Keyboard Observation

 I got observed last week.

 

The Assistant Principal, Mr. Caywood, came to see me during a 4^th grade class when I was rewarding students for their behavior at the NC Symphony Education Concert.

 

The plan was simple: After the welcome and roll call, have a thorough discussion about the concert. Type out student answers. Afterwards, listen to one or two concert pieces via YouTube…and then pass out the keyboards for students to free play (or practice the song-sheet songs) for the remainder of the class period.

 

The plan didn’t allow for Mr. Caywood to see much teaching—but he didn’t care. In fact, instead of sitting and watching me watch the students play their keyboards, he got a keyboard and played for himself.

 

Mr. Caywood positioned himself in a chair to the side of the room. Students were scattered around the room, playing on the floor. Everyone was having a wonderful time, including Mr. Caywood, and I was having a wonderful time observing something very neat:

 

One-by-one, all of the students left their individual spaces and gravitated toward Mr. Caywood until he had an audience.

 

They all wanted to play for him. Or they wanted him to play for them. They all wanted to talk to him. Or they wanted him to talk to them. At one point, Mr. Caywood started a friendly rhythm competition. He was smiling. The students were smiling. I was smiling. It was a lovely 45 minutes.

 

And it was the embodiment of a deep truth: Children need adults who see them. Children need adults who believe in them. Children need adults to spend time with them. Children need adults to look up to and respect. (And children need opportunities just to play, too, but that’s not what this note is about).

 

Mr. Caywood and Mr. Chaney (the principal) are celebrities at the school. They do the announcements every day. They walk around to classrooms every day. They let students pie them in the face on pie day. They conduct special celebration days throughout the year. They are visible. And students love them.  

 

Sometimes I get so caught up in teaching, keeping order, and staying caught up that I forget that my students want—and need—someone to see, believe in, and spend time with them…

 

God: Help me to show up and be present in my students’ lives and to be a role model that they desire to sit and talk with. Help us each to remember that children need to be seen and loved, for who they are…and who they are becoming. Amen.