[Rhodes22-list] teachers - Chris?

Steven Alm stevenalm at gmail.com
Tue Aug 28 02:32:13 EDT 2007 

Chris,

I'm not sure what I teach is Music Appreciation for the simple fact that my
show is mostly request-driven.  I don't cram anything down their throats
that they didn't ask for.  What I do teach, though, is singing.  Since the
requests are for songs that everybody knows, my sing-along approach is the
same as that of the choir director:

"I know you can do better than that...  Let's try it again but this time
sing LOUDER!"

I stand up and wave my arms like the conductor and bring the music out of
them.  No matter how many times I've done it, it still gives me goose bumps
when I can get a room of 200 people to sing the chorus of "Bye, Bye, Miss
American Pie" at the top of their drunken lungs.

BTW, drunks and children have a lot in common.  You have to pace your
presentation carefully, you always have to give them something to do, you
have to challenge them, you have to reward them and there's always a couple
trouble-makers out there you have to deal with.

Even the songs themselves (curricula) are the same.  If you set it up right,
drunk adults will love "The Wheels On The Bus Go 'Round And 'Round."  And
the hand gestures are key--just like doing it with kids.

"The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish..."

"The door on the bus goes open and shut, open and shut, open and shut..."

"The mommies on the bus go shh, shh, shh..."

But then of course I put an adult twist:

"The driver on the bus goes, HEY, SHUT UP YOU LITTLE BASTARDS!  I GOT A JOB
TO DO HERE SO FUCK YOU!  I'M GONNA KICK YOUR SORRY LITTLE ASSES OFF THIS
BUS.  GET THE HELL OUTA HERE!  AND YOUR PARENTS ARE GONNA GROUND YOU AND I
DON'T GIVE A SHIT IF YOU HAVE TO WALK TO SCHOOL FOR THE REST OF YOUR LITTLE
FUCKING LIVES AND THE PRINCIPAL CAN KISS MY ASS........."   8-)

Slim,  Bart Simpson thinks I'm a great singing teacher.

