WSB welcomed lessons from University of Maryland, Baltimore County students earlier this month and the experience was truly meaningful for everyone involved.

Our students, in grades 4-8, welcomed a group of UMBC students who are studying Arts in Education, to lead their music classes earlier this month.

Third grade parent Airi teaches the UMBC class that explores teaching artistry where she said "music is taught experientially so that personal relevance could be found within a work of art."

Airi collaborated with Ms. Weisheit to bring a practical study to life that would enrich both the UMBC and Waldorf students. Each UMBC student was assigned a Waldorf music zoom class time and led our students through a lesson.

Here are some thoughts from the UMBC students on the experience:

"I really appreciated teaching the 8th grade students at Waldorf a little bit about the Scottish song, Loch Lomond. It was my first time teaching a middle school classroom, so it meant a lot to be able to tap into that area before finishing my BA. I had forgotten what it was like to learn as an 8th grader, so this experience really helped revive some of that understanding."

"Teaching that 5th grade class was the first time I’ve ever had the opportunity to present a lesson plan that I’d written, so it was an extremely significant benchmark for me. It was great to meet a new group of students and share something that I’m passionate about with them. Although I was nervous during the lesson, this opportunity provided me with the kind of experience that is essential to growing as a teacher. I’m so grateful to have been given the time and support necessary to accomplish this."

"The students were all very polite, respectful, and willing to participate in the activities. This removed a lot of the nervousness I had going into the classroom, as the students had accepted me being there and didn’t make me have to do all of the work when it came to communicating. Ultimately, I found the experience to be really fun, the students to be a great bunch, and my biggest hope is that they retain some of those rhythmic syllable skills when they find themselves in a situation that will require them to improvise."

"I hope my lesson reached some, if not all, of the students and opened their eyes to what is possible on the guitar. I never had that kind of experience coming through school and it wasn’t until college where I found my love for percussive guitar. Thank you for the opportunity to expand on my teaching experience, the things that I learned along the way will benefit me in the future."