As ya’ll know, music is my life. I rock it and I teach it.
My group class is part of a program called “Little Rockers”. It’s a teaching franchise basically, that my Academy bought the curriculum for. It’s a really cool class and it’s divided into two segments. I’ll cover the first this week, and the second next week:
The first part of class, “Tot Rock” is for children ages newborn to 4 years, and it’s a class for parents and children to enjoy together, especially considering some of the little ones can’t even walk yet! The class involves movement games and rhythm activities to music. It uses the music both actively, by taking cues from certain lyrics in the songs, and passively, as background music to lead the children, in rhythm through games and activities.
I teach this class twice a week, and both classes are now on their second semester. So I’ve had almost 3/4 of a year to watch all these little guys and gals develop. And let me say it is AMAZING! To watch children in their formative years grow through this class. In the beginning Sarah, my teaching partner, and I had a class of shy babies, some who could barely talk, or crawl, and toddlers. Now we have a class full of kids who just LOVE rockin’ out every week! Kids who couldn’t walk when we started are now boppin around in rhythm, taking heir first steps! Toddlers are playing two handed drum beats, in time, drum sticks and all. It really is sooooo crazy! Kids who had to be taken out of class their first few weeks because they couldn’t stop crying, are now smiles and sunshine every week, jamming along to their favorite songs!
Needless to say, despite not being a morning person at all, I wake up a 9am sharp every Monday and Wednesday, with a spring in my step. Eager to see how all my little kiddies are growing this week, and what new breakthroughs we’ll have in class. This class is so amazingly rewarding for me as a music teacher, each and every week. It’s one of the many reasons I absolutely LOVE what I do!
amberblues 