Music in Science Class

Last night, I got to hang out with my totally awesome friend, Ania. We were supposed to be planning a west coast road trip for August, but of course we started talking about teaching. Ania is a Pilates teacher, and we often share our teaching adventures with each other.  Somehow our conversation segued into a trip down memory lane. Ania told me about her favorite teacher from high school, and I had to re-tell it here.

Ania's science teacher was an Olympic gold medalist runner who loved Jazz music. She remembers entering the classroom every single day greeted by the sounds of happy Jazz music, and the image of her teacher bopping and snapping his fingers to the music at the front of the room. She said that the science room felt unlike any room in the whole school. It felt happy and interesting, and it effected the rest of the class too. She said the classes were always fun and interesting, and she never forgot how he started each class with music.

I remember in my high school, there was a math teacher who had the reputation of also playing music in her class room. I had the privilege of sitting in her class just once, but I remember feeling like the music helped me somehow. I didn't understand why, I just knew that I felt more relaxed and open to learning.

That's it for today. No analysis on why it's nice to have music in the academic environment. Just a personal testament: it's really pretty great.