Thursday 28 June 2012

LYRICAL LEANINGS


Welcome to my very first blog post!

I must admit it’s taken a while to get around to actually posting something, but now that I’ve chomped down on the proverbial bullet, I’m ready to embark on this exciting journey into the world of blogging.  

I feel like a young child starting off on an exciting adventure – not sure how it will unfold, but raring to go…

So let’s go!

There’s a wonderful quote from the mystical poet, Rumi, who once said,

‘Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.’

There’s a lot of truth and wisdom in these words, as those of you who have felt this ‘strange pull’, will understand. It is something innate – unable to be resisted – something that one just HAS to do…

I myself, have experienced that ‘strange pull’ since childhood – the pull of WORDS - playing with them, rhyming them, singing them, writing them, teaching them, ordering them into prose, puns, story chapters…

Our home is testament to this word obsession of mine, groaning as it does, under the weight of box upon box of information-laden paper, waiting to be uploaded onto my computer (scribbled notations, song lyrics, stories, quotes, research articles for the half-finished novel that I mean to complete before I leave this mortal coil)... 

 

… but I digress!

Looking back, with the benefit of my 20/20 hindsight vision, over a lifetime of experiences (childhood, teaching, parenting, singing, writing, etc.), I now understand that my passion for singing, teaching and writing, is in fact, my heritage.

My childhood home was a ‘singing home’! My Irish parents were always singing - Mum, in choirs, and around the house; my sharp-witted Dad, a high school Head of English, who kept us all entertained with his self-penned songs, accompanied on his trusty (never rusty) old harmonica.

He would sing us, his 5 children, to sleep at night with his original compositions, and Irish ballads and rebel songs, making SINGING, for us, not only one of the most natural and enjoyable experiences in the world, but also, one of the most effective methods for learning about life, history, and the world.

I remember those songs, to this day, and still tear up whenever I hear ‘Danny Boy’, one of his favourites, which never fails to take me back to those idyllic childhood days.  

They say ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’, and I come from a long Irish line of singers who love to teach/teachers who love to sing, from great aunties, my father, two sisters and me, to a niece and recently qualified daughter.

This Blog, then, is born of passion, belief, and experience: PASSION for writing, teaching, singing, and helping children to learn; BELIEF in the power of song to help children learn, and diverse EXPERIENCE accumulated from many years in the field.

Teaching has changed in many ways, and it has taught me many things, but the one thing that remains constant, and really strikes a ‘chord’, is that children still LOVE to sing! They respond to it, it makes them happy, engages them, gives them a sense of belonging, and creates a positive classroom mood for the day.

                     
                                        IMAGE: ©Keystone Creations~Educational Songs 


The LIGHT BULB MOMENT, which led me to what I do today, is the firm belief that singing also aids LEARNING – children LEARN what they SING!



I recently returned to casual classroom teaching after an extended stint, co-writing song-based, curriculum teaching resources* (with friend and colleague, Kathryn Radloff).

Stepping into the classroom setting, along with a definite feeling of ‘coming home’, there was a renewed excitement for being back with the children, and for the whole teaching and learning process! 

Singing continues to be an integral part of my teaching day (and my life); I am more passionate than ever about helping children to learn through this powerful, enjoyable and highly-effective medium, and look forward to sharing with you what I’ve learned, and continue to learn, on this journey.

In future posts, I’ll be providing tips and suggestions to help you, the teacher, parent and carer to integrate this powerful medium into the daily learning experiences of the children in your care.

Until then, I'll leave you with the wise words of the master, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who once said: 

'The best way to learn is through the powerful force of rhythm.'

Yours in Singing, 

Nuala (

Question: How do you use songs with the children in your care?


*KEYSTONE CREATIONS ~ Educational Songs: http://www.keystonecreations.com.au/





 

2 comments:

  1. Great blog, Nuala! Particularly, thanks for sharing about your dad singing you to sleep every night. What a beautiful memory and how blessed were you. Thanks for your terrific insights and I look forward to reading more.

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  2. Thank you for your lovely comments, Terri, very much appreciated!
    (My dad truly was one in a million - gone too soon (at 64), he had a profound impact on my life, and still does, to this day. :-)

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