Not long after I had retired from full-time teaching, I visited the local pre-school centre, with an offer to play the piano for the children, if, and whenever they would like.
“Piano?” the teachers questioned. “Piano?” they again asked, looking at me as if I were a visitor from some distant galaxy. “We don’t have a piano,” they said. (AS if!) I could only apologise for being such an ignoramus but retained enough courage to ask what they ‘did’ for music. “Oh, we have a CD player,” was the answer. I walked away, feeling demoralised, elderly, and disappointed. Perhaps it was just me who assumed that music – and, in particular piano music - played an important part in young children’s learning days. Apparently not. It was then that I realised I had been fortunate to have a had a piano in my classroom more often that not during my 30+ year teaching career. Although there were a couple of times when I had made do with an electric keyboard, that was okay. To ‘start the day with a song’ had been my sort of credo when teaching in primary school. This often extended to a joyful 20 – 30-minute session with other classes joining ‘my’ kids. Therefore up to 90 children beginning the ‘working’ day with songs and smiles. Lately, I am hearing a lot about how stressful school has become for many little children. Mainly connected with the disruption caused by Covid-19. Parents have spoken of their children refusing to go to school or being miserable about school days. I may be naïve – and I know that there is a huge worry about the Covid virus for parents and children, but I do wonder if a little more music in schools, especially first thing in the mornings, creating a happier start to each day, might appeal to the reluctant students.
2 Comments
Jean
30/4/2023 05:18:51 pm
You are so right Dianna. When I was Principal at our school I saw your music as a highlight of the school! So much so that when a prospective family booked in for a tour I asked you to play as we inspected the school.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Author notesI choose to comment on social issues and write creatively on a variety of subjects - for a variety of audiences.
Archives
January 2024
Categories
All
|