Ms. Wonderly Makes Music

1st year teacher DJ Wonderly had no clue where she’d be in her 10th year of teaching, but I’m really glad it’s right here! Yesterday was our annual Super Kids Day, and DJ Wonderly was right where she has always been…on the same playground at the same school wearing the same hat…just with a few new tunes and a much bigger speaker! 😎🎶

I’m getting quite sentimental wrapping up Year 10 and will surely have more to say on the last day of school, but what a blessing it has been to teach in the same place for so long! This community is a special one! 💙

Another Spring Concert is in the books! 💙🎶 My choir had already learned several show tunes throughout this year, so it made sense to throw them all together (with a few new ones in the mix) and make our concert “A Night on Broadway”! We sang and rapped a little Hamilton, featured our Circle the State with Song honor choir singers, eased our way through all three Oz musicals, then ended the evening with what quickly became my students’ favorite…Tomorrow from Annie! You can hear it in their voices just how passionate they were about this one! I’m so proud of these singers and their hard work this year!

This group of seniors is such a special one! ❤️ They were the class of big personalities and even BIGGER voices! I got to make some beautiful, powerful music with these students during our time together! They got to sing the national anthem for the Harlem Globetrotters, and one of these choir members even accompanied us at our spring concert…as a 5th grader! It was so special reuniting with these graduates today and reflecting on all the memories we shared during their three years in my music room! They were 3rd graders my first year of teaching, and it has been incredible to witness all they’ve accomplished over the last 10 years! I can’t wait to see all they’ll continue to do as they take on the world!

Do you remember…the 8th night of May? Because I won’t forget it! 😍🌎💨🔥🎶

What an incredible night it was yesterday dancing in Boogie Wonderland and MEETING the one and only ! They put on such a great concert!

Hallelujah! Happy Easter! ✝️💐

This might just be the best music teacher shirt I’ve ever owned! 🧹🎶

As soon as I saw this Sorcerer‘s Apprentice tee on ’s website back in December, I knew it was going to be a must-have for my music teacher wardrobe! We actually just watched The Sorcerer’s Apprentice last week in my music classes, so it was perfect timing when this pre-ordered tee finally arrived on my doorstep this week! My students were so excited to see their favorite mouse and his magic broom dancing their way across my shirt today! Now I just need a tee with all of the Rhapsody in Blue doodles on it…or a whole Fantasia tee collection! 😍

We have had the best two weeks with Fyütch and Aura V!

Two weeks ago, we started our music class watching the video of their big Grammy win, then sang and danced along to some of their music videos! Last week, I brought my record player to the music room, and we got to listen to their music in a new (to my students! 😂) way! It was so sweet watching them huddle around the table to try and spot the needle and their energetic reactions when they realized it was the same music we had listened to the week before!

These little moments at the beginning of our music lessons have made such a big impact on my students! The amount of times I’ve heard them singing their favorite Fyütch and Aura V songs walking down the hallway or telling me they looked up their songs at home has been endless! You’ve got 450 new fans over here in Oklahoma, and ! We can’t wait to see what’s next!

I had the BEST time on Friday as a first-time clinician/conductor for Region K of ’s Circle the State with Song festival! These 4th-8th graders worked so hard getting ready for their big day, and I am so thankful we got to make it happen after a week stuck at home! Thank you Edmond and surrounding area music teachers for preparing your students so well! It was such a joy making music with them! And thank you for doing your thing on the keys and collaborating with me as I planned out all the things!

And of course, I had to bring my girl Elphaball to help us work on our tall vowels! 😏💚🩷

What a wonderful way to spend a day!

Well it only took us NINE YEARS, but I finally got to meet in person this week!! Our winter conference was cut short due to impending winter weather, but it was so wonderful getting to spend Thursday making music and soaking in all of Franklin’s brilliance! It’s so funny meeting internet friends in person because it never feels like the first time we’ve seen each other! I have loved watching all that Franklin has done as a music educator and now a professor and fine arts director for nearly a decade online, and being able to finally learn from him and connect in person was just oh-so special! And you know I had myself parked at that tubano drum pretty much all day, jamming and drumming away with my music teacher friends! It may have been a short conference, but it was a really wonderful one too! I cannot wait to bring even more lessons to my music room!

2016 was a BIG year for Ms. Wonderly!

I kicked off the year with two long-term sub gigs at the same schools where I had just completed my student teaching, chopped off all my hair, celebrated my sister’s 21st birthday in NYC (where we ran into Sara Bareilles at the bar!!), wore a lot of chevron, officially got my degree, spent the summer preparing for my first classroom (and it’s VERY dark chalkboard theme 😂), started this Instagram account, dove right into my first year of teaching, touched sand on both coasts in one weekend, finally saw Adele in concert, spent my free time as an usher, and conducted my first school choir concert! What a beautiful year it was!