The Canary's Beautiful Song

People in schools are reporting what is obvious. We are in trouble. Everywhere we see deep depression, panic attacks, high anxiety, trauma, violence, hate speech, bullying, abuse, extraordinary ignorance— and I’m just talking about the teachers! 

 

But kids also are suffering from much of the above and why should we be surprised? As above, so below. They are like the canaries in the mines announcing that our supporting posts are in danger and the air is unbreathable. When elected officials, the people featured in the news lie habitually without consequence, spew their vitriol without caring how it affects us, when mass shootings happen most every day without  a single change in policy, climate change is in our face every time we walk out the door, the pandemic is relaxing its grip (but what is around the corner?)— shall I go on?— this takes its toll on the human psyche. The adults are in the grip of insane conspiracy theories, epidemic drug addiction at all levels of society in addition to the previous list. Is it any surprise that teachers are having trouble with kids at schools and parents are having trouble at home? Of course, they’re a wreck!

 

Except……………………

 

… for the two fifth grade classes I helped teach today. The exceptional quality of their listening, their razor-sharp focus and attention, their capacity to quickly learn a given melody, their fearlessness in improvising, their articulate appreciation of each other’s improvisations, their playfulness and humor— extraordinary all of it. Both classes, 24 kids in a class, without a single moment having to remind anyone to pay attention or not interrupt when the teacher is talking or to stop fooling around. Pure heaven.

 

And so I feel renewed in my hope for the future of humanity. Friends, if you’re feeling despondent or hopeless or battered by the news or overwhelmed by what is ahead/ behind/ at our side, come to this 5^th grade class and be renewed. Today, these canaries sang the most beautiful of songs and revealed the gold in the mountain.