Year 10: Week 6 - Queer Eye For The Teacher Guy

When I grow up, I want to be like Jonathan Van Ness. The grooming expert on the new version of Queer Eye is one of my favorite cultural personalities.



I love how Van Ness is proud of different parts of his identity, and I admire the fearlessness that he is willing to share different parts of himself. I appreciate the care in which he uses his privilege and his platform to elevate others and speak about important issues, and I am inspired by how he helps people with care, and love.

One of the things I love about Van Ness is how he expresses joy and enthusiasm. Without shame, and without hesitation, he will scream and jump up and down if something excites him, like when he met Sophie Turner.


This moment is wonderful.  At first glass it seems over the top, but it really feels genuine as the video continues.  Even if it makes some people think he’s geeky, so what? Who doesn’t want to feel this way about the world.

I want to be more like Van Ness when I teach. I don’t want to be phoney, but I want my students to see in a bigger way what I love about music and sharing my time with them. I have enthusiasm inside of me that I sometimes don’t let out. Sometimes it’s a reflection of my nature. I am introverted, and socially more reserved. Other times it’s because my instincts tell me that if I am more stoic, my students will behave better.

Here’s the thing, students may behave better with a teacher a being more serious, but this is only through fear, and a focus on self-control for the sake of compliance.  Students can find a way better way to behave better by being excited to learn by a teacher's genuinely joy.

A student who is witnessing a teacher reading a book or talking about a piece of music an open expression of joy is going to listen closer, and more intently.  The inspiration from this joy will inspire them to work harder with the material.   With a meaningful purpose, student disruptions are less.  Students worked better when they have feel the meaning of the work through a teacher's passion. 

This week it was dancing along with my 3rd graders to a routine I taught them that went along with "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire.  There was my reading of Hip Hop Dog with unencumbered expression and enjoy.  The week also featured me dancing to songs from Moana in front of the student body as students were getting seated before an assembly.

It’s not always easy to do these things, but just like jumping into a swimming pool once I get, it’s awesome and so much fun.  Like swimming it these moments leaves me exhausted, but there's never regrets.