Tears Tell the Tale!

"Don't Laugh at Me" is a beautiful song that has been recorded by different artists in various styles. The first version I became familiar with was sung by Mark Wills, a country artist, a decade or so ago. Later, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame) created a picture book and recorded the song with a few lyrics changed in order to be more understandable to young children. It's this version that I've played in guidance classes recently as an accompaniment to lessons on empathy and respect. I introduce the song by reading the book and showing the large colorful pictures, and then I play Peter Yarrow's recorded version. After the children are familiar with the words and message, I play it on my guitar and encourage them to sing along. Many students fall in love with "Don't Laugh at Me", and some children have told me that they've had their parents buy it on iTunes so they can listen at home. Mrs. Ford's first graders even learned every single word and recorded themselves singing it, then sent me the video! At the end of several classes, children request that I play this song. In one particular second grade class, there are two boys who have been high-maintenance in the discipline department. In the past, they've been disruptive and have had trouble getting along with peers and solving these problems peacefully on their own. So it's with real warmth and appreciation that I've seen both these boys on two different occasions wipe away their tears as they've listened intently and sung along with "Don't Laugh at Me". Both times, these two boys have come up to me at the end of class and said, "Miss Mimi, that song makes me cry." I've given them a hug and said, "Well you know what that teaches me? You have a good kind heart and you care about people." Incidents such as these help me understand two things. First, these fellows may have a crusty exterior, but deep down inside, they have soft gooey centers. Second, they are probably touched by the message of this song because they themselves have experienced the feeling of being left out of the mainstream group due to the behaviors they've chosen. There's hope for all of us, you know, and music can be a wonderful way of getting our attention and tugging on our heartstrings!