Students

Day 15
Being around different age groups and learning abilities in a school has made me realize how amazing God is in His design and how He has created each of those students uniquely.  I witnessed Kindergarten classes getting super excited over learning to read rhythm patterns and having a blast with it; fourth and fifth graders understanding the concept of sixteenth notes and seeing the light bulbs come on; troublesome boys who want attention; and thoughtful students who tend to sit near the back of the class, slowly figuring out the new concepts on their own.  Music classrooms are great opportunities to observe students because there's something about understanding musical concepts and being actively involved in making music that brings out personalities and individual traits that no other subject can. 
It's so exciting to see the younger students light up as they perform simple rhythms with percussion instruments and the older students make the connection between academic classes and music.  Even when the concept is slightly over their heads, they work so hard to understand it and it just brings a sense of joy to see that they want to learn so bad.  I sometimes wonder, and worry, about the students who simply refuse to put themselves into the music and the learning.  I automatically want to work with them one-on-one and see where they're coming from and what they think about learning and music.  Every student has a story and I guess it's just mind-boggling to be the one in charge of making sure they do get a decent education and enjoy it while the learning happens.  I'm thankful for my students now and the students of my future classroom.  I can only hope and pray to be all they need me to be as their teacher.