I Don’t Teach Writing

I must confess: a year ago, I wasn’t sure if this writing challenge was really for me. Yes, I am a teacher, and yes I wanted to try my hand at writing. I had an invitation and some encouragement, but still had some initial doubt.

You see, I don’t teach writing. I teach music.  

Yet, over time I have realized:

I don’t teach writing, but I do teach creative thinking and artistry. I teach expressiveness and improvisation. 

I don’t teach writing, but I do teach about being an audience and performing for your audience.  I teach about connecting with your listeners and fellow performers and the composer.

I don’t teach writing, but I do teach about style and genre and artistic choices. I teach tone and expression and voice.

I don’t teach writing, but I do teach about rhythm and pacing and flow and meter. I teach about starting slow, and building to an exciting moment with a crescendo.

I don’t teach writing, but I do teach music composition and literacy. I teach about making intentional choices of rhythm and melody, form and tone color, dynamics and tempo and meter and beat. 

I don’t teach writing, or the literary arts, but I do teach an expressive, creative art – the aural arts. I do teach young learners who learn to think critically and creatively and expressively through many different mediums and modalities.

I don’t teach writing, but I do teach music.

I am a teacher, and I teach young learners. I teach about connection and belonging and how we are more alike than we are different.  I am a creator, an artist, a thinker, a writer…and so are my students.

And besides – what is a song, if not its own little slice of life?

PS – Thank you to the amazing Slice of Life community for your encouragement, support, and welcome of all slicers and teachers! I love being part of this incredible community created by The Two Writing Teachers. I’m so grateful to slice with you!

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This piece is part of the #SOL24 March Slice of Life Story Challenge hosted by the Two Writing Teachers.