Steve Van Zandt’s TeachRock project uses music to helps students learn. He visited the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Asbury Park last week.
Steve Van Zandt, a member of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, is pictured with Asbury Park teacher Angel Kames.
By WILLIAM CLARK
Schools have been placing an emphasis on social emotional learning since the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Asbury Park Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School is using the lessons of one local rock legend to accomplish this goal.
Teach Rock, a project of Steve Van Zandt, is helping students realize their potential while focusing on their personal journeys. Van Zandt is a member of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and he visited the school last week. He grew up in Middletown Township and is a former resident of Asbury Park.
TeachRock is used in schools throughout the country. Using music encourages students to communicate and engage with others, school officials said.
Students and teachers utilize the program during the school’s WIN period, short for What I Need.
The nonprofit provides teachers with resources, materials and even a Spotify playlist to teach concepts.
The lessons offered are diverse, focusing on students themselves while sprinkling in historical context through the lens of music.
After a workshop earlier this year, teachers started implementing the lessons during the time given to students to focus on their personal academic journey.
Lessons are not just about history but about self-reflection and identity.
Middle school teachers believe the pilot program at the middle school provides the foundation to expand the offerings to high school students.
The program offers journals and art supplies for students to express themselves in response to assignments.
Art projects are displayed on the walls creating a collage of background and identity throughout the diverse classrooms.