I just finished up a year at Cannon Falls, serving in the kindergarten classrooms, and reading (with dialogue included) to kids that were for some reason or another, jointly decided by the teachers and I to be in need of further social and emotional development. But what you probably don't know is that, about 2/3 through the year I gradually started taking said kids to the music room to show them instruments and sing songs with them. They were pretty excited about it, to say the least. Especially when I would allow them a couple minutes to explore/improvise on whatever instrument they happened to have on that day.
I've been looking at reapplying for LEAP for next year, partly because I know the people and I don't have to find another place to live (i.e., very convenient), but also because of the above reason. I'd like to have a chance to try this music thing for a full year and see the impact on kids when they start kindergarten (and they're still socially preschoolers)... or when they're in preschool, depending on if I'm in Cannon Falls next year or if I get transferred over to a Head Start program.
This summer, in addition to simply doing service, I have plans on doing some research on this whole "music+social/emotional+young kids" thing, partially as a way to broaden myself in both music and in service. Today I stumbled on "Kindermusik," a program specifically designed for the "music+social/emotional+young kids" collaboration, and it appears to be a more professional version of what I've done with the kindergartners at Cannon Falls for parts of the last three months of school. It is an international-based program, with sites all across the US as well as in other countries.
So far, it looks pretty simple: there's an online(?) training program for it, in which I would receive a teaching license after about 8-10 weeks of coursework, and then I guess apply for positions sometime after the training is finished.
It seems to be a pretty secure type of work, with what I assume are decent wages (salaries?), as well as health benefits, etc. But it's kind of funny, because I've been looking at grad school and trying to decide what to do with it. Apparently for becoming a Kindermusik teacher, grad school is unnecessary because the training I described takes care of that. Also, it appears were I to undertake this, I can more or less sign up whenever (i.e. next month, or next year, etc.)
So, for career goals... Kindermusik? Grad school? Thoughts?
For more information about this, I'll copy and paste the link here: http://www.kindermusik.com ["http://www.kindermusik.com/"].
Feel free to explore on their page; there's lots of information.