My students are curious, enthusiastic, talented, kind, smart, and hands-on. They aren't afraid to ask questions to more fully understand the content. Some of my students have experienced trauma, homelessness, food insecurity, or other hardships, and need a learning environment that's designed to help them succeed.
My students never fail to make me smile with their creativity, energy, and talent.
They don't give up in the face of hardship and they continually push me to find new and creative ways to engage them in learning.
My Project
Choir provides an excellent way for students to learn about different cultures through singing and performing their music. Singing in different languages allows opportunities for students to become "experts" in the classroom when a song is in a language that they speak at home or with family. Many of the songs we sing as a group, specifically the songs from other cultures, have percussion or rhythm parts to go along with the music. Unfortunately, right now, my classroom doesn't have the instruments for these parts to be played.
My students get excited about opportunities to play instruments and have special roles within the choir.
Many of the students who struggle to focus during rehearsal excel when they get to do something active like play an instrument. The instrumental parts are a special honor for students who can learn the additional music correctly and gives that student a chance to lead the group when they play.
With these djembes and claves, I can allow 4 students each class period to extend their musical learning beyond just singing skills. While choir is an important part of a student's musical education, the physical action of performing rhythms and beats helps to solidify learning in a way that is unique to percussion instruments. I look forward to enriching my students learning through these instruments and the additional element to include in performances.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Miller and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
