Observation with Teachers and Families in the School
My Quest for becoming an advocate for children and families in keeping the Programs going that are the programs to always be cut, I met a little girl who is in the fourth grade at the school. She explained to me that she had a guitar and Piano. Then she explained that she would be doing a talent with the piano at school for her Grand moms Day. She would be playing her grand moms song at school on the piano. She talked about how much she loved playing her guitar that she just started learning recently. I was able to find out that her Mother was the Music Teacher. Miss Fulton says that she is really active in all class participation and she has no worries of Jacqueline’s abilities to learn. Although she tends to go ahead in the reader, and then she also forgets to show some work in her Math, she is always pretty good in it though.
Jacqueline and I talked about her love for music, and how she wants to learn singing too. She learned piano from her mother and is now taking guitar lessons from someone outside of school. We talked about how she loves Glee and Victorious tunes. I told her some of the songs that are today’s hits are songs that have been redone by others. I told her Glee has a few like” faithfully “and” Don’t stop Believing “. She “that is crazy”. I asked her if she did not have music what she thinks about how it would affect her, I would have to have music I love playing my piano and learning new songs. I love playing the radio to find new songs. I could not imagine not having any music.
In was able to get a hold of Her Mother Maryanne, and talked as briefly with her as she is only there on two days a week. She was full time for a few years and then they began last year alternating programs and making them for the children once a week. She says that the children have had to be cut down to once a week but she is glad that the children are able to have them at least. She feels that these programs bring a round education to the children. All fine arts are very crucial in what they should be more times a week for they have a strong impact on children’s creative thinking and will help students who learn music notation and rhythm in their math science and Literacy skills. They are able to achieve better grades she believes.
My short conversation with Maryanne has led me to the conclusions that have been on my mind about advocating the arts. It is real important to incorporate music and Art into a child’s curriculum. And some states have already done away with the programs. Physical education which should be given to keep children active and from being obese children. I hope that our state can hold onto this fine arts and Physical education as being in the curriculum. I know that Music is important to some of the children who I had in preschool music classes; parents have told me how they all have an interest in some form of the arts. And they all have went on and did well in concentration and reasoning skills and later in school I feel it proved to be good asset to their grades in elementary school. I spoke a little about my experiences there with her. I ran into some children later in my vocal studio .
Now it was really Miss Manyak who had a lot to say about music she has children in the school and one of her children went to preschool years ago where they remember the musical notes taught there. It is funny that she remembers me from the school because I was there for three days a week teaching note and rhythm program that was at the church there. She exclaimed that “Music is an essential for that it improves learning function. And the physical education and visual art helps children with their gross motor and Fine motor skills. “When I asked her what issues she felt were a factor in these areas she said that she felt that little was better than nothing. Then also exclaimed, Our School advertises Music but it is a private lesson that someone like her cannot afford to pay extra for. She says they are Music lessons but the music teacher is cut down to two days and some weeks like this week she is offhand has no income. She says that the teachers are affected very badly not only does the music teacher and Art teacher lose out so does the all the other teachers. We are given less prep time for the students. She says that not having every student involved in these classes causes the teachers to have more work for special coordinated events like next week’s grandparents day. . She is putting on a dramatic play with the children because she is not musically inclined.
Less of these programs concern her because she feels children will suffer lack of students who will be able to have some interest in what could maybe be great skills that they could learn and keep up with in future. And keeping children from these programs will not help with multiple intelligences concerns. She says that there will be fewer sports, less fit students if gym classes are cut. Less band squads and she feels there will be less student participation in team work. She wanted me to know that she believes in fine arts education and if fine art (music drama and art education) is cut we are ignoring multiple learning intelligence and shortchanging children we are not leading them to where they were designed to go.
Miss Manyak put it out there and was very upset about the programs that her children cannot participate in. She says that her one son has ADDD and he would benefit if she could afford art or music classes. Where I spoke to Mr. Spriggs that said that he uses the time from the extracurricular classes to help the teachers with planning time and breaks, if all the students cannot afford these extras they will north have breaks to plan. Finances has really been a big factor in all the schools Public and Private to diminish the way schools are able to afford their programs that are very much needed . According to two teachers at the private school even their school is hard hit with offering the classes for private lessons and privately paid for by parents. And all teachers have been affected by these changes as well.
