“Parents, first and foremost, it is important to… understand and recognise the activities your child is naturally gravitating towards. It’s important also to ensure that your child likes what he or she is doing. I believe in exposing children to as many hobbies and extracurricular activities as possible.“

Viswanathan Anand

The Book: On the Surface & Beyond

On the surface this book, Jazz Great written by Barbara Burt and illustrated by Betsy Day, is about music and music programs in school; however, if you look deep into the content you will see that it is also about student interest, student involvement, teacher influences, community involvement, student engagement and life’s connection. It is a good example of what “Stella” showed us in my Through the Cracks post, “Literarily My Vision: Engaging Learners & Community Connections.” Since the book does have the initial focus on music, I begin this post with music and a celebration of what took place in the book. I will then expand it to extra and co-curricular activities and involvement.

Personally Connected

I have always been a fan of music, no matter the genre. As a child, I loved to sing. I sang in the school chorus, the church choir and in a singing group. I wasn’t that good, but I gave it my best. Truth be told, there were times that I lip synced or had my mike off. I was better at creative dancing and choreography.

Although I always wanted to learn how to play an instrument, I did not until I was a Freshman in college. I took piano, but without one to practice on that dream was cut short. That didn’t stop me from attending musicals, concerts, festivals or anywhere else people were singing, playing or listening to music. When I married and had children, our children sang in their elementary and middle school choruses and played in the middle school band. My son played trumpet, trombone, and violin. He also took private piano lessons. My daughter played the clarinet. Unfortunately, they no longer play those instruments, although my son during his high school and college days taught himself to play the guitar. Occasionally, he still plays.

When I became a middle school principal, I interviewed and hired a young man who I, to this day, believe is the best band teacher/director in the county, if not the state. Mr. Willis elevated our music program and grew the program in less than a year. In addition to the traditional band classes, he implemented a symphonic band, as well as a jazz band. Although I could write pages about Mr. Willis and the great things he does with music, my focus with this post is the connection to the book Jazz Great written by Barbara Burt and illustrated by Betsy Day.

The Book

In Burt’s Jazz Great, Mrs. Dupree, the teacher was encouraged by a group of students who liked jazz to start an after school jazz program. The group had been exposed to jazz by one of their peers who fell in love with jazz after listening to his older brother. He, in turn, took it upon himself to share the music with some of his friends. The group met weekly to listen to and discuss jazz. They became familiar with some of the great jazz musicians, masters of their instruments.

Connecting the Book & My Experiences

Unlike the jazz program that Mr. Willis himself built, Mrs. Dupree the small group of jazz enthusiast to Ms. McClintock, a blind jazz musician. Through her sessions she taught them how to sight-read charts (music), improvisation, playing licks, and playing by ear. As a reader of this blog, I encourage you to introduce and build jazz as Mr. Willis did, if you have the skills. If not, don’t hesitate to bring in musicians. Make any and all connections that you can. As noted earlier, Mr. Willis is talented and more than qualified to teach music, yet he too brings the community into the classroom and takes the band into the community.

Mr. Willis, like the jazz band in my featured book, has had to come up with ways to supplement the school budget so his kids can compete in competitions and compete they have. They have played in Festivals, concerts, small “by invitation” only events, for the entire school, and for special programs. His students have learned some of the skills that the book’s KGAM Jazz Club learned:

• The importance of practice.
• What to do a a strategy session.
• How to plan and host an event.
• How to improve their musical skills.
• How to be school ambassadors.
• How to work alongside community members and other musicians.

Even though this book is a fictional story about a group of students starting a jazz club; it is also about a teacher’s impact on student learning and the willingness to not only student needs, but also student interest. Additionally, what was done in this story with the jazz club, could be realized in the group form of a reading club, dance team, writing club, group/school newspaper or any other activity.

As a student, I was involved in my school as a basketball, football, socker and field hockey cheerleader. I ran in a few track meets and belonged to numerous clubs and was active in my community. My husband was also involved playing football and basketball, running track, participating in clubs and service projects.

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As parents, we made a conscientious effort to involve our own children in extra and co-curricular activities. They not only played in the band and sung in the chorus, they also played sports (soccer, basketball, track, cross country, and tai-kwon-do. My son also was a 5 year member of the swim team. Both also participated in various clubs, organizations, competitions and community service activities.

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I’ve had the pleasure and honor of starting or encouraging and inviting willing staff members to initiate several after-school (and in-school) activities that engaged and involved students while also helping them connect knowledge, skills, and talents to the community. The following are just a few of these initiatives and a few ways the teachers, parents, and community supported me in engaging and connecting involved participants:

• Elementary school Literary Club
  • Read select books
  • Discussed the book and/or illustrated
  • Wrote alternative endings
  • Entered reading bowls
• Elementary school Student Government Association
  • Students applied as candidates
  • Students elected officers (also known as Senators) and classroom representatives. My attempt to connect to U.S. Government.
  • Students created campaign speeches that were recorded and shown over the internal broadcasting system or intercom system
  • Students brainstormed ways they could be a part of policy and decision making in the school
• Elementary school Safety Patrol
  • Patrol candidates completed a application and interview process
  • Patrol members helped direct traffic after school
  • Patrol members helped direct morning hallway traffic
  • Patrol members assisted with transportation drop off and pick up
  • Patrol members assisted with bus routes
  • Patrol members assisted with open house
• Elementary school Roadrunners program
  • Students participated in an after-school running program
  • Students competed in running events
• Elementary school Writing Club
  • Students used writing prompts to write
  • Students put together a writing newsletter
  • Students kept writing journals
  • Students entered writing contests
• Elementary school Spanish & Latino Dance Troupe
  • Students learned Latin dances taught by various people
  • Students performed at school and system events
• Elementary school Spanish chorus
  • Students learned Latin songs taught by various people
    Students performed at school and system events
• Two-week elementary school Summer Spanish Camp
  • Students participated in various activities related to the Spanish and Latino cultures. Activities including reading, writing, art, music, P.E., and conversational activities.
  • Students participated in field trips
• Middle school Latino Youth Leadership Council
  • Students met to discuss Latino American issues as it related to school and community.
  • Students served as guides for school events.
  • Students attended and participated in the Latin American Association’s Latino Youth Leadership Conference
  • Students presented at the Latino Youth Leadership Confrence
• High school chapter of Future Educators of Georgia
  • A student ran and was elected as an Officer
  • Students helped plan state-wide conference
  • Students published a state newsletter
  • Students helped planned Student as Teachers For A Day
  • Students helped tutor other students
  • Students organized activities for American Education Week and National Teachers Week.
• High school Spanish Honor Society chapter
  • Students held local tertulias (social gatherings)
  • Student volunteered with Latin American Association community services (food drives, clothes drive, festivals)
  • Students assisted teacher with translation projects for local banks, sheriff department, and local businesses
  • Students assisted State Director with chartering new chapters, induction ceremonies, and Officers’ installations.
  • Assisted with providing weekly Spanish lessons to elementary students
  • Published a chapter newsletter
  • Kept a chapter scrapbook
  • Students helped tutor struggling Spanish Students
  • Students assisted teacher with presentations at state language conferences
  • Students planned, organized and held a monthly Spanish/Latino cafe for teachers and staff members.
  • Wrote proclamations and arranged for Mayor and/or Commissioners to sign them

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I am blessed to have had so many individuals in my life and career who made the commitment to invest in the future of not only my own children, but all children with whom they came in contact. They are my heroes.