“As soon as I saw it, I just fell in love …”
By Kristin Clark Taylor
Throughout her decades of teaching and counseling elementary students, Michele Jordan has used what she describes as an “essential tool” to help engage, instruct, and motivate her students: Music.
“Music is a unifying force,” she explains. “It crosses barriers. It transcends boundaries. Music brings people together.”
About three years ago, Michele discovered a resource that allowed her to combine the power of music with her passion for teaching and counseling — and her discovery “changed everything.”
The resource? QuaverReady.
Jordan, a school counselor at Spring Valley Elementary in Raytown, Missouri, remember the moment.
“I was searching YouTube for different music lessons that would stimulate my students and catch their attention,” she says, “and as soon as I found Quaver, I just fell in love.”
“I could see that the content taught all of the important skills from our own SEL wheel, which was (and is) super important because we didn’t really have a separate SEL curriculum, so QuaverReady just made sense in every way.”
The more she learned about Quaver, the more she wanted to know.
Ever the go-getter, she decided to reach out to Nashville-based company directly, to the human beings who represent the heart and soul of the company itself.
“Everyone I spoke with was very receptive, right from the start,” she says. “They really wanted to help get Quaver into my school, and they really made me feel seen and heard.”
Celebrating Diversity
Michele knows first-hand the importance of feeling “seen and heard.”
“Spring Valley Elementary is a highly diverse student population, so it was important to find a music resource that could not only reflect and complement but celebrate our diversity,” she says with pride.
“The songs and lessons are very culturally affirming and validating,” she says.
“When students can see themselves in the lessons they’re learning – when they can look at the characters, understand the messages, hear the songs, and say to themselves ‘I get this!’ – it makes a real difference, she says. “We cannot reach this generation unless they can actually own what we’re teaching them.”
Quieting the Mind with QuaverReady
As a school counselor, mindfulness matters to Michele Jordan.
In fact, the mindfulness component of the QuaverReady curriculum helped fill an important gap, she says.
“We’re a trauma-informed school,” she explains, “and while not all trauma has to be major, all trauma must be addressed. Quaver helps us do this.”
Jordan says she’s also grateful that the SEL lessons build in time for reflection and a pause in classroom activity.
“At the end of the lessons, there’s time built in for quiet contemplation, she says. “This is extremely helpful because it allows my students time to process what they’ve just learned and to simply sit in the moment of here and now before having to rush to the next class or activity,” she says.
Jordan also likes the fact that the songs and lessons emphasize personal accountability and the importance of making good choices.
“A song like Organize and Prioritize reminds my students that they do have control!”
Choosing to be organized is a form of mindfulness!
“These are important lessons to learn not just in the classroom … but in life.”
So if you want to experience what Michele has experienced, the solution is simple:
Get QuaverReady for your school.
Kristin Clark Taylor is an author and a journalist.
For more information on QuaverEd, visit www.quavered.com.
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