COLUMBIA, S.C. — When it comes to teaching music, Cindy Reeves says the first step is to love music and your students. After almost 2 decades as an educator, she says her teaching style begins with embracing the entire student and helping them understand that music touches every aspect of their school day. Reeves says studies that show students perform better academically when they take music classes are true.
"Think about it, when you read music you have to understand division, you have to comprehend the music and you have to move your body to play the instrument", Reeves says.
Reeves has been incredibly instrumental in developing programs that incorporate the STEAM magnet approach to learning at Leaphart Elementary School in Lexington Richland School District 5. Just this year, her students learned to read percussion music, played trash can drums, and then created tools so that they could march with those drums.
Her students past and present openly brag on why she is their favorite educator. Mrs. Reeves admits, the only reason she has a Facebook page is because her former students wanted a way to keep in touch with her.
Mrs. Reeves is an accomplished musician who plays several instruments and counts Bruno Mars and Elton John as some of her favorite musicians.
If you know an educator like Mrs. Reeves that deserves to be recognized for their hard work in the classroom, please send us a nomination email at TOW@WLTX.COM