built by a musical instrument maker in the Ozarks. My principal met this man when he was on vacation up there this summer, and he bought loads of handmade musical instruments for me! This second time around is a posthorn.)

The kids get to look at it and inspect it, but NO TOUCHING! I have pieces of paper for them to write their names and what they think it is. Then, after two weeks, all those with the RIGHT ANSWER get to choose something from my Music Treasure Box (which has a variety of neat little trinkets, music pencils, tiny bags of Skittles, erasers with I LOVE MUSIC on them, etc.).

Now for the parents. The kids are told that they may bring their parents into the classroom, before or after school, and have them look at the music object to help them. The first two weeks, I have had a steady stream of HAPPY Moms and Dads coming in, looking and debating with their kids about what it might be on the board! Yes, sometimes it interrupts what I am doing in the room, but the interruption is offset by the goodwill and positive feelings that parents have spending a few minutes learning something with their kid, or TEACHING them something.

A parent of a child new to my school this year said yesterday, "You know, Maria has NEVER liked music; she hates to sing and has never been interested in music. This year, all she talks about is this "WHAT IS IT?" board, the MUSIC SECRET BOX, and MUSIC NOTE TWISTER!" Now, another plus to this whole thing is that I have a "MUSIC WISH LIST" posted outside my room. It is a list of the many things I would LOVE to have for my classes but are not in the budget, and I can't afford myself. This mom is a computer programmer-type person, and saw that I wanted some music software totaling about $400. She immediately tore that item off my list and said she was going to the store on Saturday and would buy that for me. (I have NO IDEA what the rules/policies for public schools would say about THAT, but I AM THRILLED to be getting this software!) If you are allowed to accept gifts like that, why not post a wish list outside your room and see what happens. As my principal says, "There are all kinds of angels in this world, and some of them have wings made of money which they would like to share!"