I just came home from a school assembly honoring a gentleman - in every sense of the word - who is retiring after a teaching career spanning thirty-three years- dedicated to the age range of kindergarten through eighth grade. Assembly participation was shared equally by students and fellow staff members. It was obvious from all of the sniffles, red-eyes, and eye-wiping that everyone in that gymnasium was touched by the man in some way, shape or form.
There were several skits performed by students and, in those skits, the students demonstrated their uncanny ability to mimic their teachers. You think the student in the next-to-the-last row, window seat is paying zero attention? Think again. When put on the spot, I guarantee that student could give an Oscar-worthy rendition of the teacher in action. Today's assembly proved just that. I taught with this guy for twelve years and the students had his mannerisms, voice nuances, and sayings down to the proverbial "t".
In my classroom, when I would know I would be gone - which wasn't often - an adult substitute had to, by law, be present. However, since ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the sub population is not trained to direct bands, my students were always schooled in how to conduct. Huge conducting-pattern posters were always hung at the back of the bandroom, so that when the student conductors stepped onto the podium, they were looking over the heads of their compatriots, right at the gigantic posters. This always worked well and many of the students took conducting the bands very seriously.
The day before I would be gone, we always had a "dress-rehearsal" day where the students would follow the rehearsal schedule I had mapped out on the white board. I would stand at the back of the room, looking at the band's "back", face-to-face with the student conductors. For many of the student conductors, it was as if I was seeing myself in a mirror. The students were masters at mimicry. I never sensed disrespect but I did certainly "see" what I was like as a teacher and a conductor. They (the students) had me mastered perhaps better than I! I would usually find myself chuckling at the performances - for that is exactly what they were......acting performances......playing the part of moi.
Today, that is what I saw at the retirement assembly. Students who clearly love this teacher, some having had him as an instructor for nine years. That is a long time - a long stretch of continuity for kids - some of whom have little continuity in their home lives, but at school, they've had this "giant" of a human being demonstrating what it means to be thoughful, courteous, and humane to one another. The kind of teacher who loves kids and has loved what he has been doing.
It shows. Congratulations, Greg. May your retirement be all that you hope it will be.
Ancora imparo
