Last week was full of emotions and joy for my family. My daughter has been accepted in the Public High School of Arts after having taken exams. There was only one open place, so you can imagine how proud she made us feel. It was a big dream of hers, following her gift and talent! I don't know where it will lead her to but, at least, she tried and achieved her goal.
And here comes the tutor who has helped her all the way to the exams. When I called to tell him the good news, I thanked him for his contribution. He is a good, patient, calm, full of understanding teacher; and quite modest, I should add. His spontaneous reply, " I did what I had to do. Alexandra achieved everything on her own. During the exams she was all alone with no help from my part." I couldn't help it! I told him that I totally disagree. Being a teacher myself, I think that we should believe in ourselves! Where should I start from? We are there for our students, showing them the right methods, helping them improve their skills, letting them express themselves, standing by them. My golden rule in teaching is to show students how to handle difficulties, think of other options, not to stick in one single path. And this is what he did! After many years of teaching, allow me to think that I can judge whether a colleague tries to find alternative procedures to get the message across, depending on the personality and skills of the student.
I must admit that I was sceptical at first. I have no idea about Arts. I admire them, feel content in front of a painting, sculpture, when I listen to music, watch a film/ a play, but as for the techniques.... not a single clue...
However, I could see how my daughter trusted him, followed his instructions, leaned on him. That was enough for me.
My point is that colleagues who think out of the box, ditch the plan, make the difference; and we should thank them! As the title of the post... nothing's implicit!
And here comes the tutor who has helped her all the way to the exams. When I called to tell him the good news, I thanked him for his contribution. He is a good, patient, calm, full of understanding teacher; and quite modest, I should add. His spontaneous reply, " I did what I had to do. Alexandra achieved everything on her own. During the exams she was all alone with no help from my part." I couldn't help it! I told him that I totally disagree. Being a teacher myself, I think that we should believe in ourselves! Where should I start from? We are there for our students, showing them the right methods, helping them improve their skills, letting them express themselves, standing by them. My golden rule in teaching is to show students how to handle difficulties, think of other options, not to stick in one single path. And this is what he did! After many years of teaching, allow me to think that I can judge whether a colleague tries to find alternative procedures to get the message across, depending on the personality and skills of the student.
I must admit that I was sceptical at first. I have no idea about Arts. I admire them, feel content in front of a painting, sculpture, when I listen to music, watch a film/ a play, but as for the techniques.... not a single clue...
However, I could see how my daughter trusted him, followed his instructions, leaned on him. That was enough for me.
My point is that colleagues who think out of the box, ditch the plan, make the difference; and we should thank them! As the title of the post... nothing's implicit!
Congrats to your daughter! I agree that we should think out of the box! We are not perfect and we don't know everything, so sometimes it is good to listen to somebody else's opinion!
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel on your daughter´s achievement!! Congratulations! I totally agree with you, her success was hers but the guidance came from the teacher, so his instructions fit her needs! I loved what you said because that is how I feel: "After many years of teaching, allow me to think that I can judge whether a colleague tries to find alternative procedures to get the message across, depending on the personality and skills of the student". Thank you !
ReplyDeleteDear Georgia, I've seen some of the works your daughter has created and I'm not surprised that she's been accepted. She's a talented girl and you can only be proud of her. Sometimes our talents may remain hidden just because we don't come across the right trainer, teacher or mentor. Also, talent doesn't mean a lot if there's no will and the right technique. So I totally understand your desire to thank the teacher who's discovered your daughter's abilities and helped her improve them.
ReplyDelete