Denise,

Carl Orff wrote "Carmina Burana", a choral work with tons of pecussion, based on a group of songs written by some very interesting monks back in the thirteenth century--if you don't know it by name, you will recognize it when you hear it, because it has been used in movies, dance concerts, and even TV commercials--also, in the thirties, he wrote a series of musical excercises and then developed a teaching methodology for teaching very young children the basics of music, using recorders, percussion instruments, etc. It is actually a great system, and has been used throughout the world--but it isn't supposed to be the only music that kids get--

Some music teachers are highly motivated, gifted, and inspired, and put all their energy into creating positive learning experience(just like other teachers), others, less ambitious but still competent, find something that works for them and go with that--then there are those who are there because they can't do what they really want, and so they do whatever they can to kill the time. A lot of times, they don't even realize that they themselves, and not the students, administrators, and other faculty, are the problem--

It sounds like you are doing amazing things with music in your classroom, a good music teacher will not only love you for that, they will be in your face, day after day, figuring out ways to tie what you are doing into what they are doing--And they will be trying to figure out ways to get parents involved and all that--

One is tempted to suggest that you sit down and offer to work with this individual, and it would be nice if you did, but they have to be receptive, and if they were receptive, they'd be working with you in the first place--so...

Anyway, it sounds like the kids are getting a good musical experience in your class-