And on the last day he sang!
One of the pleasures of teaching modern languages is singing with my classes. Yes, singing! I have often used songs to look at language as a whole, instead of the little, nitty-gritty parts. I’ve gone so far as to require students to sing for the final exam. For example, when learning the future tense they sing the chorus of the old Doris Day song, “Qué será, será…whatever will be, will be.”
As you might suppose, this meets with mixed reactions from my students. Some students love it, others tolerate it in good spirits. But it’s safe to say that in every group there is always one who refuses to sing. I choose to not make a big deal of this. Instead, their role is to become the rhythm keeper with a shaker egg.
I try to have a no judgment zone in my class.
I try to have a no judgment zone in my class. Some are self-conscious. Others possess voices which are breaking in the throes of adolescence. A few souls cannot carry a tune in a bucket. Thus I never make a big scene of out someone not wanting to sing.
But then the ultimatum arrives the week before the final exam! The day of the final they must sing it in a group of three or write it down! I need to know that the students have internalized the lyrics.
But one year a student was particularly adamant about not singing.
But one particular year a student, let’s call him Tom, was adamant about not singing. Absolutely, positively Tom made it clear that he was not going to sing…even on the day of the final.
All second semester Tom had been a time keeper, preferring to let others sing the lyrics. Going into the exam, I was quite sure if he would write. Finally the moment came, and I decided to give him one last chance to choose. Three other trios had already sung “Qué será, será.” The last set of students was due to perform, the one he would fall into.
Would Tom sing? Would he defer?
“I’ll sing, Mrs. Goorhuis,” he told me. I almost staggered, I was so surprised. But what came next, surprised me even more. Tom sang in a rich, deep baritone, fully on key and totally in keeping with the other two students, one of whom possessed a lovely soprano voice. The song was more than perfunctory, it was a performance!
The whole class was surprised! “Woah, Tom!” exhaled quite a few.
What richness of voice we had been missing out on all semester long!
“Tom, you’ve been holding out on us!” I cried. “What a wonderful voice you have!”
It being exam day, we had to move on to the next segment of the test. Nevertheless, I thought about Tom for the next few days.
My thoughts centered around community. Individuals are lonelier than ever, despite being more wired up than ever before. Community holds at its core the word “common.” Life might be more full, more fun, more connected if many individuals just stood up, joined the common group, and jumped in with both feet. What zestful experiences are waiting for you at your community center, in your church, at your gym or in your family?
Like my student Tom, you might find that you’ve not only enriched your own life, but also the lives of others. I believe you have something to share.
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