Random Gymboree (Music) Class Question

[hez]

My mom left a message yesterday-- she was kind of excited. There's an opening at her local Gymboree for a part time teacher for the music classes. She might apply-- but wondered if I knew anyone who'd been to the classes so she could get a feel for it. She's got a teaching degree (has taught or subbed pretty much all grades from 1-12, and was a preschool teacher for a couple years). We also have a few music skills in our family (she plays piano, sings in the choir, plays handbells, etc.).

She's currently not working-- just volunteering 10-20 hours at the local hospital, and I think all the free time is driving her nuts :)

SO, fill me in! Will she love it or hate it? What skills do those teachers usually have?

[tarabenet]

HEather, we've only done the regular Gymob play classes, so I don't know. But what if you let her take Payton to a "sample class" so she can see for herself? They'll let her do that. I took Aubrey to her sample class and am the primary person taking her to all her Gymbo classes, and they said it happens all the time! That way, mom can see for herself and get a much better feel for it.

I keep trying to get my step-daughter to look into Gymbo teaching. Every summer she works in a day-camp program and she's getting her degree in a combo of child psych and child development. Gymboree looks like a breeze, as each kid is accompanied by his/her own adult, so the teacher just leads, doesn't have to maintain order all alone! Seems like a pretty cushy way to "teach".

[ribbit1019]

Hmmm, we've only done regular Gymbo too. But let me know which location if she decides to do it! I was going to the music class with DD at the Mentor location, and the teacher (around mid-twenties) was a little too much for me. :) Acutally there were a couple of teachers that were a little much.

Christy
Maddy born 6/09/04
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040609/3/4/0/-5/.png

Little Man due 3/02/06
http://bd.lilypie.com/cKLom4/.png
Co-Owner Ribbit Baby

"I did then what I knew how to do. When you know better, you do better." ~ Maya Angelou

[hez]

Apparently it's a brand new franchise location-- it's in Westlake.

I just talked to Mom-- she called the # in the ad and I let her answer the other phone-- hopefully she's getting a call back!

If she ends up doing it, Christy-- I'll let you know. I'm pretty sure my mom won't be one of those who's a little too much ;)

[ribbit1019]

LOL! I doubt it!
I really don't know how they managed it to be honest. There was one with most horrendous voice that subbed one week for our gym class, they sing a lot during gym classes. It wouldn't have been half as bad if she wasn't SCREAMING the songs as well as being tone deaf!

And yes, please let me know. I am going to ask for a class for my birthday, it was the perfect gift for Mother's day last year. It will be especially important to have Maddy and mommy time in a couple of months. :)

Christy
Maddy born 6/09/04
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040609/3/4/0/-5/.png

Little Man due 3/02/06
http://bd.lilypie.com/cKLom4/.png
Co-Owner Ribbit Baby

"I did then what I knew how to do. When you know better, you do better." ~ Maya Angelou

[supercalifragilous]

DD's been in Gymbo Music for half her life now LOL - she absolutely loves the class. It really depends on the teacher - we have really good ones - but depending on who's teaching it, the energy of the class changes. It's always good though.

I think the hardest part of teaching the class is having to remember all the Gymbo songs. Just like it's hard to start singing a song while listening to another, it's sometimes hard to switch from song to song and remembering all the special words. I've heard complaints that it's too "Gymborized" (i.e. instead of B-I-N-G-O, we sing G-Y-M-B-O ~ "Gymbo" is the name of the Gymboree clown/mascot) but DD doesn't mind. The songs are copyrighted to Gymboree as well, so the teachers are following a curriculum for the class and it's somewhat structured (they follow an outline but can improvise).

I like that there's free instrument time and they incorporate actions/dance into music, whether it's breaking out the scarves, hula hoops, or bubbles (catching them in cups or popping the bubbles to another song with paintbrushes).

Every so often they change the "theme" of the music, say classical, cajun, african, showtunes, etc., and the music changes accordingly. The teacher doesn't sing the whole class - of course it's supplemented with playing music from a CD according to the theme and dancing around to it.

I think your mom's background in music and education will help her immensely and would definitely be an asset. She should definitely preview a class to get a feel for it.

Good luck!