Part 3 Blog/Feedback

Did you enjoy the time we spent in the group? Do you feel a better sense of belonging at school after our group meetings?

"Yes, I enjoyed it. It was cool to make friends with kids in [other grades] even when they didn't speak Spanish... or English."

Sariel enjoyed the opportunity to find some common ground and similarities with kids in other grade levels and from other multicultural and linguistic backgrounds. Even when he was one of the few boys in the group, he still felt a sense of belonging amongst the other group members.

How do you feel about the way that the activities and games were introduced? Was the silent instruction easy to follow?

"Sometimes it was hard to understand what to do. But I still had fun playing on the drums."

Consistency, transparency, and planning is very important when you are teaching without any verbal instruction. At times, in my own self-reflection, I found that the manner that I had originally thought of to demonstrate an activity or game did not pan out as I had anticipated, and I had to pivot in the moment.

Do you have any improvements you think would make the experience better for future students?

"I had a lot of fun with the instruments and playing the games. Sometimes, my hands would hurt from playing the drum, so maybe you could get some gloves or sticks for the kids to have!"

Paola's honesty regarding the discomfort she felt from playing the tubano drums indicated to me not that I need to make an investment in protective gloves or drum sticks, but that I should be much more intentional in the exploration activities of modeling gentle drumming techniques and encourage students to play with softer dynamic levels.