As Suzuki teachers, excellent teaching is always our aim. We try to look for ways to improve our teaching ability, to grow as human beings and to be inspiring models for our precious students. However, though quality teaching alone is one of the treasures of our contribution as teachers, there are other aspects of the Suzuki philosophy that affect our local program’s success, especially in our Suzuki public school endeavors. One of those aspects is how we shape the environment around the child’s learning process and how we obtain cooperation from the human elements in that environment.
Dr. Suzuki’s approach of shaping the environment into a positive launching stage for learning can be very challenging at times. Because our program in Greenville started just three years ago, like any other young program, the ground-braking work is yet to be completed. We have had a successful start in many areas like enthusiasm among administrators, teachers, and parents, inspiring concerts and presentations, demonstrations, and learning itself. The one element we always have to dedicate a conscious amount of energy and time to is communicating with all the pieces of the “human environment” that our students are exposed to at school.
Rigo Murillo with Elementary Class.
Three principals, three secretaries, 21 classroom teachers, 232 students with their parents, not to mention the administrative employees such as the superintendent, special programs coordinator, community relations, volunteer chairmen and civic organizations—and the list goes on. The foremost challenge of managing and promoting a successful Suzuki school program can be told in one word: communication.
Community Awareness
It all starts with communicating the existence of the program in the community. One of the ways we can voice our mission is by publicizing who we are and what we do. I am often found in the store looking for something like paint stirrers when an attendant asks, “What do you need all these for?” I reply, “I’m the Suzuki violin teacher at two of our schools and I need some paint stirrers to make practice violins.”
I often talk to the community relations coordinator in our school district. He has on several occasions come to our lessons and concerts to see our students, take pictures, write newspaper articles, etc. Those actions are always precious boosters for our developing young program. In Greenville, we are fortunate and proud to have a civic organization of people that have taken the burden of promoting and supporting the program in different ways. They donate and help raise money to purchase instruments, volunteer to help in group classes and assist with paperwork we may need, among other important tasks.
The Greenville Suzuki Strings Association was born as the Greenville Symphony League to promote the formation of a symphony orchestra. After revisiting the means of its purpose, they concluded that Suzuki string education was what the city needed to see an orchestra emerge. The organization then became a very important key to the creation of our program, persuading the school administrators of the benefits that a Suzuki strings program would bring to our city.
Excerpt only. Read the complete article in the American Suzuki Journal.
