It’s an unseasonably warm October day in Melbourne. The sky is a glorious, cloudless blue, the crab apples are in exuberant blossom and I’m on a massive high after my lessons today. I feel like a springtime bee, drunk on nectar and blissfully content.
This afternoon gave me one of those special moments in a teacher’s life which completely confirms and affirms why they teach. So, why do we teach? Well, I don’t think it’s solely for love of the subject matter, or the greater social good, although they’re important reasons. Ultimately, I think it’s the joy of sharing knowledge and insights, and of receiving knowledge and insights back from the students. It’s for being immersed in the community of the classroom. For those moments when your kids ‘get it’, or show that they’ve ‘got it’. Or they teach you something new. You get such a buzz from that. I’m smiling as I write, it was sooo good!
My Junior Class had similar challenges to last week. Settling into new environments doesn’t happen quickly, but we all seemed to manage better this time around. Most of the students really got stuck into the singing. Enthusiasm really is everything. I much prefer listening to kids singing enthusiastically out of time and off key, rather than hearing something delivered pitch perfect, but without passion.
Next week, I promised everyone, I’d film them on my tablet, to show the value of singing to-geth-er! (For some, singing in time seems like an optional extra) So your parents can hear the words, I told them. And so you can hear each-o-ther! They were producing a glorious,discordant mish-mash of sound, which completely obliterated the story line I had so carefully crafted into the lyrics! Not to worry. We’ll get there. I’m sure!
And while I firmly stand by what I said above about enthusiasm, that doesn’t mean I can’t also aim to have them singing in time and in key.
As for my Seniors, they were great. It was wonderful watching students very deliberately putting aside their scripts – without me asking – and then delivering their lines by heart. I was so proud of them.
One of my quiet boys is very slow and methodical about everything, and it was fascinating to watch as he carefully placed his script under his chair before speaking. Other students would glance at me, hold their script downwards, then speak, as the pages of their scripts gently slid out of their folder’s plastic sleeves and floated like giant feathers, to the floor. Some were confident, others less so but my word – I think nearly every single one of them had a go. Who could ask for more?
At the end of the class, I told them all that if it hadn’t been against school rules, I would have given them a great big hug, I was so pleased and proud of all the fantastic work they had done.They glowed with pleasure at what they had achieved.
I can hardly wait until next week – when I take the scripts away! Watch this space!
