I cannot believe it is that time of year again, the much anticipated concert season!
This is what I personally look forward to the most. This is when I get to see all our students in action and rise to the challenge of performance.
Students put all we’ve taught them into practice and it’s their turn to shine. I always feel a bit emotional when I see our students perform. As all teachers will understand it’s incredibly rewarding when all your hard work pays off. All the rehearsals, energy and time feels so worth it and you know that you’ve made a difference, even if it’s not noticeable to the audience. Only you as the teacher really knows what it took to get to them to concert night.
What the audience never gets to see, is the process leading up to performance. And ironically this is where the magic and drama really happens. This is where the real learning and growth happens. Students are challenged and tested to the max and find that they have to overcome a lot of obstacles along the way. Some struggle with reading and they are given the task of learning pages of dialogue. For a lot of our students, English is not their first or even second language and so the works of Roald Dahl becomes quite an ask. Some have come to us, to build their confidence and so the idea of even standing on stage is overwhelming. So we take it one step at a time, one rehearsal at a time. Pushing them further than even they thought they were capable of, while encouraging them with positive feedback and pep talks each week.
I feel incredibly proud of all our students, it’s a huge achievement to stand up on a stage in front of an audience and perform. This is something we thespians often over look and take for granted. Not everyone is comfortable with performing, some are terrified and it’s totally out of their comfort zone. To watch these children get up and perform anyway, is inspiring. What makes me feel the most pride as a teacher is when the very student who thought it impossible, who pushed back every step of the way, suddenly has an ‘ah ha’ moment on stage and they surprise themselves. So many times I’ve heard students say after their performance, that they can’t believe they did it. You can tell a student a thousand times, that they can do it, but they need to get it for themselves, because only then will they really believe it. Believing in oneself allows a student to dream and want more for themselves. To keep fighting and pushing even when it seems impossible. To never give up, but to keep moving forward. If our students gain anything from concert season, I hope that it is this.
Congratulations to all our students who have performed in their concert already, and the best of luck to all our students yet to perform!