[HANASHIR:4596] Re: 6th and 7th graders

[DurlKare <DurlKare...>]

I teach 6th graders (Judaica, not music) every Sunday and sometimes use songs 
as part of our prayer curriculum.  It's amazing how students of this age 
won't sing what you want, when you want them to, but then suddenly volunteer 
to get up and do a song/dance version of a prayer in front of the class on 
the spur of the moment (like today!) because it's what THEY want to do.  Yes, 
they like to teach me what they know (while I feign complete ignorance of 
what they're singing), and talk about the music they listen to; that's what 
gets them going.  They got super-excited when they found one of my daughter's 
cool cd's in the cd-player "by mistake."  For me, it's getting their 
attention, building the rapport, and then their listening and participation 
will follow.  (Aha! They CAN sing!  They DO like music!)  
-Karen D.

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