As a teacher I´m always aware of how others motivate their students and try to learn from them.Here , in Santa Cruz de la Palma, there´s a School of Music which develops, I think, really motivating methods.They make their students take part in projects, performances...and make them feel main actors in their personal development: they are much more eager to learn music , but , at the same time, they develop other skills as persons. As they take part in group tasks, they learn how to deal with others, how to share , how to appreciate others work and efforts...Don´t you think the main point in teaching is to involve our students and make them take an active role in their learning process?
Ardiel, my eldest son, 14, is learning how to play the violin. He also belongs to the String Quartet and the Symphonic Orchestra in that school. Dailos,11, attends percussion lessons. He belongs to the Batucada group and the Symphonic Orchestra.Imagine how they feel when they are given the opportunity to play with proffesional musicians, as for example last year when they played with a tenor and a soprano; or when they are taken for a tour to other islands...Of course I know they have to learn a lot, but I also check that studying music is not a duty but a pleasure for them...Wish I could get that with my students!In addition, their teachers take advantage of that and try to develop some important attitudes in life. Last December , for example,the youngest students played in the streets, wearing football T-shirts...each one wore their favourite team´s and played their hymn...but at the end they all together played a beautiful song called " Friends forever" and changed their T-shirts...just a symbol?
1 comment:
Dear Conchy,
In your post you say: "Imagine how they feel when they are given the opportunity to play with proffesional musicians". You know this is how I felt in this community. When I get a comment from "the big ones" I think "Wow! They are paying attention to me. I must go on improving so that they don't lose interest in what I do". I guess that must be how our kids feel when they go "on stage" (in a literal and figurative way also). We should certainly think of activities that allow them to show what they are good at. In that way we can foster motivation and learning.
Congrats on your musical kids. I'd have liked to see the videos but they wouldn't show in my computer. Will try again later.
Claudia
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