Elk Grove Village teacher hopes to foster lifelong love for music
Rachel LaPorte is a music teacher at Adlai Stevenson Elementary School in Elk Grove Village, where she's taught for three years. Before that, she spent a year at Plato Learning Academy in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side.
Elementary students aren't likely to become virtuosos before they leave fifth grade. What's your goal for, say, a kindergartner over the course of a school year, and how do you build on that throughout elementary school?
In District 54, we experienced our first year of full-day kindergarten. The entire music staff worked to build curriculum for our incoming kindergartners that would engage them right from the start. My biggest goal this year was to shape a love for music and an appreciation for singing and playing instruments. Young children can be especially restless, so in a 30-minute class, I plan 6-7 activities and songs. Singing individually as well as in a group paired with kinesthetic movements help guide my students toward a fun and successful music experience. Building a positive environment that is welcoming toward all of my students and their abilities will allow them to continue to blossom throughout their time with me.
Kids are natural noisemakers. How do you harness that inclination and shape it into vocal or instrumental talent?
During music class, students need a variety of opportunities to discover their passions. Starting in kindergarten through 6th grade, I incorporate instruments, movement and singing into lessons every week. I know each of my 500 students are unique and have their own interests. I create opportunities for them to thrive in music, whether through composition, improvisation, performance or playing instruments. Although some of my students are fortunate to have private music lessons outside of school, I know for many, their abilities will only be fostered in my music class. I am so thankful that my students receive an hour of music as part of their education each week in District 54.
What music - a composer, an artist, a song, etc. - is essential for students to know and appreciate? Why?
One of my favorite songs to teach my students in 5th grade is "The Star Spangled Banner." This song holds a special place in our culture, and my students often believe this song is "easy" and something they "already know." As we dissect the lyrics, it becomes clear to the students that there are indeed many words that aren't familiar, and the melody is harder to sing than they thought. This year, we recorded a run through without any rehearsal, and I played it for the students to assess what we need to improve. As the weeks passed, and as we prepared for our Veterans Day assembly, the students became more and more focused on blending together and performed beautifully. As the students were able to take a deeper look into the lyrics, they were able to understand the historical significance of this song and why it holds such a special place in our American history. My hope is for each of my students to have a love and appreciation for music that lasts a lifetime. I want them to feel confident singing our national anthem in the crowd at a sporting event or comfortable leading a version of "Happy Birthday" for a loved one. In music, there is a place for everyone.
What song's your favorite guilty pleasure?
"What is Love" - Haddaway