Actually, only one of them does.  Another plays the flute and the third plays the trumpet.  Let me back up a little so that you understand my story completely.  I have been substituted for the band teacher at Clear Creek Middle School for five days now (though only three were consecutive).  Most of the classes were enjoyable and I found we could work together to make a lot of progress.  One class period, however, was indomitable.

Period 6 was a group of sixth graders otherwise defined as pure chaos.  One day, I came in to find that the three biggest trouble makers we not in class because they had been making suggestive comments to another sub.  My troubles were not over that day, though.  One girl stabbed the boy next to her with a pencil leaving a gash that was almost 2 cm long and that the school nurse said was extremely deep.  I would be lucky to get one line of music out of them in a practice, let alone any respect.

Friday was the last of my three consecutive days with them and I was trying to get myself psyched up for 6th period during lunch.  “This is the last time I have to do 6th period,” I repeated to myself over and over.  I was ready for it until all the students came zooming in after lunch.  I felt like crumbling to the floor and sobbing.  At the moment that I felt I would really just give up, three high school students walked in the room.  They had come to visit and were wondering if there was anything they could do to help.  Generally, I don’t give control of my classroom to people without teaching degrees, especially teenagers, but this was an extreme situation.  “Do you want to run the practice?” I asked in a pitiful voice.

They were wonderful. One stood at the front and conducted, the other two stood on each side of the room, and I stood in  back (pouncing on students who got out of line).  It wasn’t a good practice by any standard of measure, but it was the best practice I ever had with these kids!  I am so grateful for those students who came in and acted as my guardian angels that day.