[HANASHIR:3250] Re: The answer to all our teaching problems!

[Ellen Allard <ellen...>]

Yes, it is a complete bummer....to have all of this wonderful energy and
enthusiasm and then have it not be received as we hope it will be. I am
thinking of something Adrian said in a recent email....we have some pretty
profound teaching to do through our songleading, our singing, our performing.
But as educators, we also have to figure out how to reach our
students....perhaps we need to turn the kaledioscope and look at the situation
through a different lens. So, if they won't sing with you, or won't be as
appreciative of this fabulous music we want to share with them....you know, if
Mohammed won't go to the mountain, bring the mountain to Mohammed (substitute
other names as desired...Moses etc.)....just a couple of thoughts, ....have
you tried songwriting with them? Peter and I have done quite a lot of
songwriting with older elementary school age kids (8 through 12 years old) and
it seems to work quite well. You can use the piggyback style, where you give
them an already known melody and have them rewrite the words. Or have them,
with your help, write completely fresh lyrics and then help/nurse them along
to write a new song. Another thought a music teacher friend of mine shared
with me....she had them listen to different Jewish recordings and rate them
according to different criteria...enjoyable, appropriate for what age?,
appropriate for what setting?, etc....anyway, there's a wonderful email
newsletter that I get that is designed for teachers in Jewish settings. When I
next get it, I will forward it to you...I find it very helpful and maybe you
will too.

By the way, let me use this opportunity to mention that I have been offered
and have accepted (thanks to HN) my first official songleading job. Psyched,
nervous, excited, tentative, honored, thrilled, challenged.....and I'm even
songleading at one of the confirmation class retreats in October! Whoa!

Good luck Jesse.....I will try to attend your concert either in Boston or
Springfield as I live an hour from each city. Hope the tour goes
well.....love, Ellen Allard

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