Spring 2009 Session - Robertson House

instructor: Kristina Uranowski

Week 1

Baby Class:
Amazing participation for our first class today.  The babies really had their time to shine after being almost overshadowed by older siblings in the last session.
Participation by the parents was reluctant at first, but by the end of the class they were really impressing me.
I was prepared to brave a lot of eye-rolling and groaning with extra smiles and enthusiasm.  Sounds corny, but it works.  Once the babies start responding to my enthusiasm, the parents then realize that the safe, caring and sometimes goofy atmosphere is exactly what the babies need to be most receptive to the music.  It was a total success, and I am really excited and grateful that we are able to run two separate classes at Robertson House this session.

Toddler Class:
I brought out the chime bars (our first instrument of the week) and they seemed to get excited quite quickly.  For a first class, we got through many of our regular songs and exercises.  After our jam session, I spent some time talking to the kids and letting them explore the guitar.  It feels really good to be back at Robertson House and I am looking forward to next week's classes.


Week 2

The baby class went swimmingly.  We did a few songs about the sun, the rain and other topics related to the environment.  All the adults were very participatory, especially on songs they were already familiar with, like "Mr. Sun".

The toddler class was really great today.  The parents and caregivers really were attentive to the class, and it made the children pay closer attention.  We had a few criers that had to leave for a nap, but overall the mood was light and fairly focused.

They did a great job with "This is my trunk, I'm a tall tall tree" which was one of our new earth week songs.

The jam sessions in both classes were great, the kids are learning a lot of the words to the songs and singing along.


Week 3

This week, many families moved out of the shelter. Only three toddlers and a baby were available for class. The adult participants really made the class fun for the kids by helping keep the energy high even though there were so few children. One new student did not speak much english, but he really took to the songs and loved to participate physically by following along with the actions and dances. I am looking forward to meeting the new families that move in and watching the veteran Rainbow Foundation kids help the new children learn the songs and actions.
April 28, 2009 (Robertson House)

The baby class today was such a success!  Everyone was very keen and happy to be there.  When I sat down, everyone immediately came to the circle without any coaxing to sit on the floor instead of the chairs.  All the caregivers were 100% attentive, participated in every single song, and did so with joy and feeling.  The babies really were responding to the extra enthusiasm from all of the adults in the room!  The adults really enjoyed trying the instrument of the week, the singing bowl. They found it tricky, but were encouraging with each other and excited to show the babies once they finally got the hang of it. I feel there is a good repore developing between the shelter workers, myself, the parents and the children.  

The toddlers today were in a very good mood.  They had a lot of fun with the more active songs like "Train is a comin'" and "Sleeping Bunnies".  They also really enjoyed the singing bowl which I brought as our instrument of the week.  They took turns passing the bowl around and trying with one another, it was really amazing to see them share in such a calm and caring way.
        
Two of my students that I have had since I started teaching at Robertson House in January are moving out of the shelter this week.  It was very sad for us to have our last Rainbow Songs class with S and Z, but I am really happy that their family is moving on to a new stage in their lives.  They have grown a lot since I first met them, and I know they will do so well on their own.


Week 4

Today we ran one class at Robertson House. There were three staff members, four parents and five children (three babies and two toddlers). One of the toddlers was really cracking everyone up. He was really interested in singing his own songs, about his shoes and his favorite tv shows. He was easy to indulge because when he was finished singing his impromptu songs for the class, he went right back to participating in our regular repitoire. I brought a small Chinese Gong and it was a hit as instrument of the week. We also experimented with putting the toddlers on top of the parachute and spun them around. They really got a kick out of that. All in all, a quiet, but successful class.


Week 5

Today was a great day at Robertson House. It was animal day, and the kids were really excited to participate in all the animal songs, some old and some new.  I brought in Terry the Turtle and my Thai Singing Frogs, and the kids were really responsive and well behaved throughout the class.  We had some new girls, 2 three-year-olds and a five-year-old, and they really brought the class to life. "Sleeping Bunnies" was a riot, they just wanted me to play it again and again. I feel really positive about the last few weeks of class coming up.


Week 6

The class was really excited to be there today. Many of the new children from the previous week had returned and seemed to be delighted to repeat exercises from the week before, as well as explore new songs. "Elephants Have Wrinkles" was a big hit as always, and they are becoming really good with counting and number songs. The caregivers were really helpful this week, singing with gusto and laughing and playing along.