[HANASHIR:7963] Re: Help with 7th Graders...

[Meris Ruzow <meris...>]

Here's another suggestion -- Why are all these principals scheduling 7th
graders to even have music?    Maybe they should try what one of my schools
does:   For 6th and 7th they created "chuggim" (electives) - the kids got to
chose that half hour between music, drama, mitzvah heroes, jewish cooking,
dance, etc.   Then the kids that WANTED music ended up in music (still got
about 14 kids), and almost everyone got their first choice!   Just an
idea --

In another school (conservative) before I got there the kids had no formal
jewish music class in their morning.   AFter trying everything I could
possibly think of, including sessions where we just talked !   I went to the
principal and said, "I think these kids could benefit more by doing some
else!"   We no longer scheduled these kids for music.   !!

Meris Ruzow
meris (at) nycap(dot)rr(dot)com

-----Original Message-----
From: Rglauber (at) aol(dot)com <Rglauber (at) aol(dot)com>
To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
Date: Thursday, January 18, 2001 2:12 AM
Subject: [HANASHIR:7949] Re: Help with 7th Graders...


>
>In a message dated 1/17/01 6:08:03 PM, dweisz (at) brandeis(dot)edu writes:
>
><< they have it in their heads that they dislike music.
>
>
>David, it's a huge topic, and I appreciate the way that you presented the
>situation.  Here's my take on it, and surprise, I seem to be in a minority
of
>one....
>
>There needs to be a new music, a new attitude about music, a new way of
going
>about music with maddle school kids.  For the following reason:  It's hard,
>if not impossible to do ANY kind of music with this age kid, let alone with
>the added burden of having it be a "Jewish Learning" experience.  It's like
>coming to bat against Pedro Martinez and you've already got 2 strikes .
>You're gonna strike out, my friend.
>
>I mean, you can convince yourself that you're doing something if you quote
>tanach or talmud as part of the music class, but I don't think that really
>addresses the reality of the KIDS' EXPERIENCE!.   The students want
something
>different.  They are dying for something different, and if you can provide
>it, you're a great teacher.
>
>Let's say you're wanting to do a lesson on "justice".  There's that saying,
>Justice shall you seek.  or whatever is the exact wording in English or
>Hebrew.  I would do a repetitive, simple chant over two chords.   Could be
>reggae style, could be minor key Am to G  style,  something really simple.
>Then I would start talking over the two chords, talking about a time when
>something unfair happened to me, someone copied my homework and got me in
>trouble, I got ripped off by my lawyer, I got punished for something my
>brother did, that sort of thing.  Just spin a little anecdote.  Then sing
the
>chorus  Justice justice shall you seek.....
>
>Then keep the chords going and ask them if they've ever had anything unfair
>happen.  One of them shares while the chords are going on.   It doesn't
have
>to go with the music, it doesn't have to be sung, just spoken.   "The
teacher
>thought that I was talking but I wasn't"    then sing the chorus
>
>Ask someone else to share about something unfair in their life   Sing the
>chorus...
>
>It's creating a kind of vibe in which the kids have input.  It's creating a
>way for them to share with one another in a pretty safe (and revealing)
way.
>It's presenting a small, (I repeat SMALL) bit of Jewish concept and showing
>that it has relevance to THEM.
>The goal is to create an ambience for them to have a communal experience.
>They want to share, they want to be heard.  You need to create the context
>that will allow that to happen.
>
>The focus needs to be on them.  Not on them as consumers of Jewish content.
>On them as interesting, creative people with something to say.  You could
get
>into  many cool topics with this approach.  It's almost like a cross
between
>music class and 7th grade "rap session"   (I'm dating myself, aren't I?)
>
>Rich Glauber
>
>
>
>

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