Mrs Music's Memory Makers?

My quest to become a teacher started in the 1980’s, when, after many years of learning how to play the piano and flute; I was given the opportunity to study at an inspiring and vibrant place of learning called London College of Music; which in those days was situated in central London. My 3 years in London taught me the joy of making music with others and the great importance of music education for all children. Even though my goal was to become a general primary school teacher; I knew I would always do my utmost to provide the vital experiences of making music with others. I achieved this by running lunchtime recorder groups etc or an afterschool choir open to all! I was fortunate to have been supported by other members of staff for this: as at my last school we ran a 70 plus choir all year round and put on a Musical Soiree at the end of each term to give the children a platform where they could share their passion and hard work.

Achieving my Graduate Diploma in Music gave me a ticket to apply to Bretton Hall Teacher Training College back home in Yorkshire. It was there – thanks to more inspirational teachers -that I learnt the importance of making learning ‘hands on’ where possible. How true is this Chinese Proverb? ‘I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.’ I think this is true; but would love to change it to…When I hear; see and do… I remember and understand. Connectivity really is the key and should be shared throughout the land!

Another quote I once read- and as a result has also shaped my teaching- is something similar to… ‘If children don’t learn the way you teach them -teach them the way they learn.’ Although this is not easy when teaching a class of 30 children – I have always strived to achieve this by showing children that it’s good to experiment- even if we make mistakes whilst doing so; until we eventually find our own way of understanding what we are trying to learn.

I also discovered that using catchy songs and rhymes, besides being lots of fun, also helped some children to remember what they previously couldn’t; so I continued to do this throughout my teaching career. At the time I didn’t really understand why this helped some children as much as it did- but over the years I have enjoyed reading extensively about the research that has been undertaken suggesting that using raps; rhymes; songs and other aspects of music- can help to connect the 2 sides of the brain referred to as the right and left hemispheres. In a nut shell (please excuse the pun!) I now understand that methods of teaching which engage connectivity between both hemispheres via the corpus callosum can give children the power to thoroughly understand and remember what they are trying to learn. I have written the following rhyme to help your children understand that… Rhyming and singing make learning a joy! Left Side meets Right side…it’s fun when you try! By using both sides as a team did you know? Learning is easy and neurones can flow! Connection is key…why not give it a go? Your brain is amazing; so just let it go!

The experiences I have tried to explain led me to write rhymes and songs of my own in an endeavour to help children in all aspects of their learning. These include songs explaining the role of the letters in the alphabet; using rhymes to help children to understand how their brains work; making up raps to remember times tables; writing rhymes inspired by nature or simply writing songs to sing for pleasure for the many children’s choirs I have had the pleasure of running over the years.

It is now time for me to start sharing the ideas and compositions I have written: as a consequence of all the wonderful experiences and memories I was able to make when my dream to become a teacher became a reality. I can honestly say that I have loved every minute of my teaching journey and feel so humbled and privileged to have had the opportunity to nurture a real love of learning in so many children. I sincerely hope this platform is going to give me the starting point I need in which to help many more children experience the joy of learning; in collaboration with all the dedicated teachers who continue to work so hard in our schools.