This is your second year incorporating the drumming program in your classroom. What about this program intrigued you to give it a shot?

Developing the focus and concentration of my students. For any teacher, that’s always a big challenge- to get children to focus and concentrate and to retain the information. That was a big draw for me. And I’m always interested in trying out new innovations and approaches towards things.

What did you first begin to notice as a result of having the drumming in your classroom?

The increase in focus and concentration and definitely the improved long-term retention of information. In the past, I’d teach the material one week, they’d know it for the test the next week, but then just a month later when we’d have a review they’d forgotten things. The material almost seemed brand new to them.  Now, with the program, they really retain the information from three or four months ago. It’s really remarkable.

Also, it builds the community and they really support each other. Behaviorally they are less impulsive. They have a lot more self-discipline and self-control. Last year, my kids were more  “Along the mainstream” emotionally, and this year they have more problems, you know, from their backgrounds or whatever, and it has really made a difference with their emotions. I have a child in my class who has a reputation of not being liked ever since his school years here. And this year they have pretty much embraced him and accepted him for who he is. So it’s really made a difference. They really support each other.

I did notice a lot of the kids said, “when I’m angry it calms me down”. Do you have to actually say to them “Hey, why don’t you go over there and do some rhythm” or do they just do it now on their own?

Now they just do it. They’ve internalized it. When we started the program, you know how kids are, you have to remind them, so when opportunities came up I’d say, “If you’re angry, do a rhythm. Go relax yourself, do a rhythm” and now they can do it on their own. I see a lot of them in class doing it. Sometimes when I’ve had to speak to them discipline wise and remind them about something they should have been doing, you’d think naturally that were going to be a little angry that I had to speak to them. But I watch them, and they never talk back to me, they know that what I said was valid, and then they do a rhythm and they get themselves back together.

That’s pretty remarkable.

It’s pretty remarkable to me too.

So do you tell other teachers about this?

Yes. They know. Last year we did a presentation to the rest of the staff here and twenty teachers were interested in signing up. Well actually twenty teachers did sign up for the program and we wanted to bring the program to the school this year but because of logistic reasons and funding and whatever, we were not able to do that. But I still have teachers come by and ask, “What’s going on with the drumming program” and they are really accepting of it. And a lot of other teachers have mentioned of the students who had been in their class previously, that they have noticed such a big change. Such a big change.

Do the children still do the drumming when they move on to other classes?

    I teach fifth grade and it is the oldest grade in the school, so I don‘t see my kids from last year day to day. But I do see a few of them; a few of them come back and visit me after school sometimes. There’s a little girl who is still doing the rhythms on her own.  And it was such an interesting little incident she told me. She is the only one from our school at her middle school and in her class she was doing one of the things we do, which is putting rhythms to vocabulary words to help us study and recall them. She was the only one in her whole class, drumming on the table and the teacher was like, “Excuse me. What are you doing?” and she explained to them what it was. And I thought that was so wonderful that she had such a belief in it that she was willing to stand out, on her own and drum the rhythm. She is still using it on her own without me reminding her. When I went to the middle school and asked to see the grades, I found that a lot of my students from last year are doing very very well. A’s and B’s.

    Another thing that the program is doing is that they feel very safe with me. It’s very trusting. They know that they can disagree with me and tell me their opinions. I will listen to them and they feel safe in expressing them. I’ve had a little girl tell me “I don’t like the way you talked to me. I don’t like this, I don’t like that”. But she didn’t sat it in a belligerent or a defiant manner, it was a really “I’m trying to express my feelings to you.” And I do the same thing with them. I let them know how I’m feeling and even though we may not totally agree...

And that is not the way you communicated before the program?

Before the program, I always talked to the children, but now it is a different type. It’s a deeper talking. Because talking can be very superficial. I mean, I can be talking to another person but the message isn’t going very deeply...kind of like background. It didn't click in. But now it is more of a deeper connection that is really felt.

The kids were explaining to me that it’s not really about thinking it is about feeling. Do you think it is a reflection of that?

It’s the vibrations, the sounds, getting into them. It is also making them feel better able to express themselves. A lot of the kids, even though they are in the fifth grade, don’t have a lot of vocabulary words to express their feelings. And what the rhythm is doing is giving them the ability to express in words. And if they can’t express in words,  playing the rhythm helps get the emotions out. But it really builds into their feelings.

There is a connection that is made as a result of the drumming. And this connection builds. Last year, Steven came in with the foundation of the program, with the basic exercises, and then he supported me and I carried it off. This year a big difference was that I implemented the program on my own and he supported me when I needed help or if I had questions.

The first two weeks went really well and then, by the third week when we were getting deeper into the exercises, I had some resistance. By the third or fourth week, I felt really good about it. I’ve come a long way. I have total faith in the program.

You had resistance... meaning, from the children?

From the children. Some of the children, not all of them. The children who were resistant are kids who are just generally resistant in general- I talked to the counselor about it. He gave me a little background on their past because he’s worked with them for several years, and he has been just totally amazed at the changes with these individual children that he’s worked with.

And there is a great community spirit and feeling in the group in general. And it is a different community. Teachers always talk about “building community”. And I always said “Oh I have this great community in my classroom” that I build community, but since I’ve done the program, I’ve noticed it is a different type. This is a much deeper one. It’s a real... this stays with them... it’s not a superficial one.

As far as this year vs. last year, what is your personal experience with this program?

Well in my personal experience, I feel so much more confidence in myself and my ability to do this on my own. I’ve never doubted the program, but I have kind of doubted myself sometimes. I wondered whether I could carry it through. I feel such a sense of empowerment and I’m really making a difference in the kid's lives.

How many years have you been teaching?

This is my 16th year. And one of the things last year... I’ve always taught low achieving kids and I’ve always had problem children because for whatever reasons, people think I talk better to them or whatever, so they are placed in my classroom. That can get to be draining. With the Rhythm Of Learning program, I have this totally new energy. I’m not going home tired. It’s really incredible. I feel so much more alive. And I’m doing more things at home. Before, I just wanted to go home and put my feet up! Now I’m taking classes, I’m going from here to there and I’m not tired any more.

Do you guys drum every single day?

Yes. We do it first thing in the morning, after recess, after lunch and then during the day, the rhythms are integrated into the curriculums and we do the rhythms there. And then they know that if they need to, we were talking about awareness, that if they need to for whatever reason, need to do a rhythm to calm themselves down, they can play on their lap. As the year goes on, I see more and more kids be able to be aware of themselves. It’s feels great knowing that I’ve done that part for them. Both the academic part and then giving them the tools emotionally to take care of themselves. These are life skills that they need to know.  

Many thanks to Ruth Rudnick for this interview with Ms. Soo