Forgive my obsession

Okay, I admit it. I’m a bit of a Frozen II nut. I’m a 46-year-old mom of two boy teenagers, and I’ve been listening to the soundtrack by myself. Without my any kids. I love Frozen II so much that my boys purchased me the soundtrack for my car. I love this movie and watched it late into the night Friday night. Saturday on my way out of town, I annoyed my children to no end listening to these songs without stopping.

Maybe it’s because I’ve listened to the soundtrack a million times and watched the movie twice this weekend, but during that second viewing this weekend, I realized how very much the Frozen II songs remind me of teaching.

If you have never seen Frozen II (and you might want to one day), I am probably going to throw out some spoilers.

So, if you have not seen the movie, this is a sequel to the amazing Frozen movie that came out in 2014. Elsa the Snow Queen has an extraordinary gift -- the power to create ice and snow. But no matter how happy she is to be surrounded by the people of her kingdom, Arendelle, Elsa finds herself strangely unsettled. After hearing a mysterious voice call out to her, Elsa travels to the enchanted forests and dark seas beyond her kingdom. This embarks an adventure that soon turns into a journey of self-discovery. Elsa’s sister, Anna, is left to once again search for her sister and make decisions for Arendelle.

The first thing that made me realize Frozen II is like teaching is that SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE. If you need to listen to this song CLICK HERE. This is the first big song of the movie and Anna and Olaf’s duet. The irony is that everything does change soon after they finish singing this song. But Olaf is the youthful spirit of the movie. He needs stability and the reassurance of routine. And so do our students. Rules, routines, and knowing the safety of their classroom helps our students achieve. Some of our students, and not just those who you would think, face a terrible life at 2:30 every afternoon. They hold on tight to the structure and routine that we can provide at school.  

My next favorite song of the movie is Into the Unknown. You can hear it BY CLICKING HERE. Elsa is about embark on a scary new adventure with lots of unknowns. She is using unshakeable bravery in starting this new adventure. Doesn’t this remind you of yourself? Have you ever switched grade levels? Switched schools? Implemented a new strategy? Worked terribly hard at incorporating technology into your teaching? Learned new standards? It is not easy going into the unknown. In fact, it is scary as heck. But we do it one foot in front of the other just like Elsa.

Olaf, the world’s favorite snowman, has an amazing solo. I sing it almost every day when I am wanting to lose my temper. The song can be found HERE. Olaf perfectly captures the innocent belief of our students that they can’t wait to be an adult, but it also reminds me that we are constantly trying to help our students and ourselves to be LIFELONG learners.

 And in a song we could all get behind, Just do the next right thing is my most favorite song on the soundtrack. It can be heard HERE.

Honestly, I’d love to see “just do the next right thing” hanging as advice in every classroom. It’s such a great mantra for teachers and for kids when things get hard. Sometimes, doing the next right thing is as simple as asking a student a question. Sometimes, it’s turning out the lights and doing a read aloud with a flashlight. Sometimes it’s reading one more page or solving one more problem. The trick is tuning into that inner voice that tells us what to do. Sometimes it is shutting the books and just talking with your students. Sometimes it is throwing away your lesson plans and do what it is front of you rather than what you had planned.

So, while I watch this movie and listen to this soundtrack, just know that it is Professional Development. Always look for ways that the things that kids love can inspire you. This movie sure did for me!