From: Jyminia Tiller
Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 08:58:18 -0400
My girls LOVE Justin Beiber!!! But the minute they ask... my boys go into
screeching meltdowns. No Justin Beiber in my class.
On Fri, May 14, 2010 at 8:18 AM, Linda Barnhart
> Angie,
> Once you have more years there, you will know the students and they will
> know you and things will improve. There is not some magic abyss between 5th
> grade and 6th grade. Continue what you do in 5th grade, but make it more
> challenging. What your 5th graders love, your 6th graders will too, given
> the chance. It seems that middle school instruction is mired in the dark
> ages. I'm talking all subjects. At least with my children's middle school.
> In elementary it's higher level thinking and hands on instruction, and in
> middle school it's sit in a desk, do rote work and watch videos. Middles
> will love drumming, boomwhackers, orff etc. if that is what they have
> learned in elementary school. Trying to reach them through "their" music is
> a BIG mistake in my humble opinion. Most of it is not school appropriate,
> they have hugely diverse tastes, and we can't do it justice anyway. They
> want to listen to it, not understand it or analyze it. Usually as soon as
> you pull out something "popular" they feel like they are being patronized.
> Plus, Justin Beiber is so HOT with elementary girls (or Miley Cyrus, etc)
> but the boys are disdainful, just on principal! lol Build your program, and
> just continue on. They'll be SO glad to have a class that is familiar!
>
> Linda in MD
>
> --
> Jyminia Tiller
>
> Dear Lord: Please put your arms around my shoulders, and your hand over my
> mouth.
>
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