Another reason I love teaching

Pikagirl

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Yesterday I subbed in a 4th grade room and the kids asked for music while they did their "writer's workshop" (I'm not a big believer in silent work). I threw on Jake's "Gently Weeps" and immediately the room was enraptured.

When they earned a little "free" time, they asked if they could see a video of Jake and showed the TED talk of "Bohemian Rhapsody." Before I knew it, kids were asking how to spell his name and at least 2 said they were asking folks to download Jake's music to the family iPad/iPod to listen to in the car, etc.

:D

Then came the inevitable question: Do you play?

I smiled and said, "Yes, yes I do."

A couple of kids said they had ukes but didn't know you could really "play" them like a guitar...

I love warping little minds. Even if it means my principal will call me into the office with a sigh on Monday to say some parent complained their kid wants them to download Jake's music. :D :D :D
 
Wow, I bet you could see little lightbulbs blinking on above their heads. Thanks for being a teacher!
 
Yesterday I subbed in a 4th grade room and the kids asked for music while they did their "writer's workshop" (I'm not a big believer in silent work). I threw on Jake's "Gently Weeps" and immediately the room was enraptured.

When they earned a little "free" time, they asked if they could see a video of Jake and showed the TED talk of "Bohemian Rhapsody." Before I knew it, kids were asking how to spell his name and at least 2 said they were asking folks to download Jake's music to the family iPad/iPod to listen to in the car, etc.

:D

Then came the inevitable question: Do you play?

I smiled and said, "Yes, yes I do."

A couple of kids said they had ukes but didn't know you could really "play" them like a guitar...

I love warping little minds. Even if it means my principal will call me into the office with a sigh on Monday to say some parent complained their kid wants them to download Jake's music. :D :D :D

This is so awesome. I have lots of admiration and respect for a teacher that can open the minds of, and inspire their students.

When I read things like your story above, it renews my faith in humanity.

Thank you for being a teacher, and for making a difference in this world.

We need more people like you!

-Booli
 
That is a very awesome story! I love sharing my instrument with people...I've even ordered them for people while we were talking about it. I see kids all day long that only want to play video games, don't go outside, and don't do anything else...you just gave a bunch of kids a new thing to learn about. I agree with Booli:


This is so awesome. I have lots of admiration and respect for a teacher that can open the minds of, and inspire their students.

When I read things like your story above, it renews my faith in humanity.

Thank you for being a teacher, and for making a difference in this world.

We need more people like you!

-Booli
 
Props to another teacher busting out the ukulele :)
I teach high school digital photography and have just started learning/playing. I keep a uke in my classroom and often play between classes and during work time. I've been pleasantly surprised at how supportive my students have been. I've also been surprised at how many can play or want to play ukulele. I'm still a little nervous playing around them, especially because I have some real musicians as students, but since I teach a creative class I do feel it's important to model learning and striving to be more creative.

respect :)
 
Thanks for the kind words.

Sean, I'm too nervous to bust my out BUT I am thinking about learning some of the kindergarden standards (Comin' Round the Mountain, BINGO and such) so that I can play along to their morning poems.... we'll see. The best part is all those kids who have ukes from various folks who visited Hawaii and are kind of "OK, now what do I do with it?" are starting to think, "I can do something with it." :)
 
I teach communication studies at a community college. I have always compared communication competence with the training and preparation one does as an athlete or a musician. It does not come with one or two tries, but with constant repetition of basic skills and only after a while does it come together. One starts out in a state of conscious incompetence, transitions after time to a state of conscious competence, and with hard work, one can evolve to a state of unconscious competence where it becomes intuitive and internalized.

Since recently taking up the ukulele, I am talking about how I am learning to play and comparing it to my public speaking students experiences in learning to speak in a professional manner. Since I am a beginner in something, like they are, it reinforces that lifelong learning is not a chore or something to be feared, but can be interesting and fun.

Playing a ukulele has brought something new to my life. I talk of it when we discuss emotional intelligence in my interpersonal communication classes. Three characteristics of emotional intelligence are self awareness, self regulation, and motivation. These are needed to play well. Music can promote empathy and social skills which are also characteristics of emotional intelligence.
 
Just today, I went too far, unknowingly. A friend of mine told me her niece had started to play ukulele and was really loving it. I started to jump in with some advice on getting a decent uke cheap, etc., and she stopped me and said her niece was just 4. No need to expose them to UAS yet.
 
Since I'd never heard Jake Shimabakuru before reading this thread, I thought I should take the time to tell you thanks! That Ukulele Weeps video is insane and beautiful!
 
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