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 (ツ)
Question: How do you use songs with the children in your care?
*KEYSTONE CREATIONS
~ Educational Songs: http://www.keystonecreations.com.au/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/singtolearn
PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/keycre/
