Dancing with a Star
 When Sally George’s third-grade class zombie-walked across the stage to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” at the 2010 Lip Sync, it brought down the house. The performance was but one example of the creativity that this avid teacher, poly-sci/art history major, sailor, knitter, and dancer inspires in her students. Here we find out more about her approach to "happy chaos" in the classroom as well as other songs in her repertoire.
First things first: Where’s your hometown?
I am from Toledo, OH, but have spent every summer of my life (minus about 2.5) in Bay View, Michigan, where my family has a cottage. I lived in Delaware, OH (just north of Columbus), while I was in college and then in Ann Arbor, MI, while I was in graduate school.
Did you study education in college and grad school?
I studied political science and art history at Ohio Wesleyan University. I loved my liberal arts experience. Once I decided on teaching, I found a one-year masters and certification program at the University of Michigan, so I got my “Big Ten” experience, too.
What made you want to go into teaching?
I think all of my jobs have influenced my teaching career in one way or another. I worked as a day camp counselor for 5 and 6 year olds while in Bay View and also taught sailing. Some of my happiest memories are working with the kids in the day camp, and I really enjoyed the challenge of all of the things that went into teaching sailing. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was developing curriculum, differentiating instruction, and tackling multiple learning styles while teaching sailing at the age of 16. I had so many teachers that impacted my life in so many positive ways, and I really wanted to be that for someone. (Hopefully, lots of someones!)
What else—oh, I spent one summer in a jam store, so I know a random assortment of facts about berries! I also worked at the Toledo Museum of Art in the education department for a bit and then at an insurance agency in Toledo. The desk job was a great experience in dealing with people, but it also solidified that I needed to be around kids and moving around!
When did you make your way from Michigan to Murch?
Officially in August 2008, but I visited in February of that year because I was interested in teaching in the DC area. My grad school coordinator at Michigan suggested I visit Ms. Rabiah because she had completed the same program. Murch was literally the last school I visited during that week in DC. I walked in during arrival that day, and there was just this happy sort of chaos as all the kids came in. The school just had the vibe I was looking for. It clicked for me, and I sent my parents an email that night saying, “I think this is it!”
What has been your greatest challenge as a teacher?
I think the biggest challenge in teaching for me is that it is a profession that you can never be completely proficient in. I think of teaching as a puzzle that you have to put together where the pieces are always changing, so you just can’t quite get it together perfectly ever. By the time you think you figure it out, it’s time to start a whole new puzzle. I like that teaching will always be challenging in this way.
What is your most memorable classroom moment?
When I was student teaching in Ann Arbor, I walked into the classroom on the last day of school before a long break away from the kids, and the whole class started singing “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash. I had told my cooperating teacher months before about a little boy at the day camp who insisted on singing that song every day, so apparently the class practiced it so they could serenade me. It was quite a moment.
“Oh, but the fire went wild….” Er, moving along, would you describe your classroom as a state of happy chaos?
Actually, I have worked really hard to create a balance of calm, order, creativity, and community in my classroom. All of these things are important to me, and somehow I feel like I have made it work. I also really like that I can use my art interests in the way I convey the material we are covering (e.g., I really like making bulletin boards from scratch).
You do make bulletin boards from scratch a lot!
Yes, but I am also all about technology in the classroom. I’m thrilled to see Murch with so many Elmo projectors now, and I look forward to seeing Murch acquire even more technology to enhance the learning of our students. There are so many useful tools out there that can make learning even more exciting, engaging, and fun.
And when in doubt…
Dance! I love to dance. I’ve gotten caught dancing down the hallways of Murch a few times. I also know pretty much every word to every Animaniacs song because I insisted we listen to those cassette tapes in the car when I was in elementary school. I will sing “The States and Their Capitals” or “The Nations of the World” songs on demand.
You’re going to get a lot of requests after this gets published! What do you do when you're not at school?
I would go sailing everyday if I could, but that doesn’t exactly happen during the school year. I spend a lot of time working on things for my classroom and being involved with LSRT, Knitting Club, and other Murch things. I love reading and taking walks, too.
Finally, how would you finish this sentence: “If I weren’t a teacher, I’d be….”
… a children’s book author, an art museum curator, a lawyer, involved in politics, or a professional lip syncer, of course!
-- Donna LaPorte Scharpf
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