On 8/27/07, Geankoplis <napoli68 at charter.net> wrote:
>
> Thanks Brad,
>                 For sharing your luck with the teachers you got and the
> luck
> you made!  They wanted to suspend my kid for skipping his last two classes
> each day at H.S. so he could ride the bus to the university and audit
> ceramics classes under an assumed name.  I let him finish up his last half
> of his senior year in night school so he could go full time to something
> he
> loved.  Now both of you are doing what you love (though you do make the
> bucks) and are happy.
>
> Chris Geankoplis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Brad Haslett
> Sent: Friday, August 24, 2007 3:29 AM
> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] teachers - Chris?
>
> Elle & Slim,
>
> Maybe I got really lucky but I had almost a handful of very dedicated and
> proficient teachers in the very tiny public school I attended.  MY HS
> science teacher was the one who inspired me to learn to fly between my
> Freshman and Sophomore year.  I remain friends with my HS guidance
> counselor
> and share e-mails weekly.  I was so bored my Senior year I convinced the
> school board to allow me to drive my own car to the county vocational
> school
> to attend Distributive Ed.  My DE instructor knew I working on an Airframe
> and Powerplant apprenticeship so he didn't require me to attend class, but
> enabled me to drive straight to the airport and work.  That later caused
> some problems when my Principal visited the vocational school one day and
> found out I didn't attend class.  He suspended me for three days, which
> was
> hardly any punishment.  I later got suspended again, this time perhaps
> justly, for buzzing an afternoon PE class at my HS low enough to have the
> coach and his students lying face down in the dirt.  Then I got expelled
> for
> taking off for three days on a flying expedition.  The Illinois State
> Board
> of Education put the fear of God in me that I needed to beg my way back in
> school (only two months to go) and failed to mention that my college
> entrance exam scores were high enough to not even bother with graduating
> from HS.  My boss came up with a better idea - we blackmailed two school
> board members for some of their extra-curricular activities and they did
> my
> bidding for me.  By the time I did start college I had been on my own for
> a
> while and was paying my own way.  I didn't tolerate BS from college
> professors and they sensed that.  Fortunately, the last 2 1/2 years I
> attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, an adult oriented
> commuter school with a much higher than normal average student body
> age.  My
> oldest son is attending there now, working on a second undergrad degree in
> Construction Management since his first degree in partying at the U of A
> Fayetteville hasn't yielded too many job offers.
>
> I love teaching but I doubt I'd last two days in the public school
> environment.  The first time little Johnny's Dad came to complain about
> something I'd rip his head off as well.  My hat goes off to anyone to can
> survive those conditions.  Both of my sons attended Catholic Boys high
> schools where parental input and interference was greeted by throwing your
> little precious out.  Frankly, I liked that - spared me listening to a lot
> of whining.
>
> Brad
>
> On 8/23/07, elle <watermusic38 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > Methinks your teachers may have had the same
> > impression of you.
> >
> > Three months off? that would be between mid-June when
> > school is out and mid -August when teachers return?
> >
> > How would you like working 12-14 hr days 6 days /wk?
> >
> > Walk a mile, bud, before you speak of what you do not
> > know.
> >
> > Needing more rejuvenation...
> >
> > .elle
> >
> >
> > --- Just bent <j.bulfer at jbtek.com> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > In the 12 years of public schools, I probably have
> > > had about 35 different
> > > teachers. I can't think of 1 that impressed me even
> > > a little bit. They all
> > > seemed to be on a power trip. I think they have one
> > > of the best jobs, 3
> > > months off every year. Great for planning long
> > > vacations. I was going to be
> > > a teacher but circumstances required plan B, get
> > > married & have kids, (but
> > > not in that order.) I've trained many adults, I
> > > don't think that's anything
> > > like trying to teach children. I agree, a very noble
> > > profession but I think
> > > it is abused by many, mostly in higher education.
> > > Jb
> > >
> > >
> > > Brad Haslett-2 wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Slim,
> > > >
> > > > I'll throw my hat in the ring!  If I had to choose
> > > any single point in my
> > > > career as the best moment, it would be one while
> > > instructing.  I had the
> > > > pleasure of enduring an "education" class a few
> > > years ago taught by a "no
> > > > shit" General in the Airforce" and a Phd. in
> > > Education.  He was "known" as
> > > > the asshole on campus but it was one of the
> > > richest days of learning in my
> > > > career.  You know the old expression, "those who
> > > can, do, and those who
> > > > can't, teach?"   He fully debunked that theory.
> > > If I have to choose
> > > > between
> > > > 'pilot' or 'teacher' on my tombstone, give me the
> > > teacher label. What a
> > > > noble profession!
> > > >
> > > > Brad
> > > >
> > > > On 8/23/07, Steven Alm <stevenalm at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> Ed,
> > > >>
> > > >> You mean to tell me that just because I have a
> > > garage and some wrenches
> > > >> that
> > > >> does not make me a mechanic?  8-)
> > > >>
> > > >> Slim, former teacher, husband of teacher, brother
> > > of teacher, son of two
> > > >> teachers
> > > >>
> > > >> On 8/23/07, Tootle <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Chris,
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Why the narrow point of view?  Teachers?  Has
> > > Stan taught us about
> > > >> > sailboats? sailing?  You best include this
> > > forums premire teacher don't
> > > >> > you
> > > >> > think?  And another problem, because someone
> > > has title teacher does not
> > > >> > make
> > > >> > that person a teacher.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Ed K
> > > >> > Greenville, SC, USA
> > > >> > addendum:  "The reasonable man adapts himself
> > > to the world; the
> > > >> > unreasonable
> > > >> > one persists in trying to adapt the world to
> > > himself. Therefore all
> > > >> > progress
> > > >> > depends on the unreasonable man." --George
> > > Bernard Shaw
> > > >> >
> > > >> > --
> > > >> > View this message in context:
> > > >> >
> > >
> > http://www.nabble.com/teachers---Chris--tf4319116.html#a12299142
> > > >> > Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at
> > > Nabble.com.
> > > >> >
> > > >> >
> > > __________________________________________________
> > > >> > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
> > > www.rhodes22.org/list
> > > >> >
> > > >>
> > > __________________________________________________
> > > >> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
> > > www.rhodes22.org/list
> > > >>
> > > > __________________________________________________
> > > > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
> > > www.rhodes22.org/list
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > View this message in context:
> > >
> > http://www.nabble.com/teachers---Chris--tf4319116.html#a12305347
> > > Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at
> > > Nabble.com.
> > >
> > > __________________________________________________
> > > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help?
> > > www.rhodes22.org/list
> > >
> >
> >
> > We can't change the angle of the wind....but we can adjust our sails.
> >
> > 1992 Rhodes 22   Recyc '06  "WaterMusic"   (Lady in Red)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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