Singing Shenanigans at School

I'm not sure what is going on in the universe after noon each day.  You know when you stay up too late and everything is just 1000x funnier? That's me and the choir teacher each afternoon.

It started by us singing a countdown song of sorts.  We teach 3 classes, then have a short lunch break, then teach 4 more.  The days seem long, so the song goes, "3 down, 4 to go. 3 down, 4 to go."  We clap and do a really bad TikTok inspired dance.  The students roll their eyes, which just encourages us to get even louder and cringey-er.  

It gets better.  My colleague across the hall made the mistake of saying, "Lily Lily Bo Billy."  Obviously, we can't let that slide.  Every student in the hall was subjected to their name inserted into the Name Game.

"Let's do Logan! Logan Logan Bo Bogan, Banana Fana Fo Fogan, Mi My Mo Mogan.  Logan!"

And you can't just sing without dancing.  We were swimming and diving, then doing the Monkey.  The kids had no idea what to do.  My two teacher friends and I literally couldn't stop.  The bell rang, and we were still carrying on.  Finally one of us mentioned that there were kids waiting in our classrooms, so the trance was broken and we went in to teach.

via GIPHY  Yesterday (Friday) wrapped up the week with a chorus to Johnny.  Johnny is a very popular and cool kid, but Johnny does get into a lot of trouble.  Somebody before class, in the hallway, yelled out Johnny's name, and so I popped out "Who's Johnny?"  

The memories of the El deBarge song came flooding back.  To Johnny's horror, I started singing to him.  The choir teacher joined in.  

"Who's Johnny, she said.  And smiled in her special way. Who's Johnny, she said.  You know I love you."  Complete with the whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, and oh no, no no, no no no no.  

This song was especially special to me, since it came out when I was in sixth grade, and I currently teach and serenade sixth graders in the hall.

Poor Johnny quickly got out of the hallway.  That's one positive thing about our hallway singing.  The students stop loitering and get into the room, faster than when we yell and threaten.  

I don't know what causes this loopiness.  I think we are mentally drained at this point in the school year.  The kids have spring fever; there are more discipline issues, and it's harder to get students excited about learning or even participating in things that they used to find fun.  I'm certainly happy to have co-workers who will sing and dance with me.

I don't think Johnny will remember what we did in class on Friday (worked on game codes), but chances are he will remember that there is a weird 80s song featuring his name.  I seriously hope that some day when he is in his thirties, he hears somebody ask, "Who's Johnny?" and thinks fondly (or baffledly) about this moment in time.

I asked my colleague across the hall if he remembered Who's Johnny from the movie Short Circuit.  He did not.  He said he would've gone with Johnny B. Good.  Solid suggestion.  Maybe if I'm still slap-happy next week, that will make the hallway performance play list.  

Please tell me I (we)  am (are) not alone in this afternoon phenomena.  Share how you and your colleagues release stress, act cringey in front of students, and survive and advance to the next hour of a long day.