Scratch-n-Sniff Practice Charts

In BandLand, otherwise known as the Backpack Middle School band room (the plaque over the band room door actually says BandLand, so it’s official), practice charts are never printed on ordinary paper; that would be boring.  If a student wants a boring chart, he or she can print one off the school’s website.

No, the BandLand charts are prepared on our newfangled copy machine using special toner that flavors the paper.  So blue paper is scratch-n-sniff blueberry flavor; green paper is lime, and so on.

Just the other day I set out a new pile of yellow charts that quickly drew the attention of the students.

“What flavor are they, Mr. Shaver?” asked one of the boys.

“Banana Cream Pie,” I told him.  “It’s  new.  Go ahead, try it.”

He gave it a quick scratch, took a whiff and smugly told me it smelled like paper.

“You did it wrong,” I replied, “or it’s defective.”

I called over another student and asked her to tell me what flavor she smelled on the new charts.  She scratched the paper with her finger nail, sniffed, smiled, and said,

“Lemon.”

“Close enough,” I said.

In BandLand we just don’t settle for ordinary.