Bloomington honors teacher's 29 years of inclusive music education
The Bloomington City Council recognized Jeff Zupfer, an elementary music teacher at Normandale Hills, for receiving the Inclusive Educator Award from District 917. The honor celebrates nearly three decades of innovative teaching that has helped students from diverse backgrounds feel welcomed and connected through music.
Jeff Zupfer, who has taught music at Normandale Hills Elementary School in Bloomington for 29 years, was recognized at the city council meeting for his commitment to inclusive education. The District 917 Inclusive Educator Award acknowledges his creative approach to teaching music in ways that bring all students together, regardless of their background or abilities.
Zupfer's teaching methods go beyond traditional music instruction. He creates original songs that explore diverse themes, incorporates sign language into his lessons, and uses video work to engage students. These techniques help students understand and embrace diversity while fostering a sense of belonging in the classroom.
Speakers at the meeting emphasized the broader impact of Zupfer's work, highlighting how music serves as a powerful tool for building community and promoting inclusion in schools. His approach demonstrates that shared musical experiences can unite students and help them feel connected to one another.
The recognition reflects the city council's appreciation for educators who go beyond standard curriculum to create welcoming environments for all learners. Zupfer's three decades of service at Normandale Hills show a sustained commitment to making music education accessible and meaningful for every student.
Our proprietary artificial intelligence agent analyzed publicly available documents including meeting agendas, minutes, and transcripts to write this story to help inform local residents. Feedback helps us improve, so please consider rating how we did with the thumbs up or down below.
Go deeper on this topic
Research related meeting documents and build a brief — without rewriting the story.
Source document
[0:00] - All right, okay.
[0:03] Okay!
[0:05] - He's really kind
[0:07] and very funny every single day.
[0:09] - He includes kids a lot in what he does.
[0:11] - He's approachable and welcoming, funny.
[0:15] - He can go like horse feet, clop, clop.
[0:16] - Creative, he's just a wonderful person
[0:20] to be around.
[0:21] - My name is Jeff Zupfer,
I teach elementary music.
[0:23] I've been at Normandale
Hills in Bloomington here
[0:26] for 29 years.
[0:27] Say "gratitude matters!"
[0:29] - He creates original
songs for Normandale Hills
[0:31] and they truly become a
soundtrack for the lives
[0:34] and the journey that our students have
[0:35] as they grow kindergarten
through fifth grade.
[0:38] (singing) "How far
you've come, you belong"
[0:41] - About 20 years ago,
[0:42] I think I started
incorporating more video work
[0:44] and wedding that with music
has just been a real joy for me
[0:48] as a creative, and it's a great way
[0:51] to engage and share with the kids.
[0:53] - Mr. Z received the
Inclusive Educator Award.
[0:56] - From District 917, who is a district
[0:58] that serves a variety of districts
to provide paras for kids
[1:03] who have special needs,
and I was nominated
[1:05] by our DHH interpreter.
[1:07] - One of the reasons she
thought of nominating him
[1:09] is because he has created songs
[1:11] that incorporate sign language.
[1:13] (singing) You are not alone!
[1:15] - I know it's a cliche,
[1:16] but it was humbling to get that award
[1:18] just because I know so many of the people
[1:20] at Normandale Hills do
that work of inclusion.
[1:23] It's a great affirmation to get that,
[1:24] but it's also like something
that's truly shared
[1:27] and is part of the DNA
of Normandale Hills.
[1:29] - He composes his own songs
[1:31] and the songs, a lot of
them, like talk about
[1:35] how people can be included
no matter how they came here
[1:38] or what race they are,
[1:41] they're still included no matter what.
[1:43] - My favorite part about it is
like when we sing the songs,
[1:46] it's very fun
[1:47] 'cause we learn every
single time about the song,
[1:51] what does it mean and everything.
[1:53] (Singing)
[1:56] - I think it's really
important not to underestimate
[2:00] the power of music and the power of a song
[2:02] and just how when you
get a bunch of people
[2:04] in a room together and
focus on that one thing,
[2:08] something happens in
the room scientifically,
[2:10] like your heart start beating more aligned
[2:12] and your breath is working together.
[2:15] (Playing music)
[2:16] - He's the best teacher, he
always help us, he's so kind.
[2:20] It's so good to have him.
[2:22] (bright music)
Was this story helpful?
Want to know when new stories arrive?
Enter your email to receive updates.
We will not use your email for any other purpose. You can unsubscribe at any time.