SANFORD, Fla. — A Seminole County A+ Teacher helps his students hit all the right notes.
- Kenny Hargett teaches music at Midway Elementary
- Hargett said his dad inspired his love for music
- Discover more A+ Teachers here
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Spectrum News 13 had a chance to visit Kenny Hargett's class to see who inspired him to keep the beat going.
At Midway Elementary School of the Arts in Sanford it's all about the music in Hargett's class. It's the unique methods he uses to help his students master new instruments that's earning him special recognition.
"Sometimes the instrument can be bigger than the kids,” he laughed.
His sense of humor is also one of the reasons he was selected as an A+ Teacher.
One of his students, Sophia Scott said, "I actually can't wait to get to the class and get to learning."
Another student, Estelle Coffee added, "I like how he teaches."
Hargett admits teaching young students music can be challenging.
"It can be very difficult because some kids are what we call tone deaf, and some of them are probably rhythmically challenged,” he explained, laughing. “So for those kids particularly, I like to clap my hands a lot with them."
He also uses words like different types of fruits and vegetables to get through to his students.
"So like if I'm doing sixteenth notes, which is like four notes that they have to play fast, I'll use the word avocado. So like avocado, avocado, avocado, and four quarter notes. I'll use like the word beet. So beet, beet, avocado, avocado, beet, beet,” Hargett said.
He says his love of music was inspired early on.
"My dad was actually a piano teacher, and he's a pianist. So when I was little I would always sit next to my dad when he played, and I was just fascinated to see his fingers move up and down."
Hargett says he's honored to be chosen as an A+ Teacher.
"I really enjoy seeing them just smiling when they're playing and being passionate about what they play and really feeling good about it after they play. It's really gratifying,” he said.