Klarinet Archive - Posting 001258.txt from 2004/03

From: "James Hobby" <jhobby@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] not just the music department
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 09:18:40 -0500


>[The letter did not discuss whether the district will bow to the State
>on this issue or not. Our newspaper says the matter is being debated.
>All I can think about is that my daughter is working her best to satisfy
>the "system" (including performing in a musical drama outside of school
>--- There! this post is on topic!), and yet the one-size-fits-all
>"system" is threatening to ask the impossible of her, despite her
>contributing to society in every other way, including doing volunteer
>work in a disabled clinic

Bill,

I read the whole letter twice. It sounds like some of the edu-psycho babble
that I slept through [or tried to] when I took the required education
courses to get my teaching license. They seem to always find a way to turn
a simple problem into a complex issue. Also interesting is I don't remember
a single one of those teachers, today. (Okay. It has been 38 years since I
took those classes, but I remember teachers in other departments. <g>)
Actually, I do remember one, a Dr. Golden. I took two classes from him:
child psych & a short (1 cr/hr) course on childhood situations that can
hamper learning. It was because of him that I was able to prediagnose ADHD
in my son in the years when people weren't that familiar with it. I wrote
to him, and he recommended a MD who was researching the problem, and who was
able to test/diagnose and treat Randy.

Now, I'm sure that one of my foster grandchildren as ADD. We've got him
scheduled with a good man in about two weeks to see what he needs. I have
another problem, though, with Chris -- or with one of his teachers. The
teacher assigned to help him catch up on his reading wants to force him to
write with his right hand. He is naturally left handed. I thought that was
given up, long ago. I've halfway decided that I'll teach him to write
properly this summer, using his natural, left hand. (Anyone who has dealt
with this situation before, pop in -- or email me off list, if we don't want
to clog up klarinet any more. I don't think they should force changes,
especially since she was appointed to teach reading; not writing.) (Second
aside: Does anyone have success stories using the Sylvan Learning System?
We're contemplating sending Chris to them for overall help.)

Like you, to keep this on some semblance of topic, our school is performing
their "music drama" this semester. You have to rather stretch the
definition to bit "Bye Bye Birdie" though. One of my private students was
tapped for the pit band, playing 1st reed book. (Clar 1, Alto sax.)
Thankfully, I require that my high school students learn their scales in all
keys. This book would have been a disaster to someone who didn't know them.
It rocks through 5, 6, 7 sharps, with 4, 5, and 6 flats thrown in. When he
brought the book to the lesson the first time, he said, "Thank you for
making me learn all the scales!"

Sorry to waste so much space, but education -- musical and otherwise -- are
close to my heart.

Jim Hobby

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