Teaching, Music, and Fishing- Module 4

OK- well I may be criticized for saying this, or rather putting it in writing, but I sometimes wonder if what I (and other teachers) do in middle school is really even making an impact on students and our world. When asked what grade I teach, people always respond with something to the effect of "I was a hellian when I was that age!", "You must be so patient." or "God bless your soul!" I knew that middle school would be challenging from the get go but I accepted the job seven years ago because I felt that middle school minds are still so impressionable and I have great things to share with them. I am positive that on a daily basis, we as middle school educators impact the social and emotional lives of our students, but at this age do we really give them more than a handful of insight to our subject area?! And is our "content" really what is most important at this age or stage of life for them?! Consider that there are no credits awarded in middle school and barely any consequences for being unsuccessful more than a label. Students know they have to actually fail 3 out of 4 of their core subjects to be held back a year and it is so rare because no school these days wants to be viewed as letting any child slip through the cracks without intervention or in George W's terms "left behind"! Finally consider that middle school is like a Wednesday... The "hump years"- students are half way through and either picking up steam to finish or weary, unmotivated and have feelings of indifference to continue. They just can't see the big picture, right? That's what we have to convince ourselves and them, to press on with our journey in education. Here's where music comes in! While reading Music and the Imaginative Mind, I found myself exchanging the word 'music' for 'learning'... See what you think.
In regard's to opposing theories to [learning's] significance, "One is that the meaning of [learning], if there is any meaning, must be sought in the [learning] itself, for [learning] has no extra[learning] connotation; and the other is that [learning] is a language with a dictionary whose symbols are interpreted by the [learner] according to some unwritten esperanto of the emotions." (p12)
The second "theory" would be more relevant to me, as a teacher. It just simply says that in order for me to teach my students anything whether it be social, emotional, or content-driven, I must appeal to students feelings and attempt to do it in ways that appeal to different emotional draws... Every day, and maybe every few minutes in a lesson, I must appeal to student emotions to employ them to learn, intrigue their mind and emotions, feelings and senses. Maybe in order to be a great teacher I can't label myself as a teacher... Maybe I have to see myself as a fisherman, kids as fish, feelings as bait, and my job to "hook" them with nourishment of learning...