Why I teach

Dear Sarah,

I can’t remember the moment when I decided to be a teacher, but I’ll never forget the moment when you first asked me to be one.

Back when you were one of the drum majors of the Northwestern University Marching Band and I was just a goofy saxophone player you decided to ask me for help. As silly as I was in the band, outside of the band, I was a music composition and conducting double major.

We were acquaintances through the overlapping social groups and you were always friendly to me even though we never had extended conversations. So when you asked me to give you some conducting lessons, I was a little surprised. I had never really taught anyone before and I never really thought of myself as teacher.

I figured why not, this Sarah is a nice girl. It was quite flattering that you thought I was a good conductor and that I was a decent enough teacher that it wouldn’t be a waste of your time to work with me.

Do you remember that first lesson in the hallway in your sorority house? It was the only place we could find a full-length mirror which necessary for the lesson. I didn’t have a lesson plan or much of an idea of what I was going to say to you. You suggested that you would conduct through some songs and that I should give you some suggestions.

At first, I found myself repeating things that my conducting teachers had told me. It felt forced as I tried to be a “teacher” but about halfway through our lesson something started happening. Things that I was telling you were making you a better conductor and more importantly, I got a sense that you were starting to feel better about yourself as a person. I started chasing that feeling wanting to do anything I could to keep you moving in that direction. I stopped trying to be a “teacher” and focused on helping you learn and even though I felt like I had no idea what I was doing, it felt right.

After working with you, I found myself seeking out every opportunity I could to teach. Before I knew it, I was spending more time and energy teaching music that composing music and without realizing it, I had become a teacher.

Graduate school in education to get my teaching certificate seemed like the logical next step. My classes and professors showed me the techniques and skills it took to transform my passion into effective student learning. I found inspiration in the work of Jonathan Kozol and Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) and as difficult as my first years as a teacher were I never doubted once that I had chosen the right path in becoming a teacher.

Six years after I gave you your that first conducting lesson, there you were, standing up in front of my friends and family doing a toast at my wedding as one of my bridesmaids. You told everyone about being one of my first students, how much you learned from me and how lucky my future students are to have me as a teacher.

Sarah, I was the lucky one to have you as my student. Thanks for taking a chance on me and seeing something in me that I didn’t even see myself. I am sure the that first lesson was a little weird and disorganized but I’m glad that you stuck with me.

You’re may not be the reason that I continue to be an educator, but you are the reason I fell in love with teaching.

Thanks
-Kingsley