Tom Hunter & The Song Growing Co. March Newsletter
Tom Hunter - The Song Growing Co.
list@tomhunter.com
Tue, 2 Mar 2004 12:42:16 -0800
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March Newsletter...
GREETINGS FOR MARCH, and longer days with more sunshine! A couple of =
beautiful days in a row makes me want some garden time to start feeding =
the soil with llama manure and coffee grounds. It=92s icy this morning =
but still a pretty lamb-like beginning to the month. Does anyone know =
where that "in like a lamb, out like a lion" (or vice versa) came from?
TO CHEW ON... Just finished reading The Rise of the Creative Class by =
Richard Florida. Good provocative look at how 30% of the US economy is =
generated by people in what he calls the =91creative core" (artists, =
researchers, entrepeneurs, etc) and "creative professionals" (anyone =
working to find "new forms"). He says it=92s characterized by people =
driven more by passion for their work and a sense of challenge than by =
money, more by intrinsic motivation than extrinsic. Pretty clear =
contrast to what we=92re doing in education where we spend little time =
discovering students=92 passions and a lot of time externalizing their =
motivation (with grades and rewards). Florida says creativity has 4 =
steps: preparation (intentional studying of a task) , incubation (a =
mysterious time of mulling, mostly in the subconscious), illumination =
(new connections are revealed), and verification and revision. Useful =
stuff, suggesting if we value creativity, we=92re going to have to make =
more time for kids to mull, wonder, wallow, tinker, brainstorm, and =
discover if we want their creative brains to grow.
A RECENT EVENT... Often, the best moments in workshops (at least for me) =
come when teachers make their own connections in ways I might have =
suggested but definitely did not make happen, like one Sat. morning last =
month with the Potomac Assoc. of Co-op Teachers meeting in Falls Church. =
VA outside Washington, DC. The topic was "nourishing the heart of our =
teaching" and at one point I had said if I were interviewing to hire a =
teacher I=92d ask "what gives you chills?" (among a lot of other things) =
because I want to know what people find moving. What affects us =
emotionally (lump-in-the-throat stuff) is such an important resource for =
knowing our own vitality, and I think we as teachers need to become more =
aware of such moments, and collect them=85.. Then I told two stories of =
passionate teachers and what in their own lives gave rise to that =
passion, at which point a teacher said that she had felt ignored by one =
of her teachers when she was a student and she=92s now bound and =
determined not to do that to any of her students. Immediately, someone =
in the back of the room at the workshop said, "I just got chills." It =
was fun to start collecting those moments even before we left the =
workshop.
MARCH DATES... I can=92t wait for the big chunks of open days toward the =
end of the month when there=92s no travel and I can let things incubate =
around here!
3/3 =96 elementary school in Burlington, WA for assemblies and teacher =
workshop
3/5 =96 all day seminar for teachers in Portland, OR ("Using Songs to =
Strengthen Learning In the Classroom") for the Bureau of Education and =
Research (info: 1-800-736-2136), to make up Jan. seminar cancelled by =
bad weather =96 I have 15 BER dates next year
3/7 =96 keynote and workshop for National Campus Child Care Conference, =
Seattle
3/11-12 =96 Edwardsville, IL =96 assemblies, concert, workshops for =
Madison Co.
3/13 =96 keynote and workshops at "As the Child Grows" Conference, =
Tacoma, WA
3/20 =96 workshops for Navy childcare and youth workers, Bremerton, WA
3/27 =96 keynote and workshops at Tapestry Conference, Vancouver, WA
3/28 =96 family concert for Parent Child Preschools of Oregon, Cedar =
Hills, OR
3/31 =96 teacher workshop, Santa Barbara, CA
April: 1-2 with teachers and kids in Long Beach, CA, at Cal Tech and =
UCLA; 4/16 Nevada AEYC in Reno; 4/17 S. Sound AEYC in Olympia, WA; 4/24 =
S. Seattle conference; 4/28-30 Rochester, NY, 5/1 keynote and workshops =
in Palm Springs, CA
HYPE... There=92s still room to register for the NW Teachers Conference =
(June 19-24) =96 a wonderful unforgettable staff development event in a =
beautiful spot north of Seattle. Brochures are available and past =
participants would love to talk to you about details (check out =
www.tomhunter.com/NWTC.htm for more info)=85 With so much travel and =
work the past two months, sales have been good, but I don=92t want to be =
gone all the time so you=92re going to have to help pass the word about =
stuff available. Go to www.tomhunter.com/stufftobuy.htm to see what's =
available. Tell people to check the web site (www.tomhunter.com), and =
sign up for this newsletter. No t-shirts or mugs yet, just lots of good =
music! And for anyone getting this newsletter, shipping continues to be =
free. Just write "mug" on your order=85 Until next month=85
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-------
THE SONG GROWING CO.
