What I Learned From a 5K and a Summer Celebration

I recently ran my first 5K, which was the kickoff event for my town's Summer Celebration.  The proceeds from the run/walk went towards a community fund that is distributed to those who have experienced a medical or catastrophic event.  This year the event was in memory of a community member who passed away this year and many people came to run/walk in her memory.  It was an amazing event to witness and it showed the power and possibilities when we all come together as a community.

Human beings can achieve amazing feats all by themselves, but imagine the possibility if communities continually worked together.  Our schools are a community within a community and we will achieve far more together then we ever can alone.  A little town in Illinois is able to come together to raise money for local families who are in financial need or will have hardships in the future.  At the same time our communities are full of people who are willing and able to help in our mission to education the future generation, but they need to know how they can help.  

One of my favorite memories from teaching in a small Alaska town was when the Elder from The Alaska Room in Fairbanks came to speak to our school.  The lone gentlemen of the group offered to teach my students Eskimo Baseball, which is a game played in many Native Villages.  I had already taught my students the game, but relearning it from a Elder was an amazing experience for my students.    Along with the game, they learned about respect and sportsmanship.  These two life skills are held to a high standard during this game and students were taught how to keep their emotions in check.  Our communities are filled with people who are experts in different fields.  Teachers have the ability to teach these same concepts, but it is even more powerful for our students to learn these skills and concepts from people who are experts in their field.

Who are the people in your community that could help teach concepts and skills to your students?  What are ways we can open the doors to our schools and help our students realize that learning is a lifelong endeavor and not one that only happens inside a school?

I am still working out the logistics and brainstorming ideas on how I would like to invite the community into my classroom.  So far, I have three ideas.

1.  I would like to find ways to bring more musicians and artists into my school.  Using Skype is a possibility.

2.  I would like to have at least one day a year (during Music In Our Schools Month) to invite parents into the classroom, so they can see and experience what music class is like for their child.  General music has changed a lot over the years and many parents do not have a complete understanding of what music class looks like in the year 2013.

3.  Invite community members in to share Multicultural Music.  The area I live in is not incredibly diverse, but we do have community members that come from a few different cultures.