Our Suzuki Belief In Every Child
I have been enjoying being an assistant in the Suzuki Preschool this week, and getting to know our students and Preschool staff.
This Preschool is very special because it is a Suzuki environment for children ages 2.9 to 5 who get a strong early childhood curriculum that embraces the philosophy that every child can learn --music, foreign language, sports, math, science, etc.--if they are surrounded by a positive belief in the ability of the child.
Our Suzuki Preschool staff are doing that. I watched Mrs. Mallari present a lesson on taste testing three colors of apples. Mr. Torres presents circle time in English and Spanish. Children are learning to be helpers and how to be kind to one another. I was able to present a story where a child does not believe in her own ability to be an artist, but her teacher does believe in her. (The Dot by Peter Reynolds) All of our Suzuki School teachers are firm believers in the ability and potential of all children.
An important tenet of the Suzuki philosophy is to remember: we are all learning step by step. The parents are involved in their children's education in the same way as the parent triangle is espoused in our Suzuki music lessons. This week, with two teachers out we had parent volunteers participate in our classrooms.
This week has been the start of our group and musicianship classes and the first couple of weeks may feel confusing as we get settled in. Perhaps adjustments need to be made for class levels, but sometimes it just takes a little patience for a few classes to go by for teachers and students to get to know one another better, review past material that may have been forgotten, and acclimate to new learning styles.
Our door is open. Please let us know your concerns and questions. We will have Parent Chats on the first Thursday of every month at 12 noon via Zoom for you to bring music questions. You can also send your teacher, Ms. Hester, or me an email at any time to have your concerns addressed. As I mentioned last week, we are planning Learning Triangle week in October to discuss individually how we are doing in this aspect.
We believe in lifelong learning--and we are so glad you are with us on this journey.
Sachiko
