Spontaneously Teaching Uke! Help and Support Please!

Maiyah888

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"When the teacher is not-quite-ready, the students appear..."

Soooooooo, I've only been playing for 2 months (I got my Makala Dolphin, GoodDaySunShine on January 24, 2011).

I love her so much that I brought her along to my kids' songwriting/drumming/dance project last weekend, along with my NotAStrumStick Cigar Box Strummer for accompaniment and enrichment.

The kids loved her so much that they requested that I teach them how to uke, too!

So this week I printed out tabs for Alicia Keys' No One (4 chords!) and brought along my Tonk Banjolele (yet unnamed, but leaning towards Truck, for Tonka Toys or WakanTanka).

All of them learned C & Am and 3 of them learned G (most of their fingers couldn't do G).

Next week the Green Paisley Ukadelic (woo hoo!) will arrive, so I'll have 3 Ukes (8 kids in class) and one strummer (harder for them to press b/c the action is sooooo high).

I'm thinking of getting the Teacher's Editions of the James Hill Initiative Books -- Anyone have reviews/ suggestions?

Thanks muchly!

Maiyah, who's learning just fast enough to stay ahead of 7 - 14 year olds
 
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As a master teacher once said to me, "remember, you only have to be one lesson ahead of your students." This has served me well when I've wanted to get creative in the classroom and just DO it.

You'll be fine! Stay a day ahead of them! :)
 
Thx pdxuke!

I love teaching, kids and ukulele, so it's amazingly fun!
 
As a master teacher once said to me, "remember, you only have to be one lesson ahead of your students." This has served me well when I've wanted to get creative in the classroom and just DO it.

You'll be fine! Stay a day ahead of them! :)
You know- it is funny, but my master teacher said the exact same thing to me, some 17 years ago when I first took the helm of my classroom. I have never forgotten it, and for the first time this year got to share it with a student teacher.
 
As a master teacher once said to me, "remember, you only have to be one lesson ahead of your students." This has served me well when I've wanted to get creative in the classroom and just DO it.

You'll be fine! Stay a day ahead of them! :)

This is really true! When I was in graduate school I worked as a teaching assistant for a class in Comparative Physiology. Now I AM a biologist, but that particular subject was WAY outside my specialty. I was exactly one chapter ahead of the students the whole time....they had no idea. But I had to work my (BLEEP) off to make sure I knew what I was doing. In the end, I think you'll find that teaching something to someone else, about anything, is the very best way for YOU to learn more than ever before. Betcha your own playing hits hyperdrive because of this!
 
... I was exactly one chapter ahead of the students the whole time....they had no idea. But I had to work my (BLEEP) off to make sure I knew what I was doing. In the end, I think you'll find that teaching something to someone else, about anything, is the very best way for YOU to learn more than ever before. Betcha your own playing hits hyperdrive because of this!

I appreciate hearing this so much pepamahina!

I was practicing a ton ever since I got my GoodDaySunShine, and then even more b/c my friend asked me to sing at her wedding with her aunt and uncle.

Now I'm happy to say that 3 donors have stepped up: my cousin is sending a uke that someone gave her when they moved out of San Jose; a client in FL sent me funds for another Makala Dolphin and a client here in VA sent me funds for 2 gig bags and another Makala!

So I'll have 6 ukuleles for our performance on April 23rd! And one will play my cigar box strummer (which is harder for them to finger, b/c the strings are metal).
 
You know- it is funny, but my master teacher said the exact same thing to me, some 17 years ago when I first took the helm of my classroom. I have never forgotten it, and for the first time this year got to share it with a student teacher.


How nice for you to continue the cycle.

I'm finding this experience so exciting!
 
Update!

OMGoodness am sooooooooooo excited -- the co-sponsor of my kids' project, the Academy of Music in Norfolk, VA, has stepped up to cover 2 more ukes!

So all my participants will have a ukulele available for practicing and for our performance on April 30th!

They've learned C, C7 and Am.

G is kinda tough for most of them, but 3 of them have it!
 
Awww how exciting! It's a great thing you're doing, and don't worry, they'll all have that G in no time ;)
 
^ Thx Mraz! I know they want to take the ukes home to practice, but that's just not feasible right now.

Am hoping that I will get a grant so I can do a longer-term in school project!
 
Sooooooooooo, the uke my cousin sent me is a little Hilo2657 with black nylon strings, and no saddle.

The bridge apparently popped off at some point and has a bunch of glue underneath it.

It has friction tuners -- the G is a little wonky -- I need to tighten it up.

I feel bad b/c I want to love it.

I think they took the saddle out b/c the action is so effin' high!

I'll be the one using this particular ukulele in the performance I think, b/c my kids would be all "you gave me the ghetto uke."

Maybe I'll paint it this summer. Definitely will buy some new strings for it!
 
James Hill is my absolute favorite. His Uke in the Classroom series is fantastic, but it contains a significant amount of music above and beyond the ukulele.
I know several teachers who felt the material was above them.
If you have doubts you might consider his "Play Ukulele Today", it is a much thinned down version.
The books are less than $7 and easily understood.
Good Luck and encourage the kids to have fun !!! (you too !!!!!!!!!!!!!)
 
Thanks SailingUke for the recommendation!

I ordered the Teacher's Edition, a Student Edition and the CD of the Ukulele in the Classroom. I think it will be good to have it as a reference when I approach possible sponsors for various programs.

Maybe I'll add one of the little books into my order to take advantage of the free shipping.
 
1) The kids are doing great! Performance next Saturday April 30th!

2) I'm going to the James Hill Ukulele Initiative Training Level 1 this summer! Toronto (and my cousins), here I come!
 
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