Why I Teach

I'm starting a unit on composers with my 6th grade "Intro to Music" class. I decided to show them August Rush for many reasons that would make a boring blog post.

As a teacher, you always have a handful of students that just somehow win your heart and you have a special connection with and would give your life to help them succeed and be happy. I have 250 of them. Ok, yes, but I do have a handful (a large one...maybe 2 dozen...I guess I have big hands or something) that I feel a special interest in and love for. One of them is a hispanic boy. He must come from a decent familiy, but obviously not as priviledged as I was growing up. He has a lot of energy but is a really sweet kid. I didn't expect him to really be excited about music based on what I'd seen from him, but he just started coming alive once we started our piano unit.

As we finished the movie yesterday in class and got to the big, dramatic climax (so watch it, it's GOOD), he said outloud to the whole class, "I'm gonna cry!" And he did tear up, along with his sidekick, another kid in my oversized "handful". It was cute.

The movie finished, we discussed some things, and then I dismissed them. I watched them go. He was the last one out of the class, but when he was almost to the door, he suddenly turned around, come running back to me across the room, gave me a huge hug right around my waist, and said very sincerely with all of his heart, "Thank you for showing us that movie!" He then turned and ran out of my room.

That's why I teach.