I have always loved teaching songs from around the world, abundant in the Kodály repertoire. In the past 10 years, our district has changed to include an increasing number of second language learners. I have enjoyed working to connect with these students in the music classroom, more challenging because of the limited time we have each week. I have some favorite ways to connect and have found some ways that other great teachers connect.
Help students feel that their culture is valued
Not only do I regularly talk about various places in the world, I take the time to talk to students about places I’ve been. When we discuss a place, I often ask students if they have been there or if they know someone there and talk about languages their families and my family speaks. Among my three kids are 6 languages: English, Thai, Italian, Spanish, Haitian Creole and Mandarin Chinese. Students talk about their relatives in various places. Asking about students’ connections shows them that we value other places in the world and that we find them interesting.
I make a habit of asking students if they are going to visit relatives or places over Christmas or over summer break. They are happy to tell me they are visiting relatives or going somewhere. It only takes a couple of minutes, but I feel that the benefits are worth the time.
Learn special songs from various cultures
Here is a version at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii.
And here is another video. My favorite is when you toss the sticks.