1225 E. Sunset Dr., #518
Bellingham, WA 98226
(360) 738-0340
fax: (360) 734-0295
songgrow@tomhunter.com=20
www.tomhunter.com
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<DIV><STRONG>March Newsletter...</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>GREETINGS FOR MARCH</STRONG>, and longer days with more =
sunshine! A=20
couple of beautiful days in a row makes me want some garden time to =
start=20
feeding the soil with llama manure and coffee grounds. It=92s icy this =
morning but=20
still a pretty lamb-like beginning to the month. Does anyone know where =
that "in=20
like a lamb, out like a lion" (or vice versa) came from?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>TO CHEW ON...</STRONG> Just finished reading <U>The =
Rise of=20
the Creative Class</U> by Richard Florida. Good provocative look at how =
30% of=20
the US economy is generated by people in what he calls the =91creative =
core"=20
(artists, researchers, entrepeneurs, etc) and "creative professionals" =
(anyone=20
working to find "new forms"). He says it=92s characterized by people =
driven more=20
by passion for their work and a sense of challenge than by money, more =
by=20
intrinsic motivation than extrinsic. Pretty clear contrast to what =
we=92re doing=20
in education where we spend little time discovering students=92 passions =
and a lot=20
of time externalizing their motivation (with grades and rewards). =
Florida says=20
creativity has 4 steps: preparation (intentional studying of a task) ,=20
incubation (a mysterious time of mulling, mostly in the subconscious),=20
illumination (new connections are revealed), and verification and =
revision.=20
Useful stuff, suggesting if we value creativity, we=92re going to have =
to make=20
more time for kids to mull, wonder, wallow, tinker, brainstorm, and =
discover if=20
we want their creative brains to grow.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>A RECENT EVENT...</STRONG> Often, the best moments in=20
workshops (at least for me) come when teachers make their own =
connections in=20
ways I might have suggested but definitely did not make happen, like one =
Sat.=20
morning last month with the Potomac Assoc. of Co-op Teachers meeting in =
Falls=20
Church. VA outside Washington, DC. The topic was "nourishing the heart =
of our=20
teaching" and at one point I had said if I were interviewing to hire a =
teacher=20
I=92d ask "what gives you chills?" (among a lot of other things) because =
I want to=20
know what people find moving. What affects us emotionally =
(lump-in-the-throat=20
stuff) is such an important resource for knowing our own vitality, and I =
think=20
we as teachers need to become more aware of such moments, and collect =
them=85..=20
Then I told two stories of passionate teachers and what in their own =
lives gave=20
rise to that passion, at which point a teacher said that she had felt =
ignored by=20
one of her teachers when she was a student and she=92s now bound and =
determined=20
not to do that to any of her students. Immediately, someone in the back =
of the=20
room at the workshop said, "I just got chills." It was fun to start =
collecting=20
those moments even before we left the workshop.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>MARCH DATES...</STRONG> <I>I can=92t wait for the big =
chunks of=20
open days toward the end of the month when there=92s no travel and I can =
let=20
things incubate around here!</DIV></I>
<DIV><STRONG>3/3</STRONG> =96 elementary school in Burlington, WA for =
assemblies=20
and teacher workshop</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>3/5</STRONG> =96 all day seminar for teachers in Portland, =
OR ("Using=20
Songs to Strengthen Learning In the Classroom") for the Bureau of =
Education and=20
Research (info: 1-800-736-2136), to make up Jan. seminar cancelled by =
bad=20
weather =96 <I>I have 15 BER dates next year</DIV></I>
<DIV><STRONG>3/7</STRONG> =96 keynote and workshop for National Campus =
Child Care=20
Conference, Seattle</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>3/11-12</STRONG> =96 Edwardsville, IL =96 assemblies, =
concert,=20
workshops for Madison Co.</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>3/13</STRONG> =96 keynote and workshops at "As the Child =
Grows"=20
Conference, Tacoma, WA</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>3/20</STRONG> =96 workshops for Navy childcare and youth =
workers,=20
Bremerton, WA</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>3/27</STRONG> =96 keynote and workshops at Tapestry =
Conference,=20
Vancouver, WA</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>3/28</STRONG> =96 family concert for Parent Child =
Preschools of=20
Oregon, Cedar Hills, OR</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>3/31</STRONG> =96 teacher workshop, Santa Barbara, CA</DIV>
<DIV><EM>April: 1-2 with teachers and kids in Long Beach, CA, at Cal =
Tech and=20
UCLA; 4/16 Nevada AEYC in Reno; 4/17 S. Sound AEYC in Olympia, WA; 4/24 =
S.=20
Seattle conference; 4/28-30 Rochester, NY, 5/1 keynote and workshops in =
Palm=20
Springs, CA</EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM></EM><STRONG>HYPE...</STRONG> <STRONG>There=92s still room =
to=20
register for the NW Teachers Conference</STRONG> (June 19-24) =96 a =
wonderful=20
unforgettable staff development event in a beautiful spot north of =
Seattle.=20
Brochures are available and past participants would love to talk to you =
about=20
details (check out <A=20
href=3D"http://www.tomhunter.com/NWTC.htm">www.tomhunter.com/NWTC.htm</A>=
for more=20
info)=85 With so much travel and work the past two months, <STRONG>sales =
have been=20
good</STRONG>, but I don=92t want to be gone all the time so you=92re =
going to have=20
to help pass the word about stuff available. Go to <A=20
href=3D"http://www.tomhunter.com/stufftobuy.htm">www.tomhunter.com/stufft=
obuy.htm</A> to see=20
what's available. <STRONG>Tell people to check the web site (<A=20
href=3D"http://www.tomhunter.com">www.tomhunter.com</A>), and sign up =
for this=20
newsletter.</STRONG> No t-shirts or mugs yet, just lots of good music! =
And for=20
anyone getting this newsletter, shipping continues to be free. Just =
write "mug"=20
on your order=85 <STRONG>Until next month=85</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<HR>
</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><STRONG>THE SONG GROWING =
CO.</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>1225 E. Sunset Dr., #518</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Bellingham, WA 98226</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>(360) 738-0340</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>fax: (360) 734-0295</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>
<DIV><A =
href=3D"mailto:songgrow@tomhunter.com">songgrow@tomhunter.com</A>=20
</DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><A =
href=3D"http://www.tomhunter.com">www.tomhunter.com</A>=20
</FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>
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