Several days have passed since the marvelous sampling of education being afforded our fortunate students of Twin Falls Middle School and Mount Si High School. I have yet to come down from the inspirational high the school district provided.
They have proven from all quarters that there is no substitute for enthusiastic commitment. Last Wednesday’s (Nov. 16) tour demonstrated the obvious joy, pride and professional manner of the educational process in our community. Enthusiasm by its very nature is essential to the art of teaching. The vitality, zeal and dedication witnessed is inspirational and so contagious. And as the song goes, “You Give Me Fever.”
The professionalism demonstrated by faculty, administrators and yes, students, serve as a beacon to the innovations and positive advances made in education.
Some 40 years ago, the inquiry method of classroom teaching was in vogue. Due to technology and vital, perceptive teaching, it finally appears to be taking place. I do not know if the term is still in educational vogue, however, inquiry was one of the many observations made as I witnessed the student involvement and the encouraging, receptive mentoring in action.
As a musician-educator, I always felt the music teacher had the advantage over most other subjects in making an impact on students. Obviously, music is performance-related and that performance is dependent in turn on each student quickly grasping new concepts. There is no such thing as a neutral musician!
Through technology, most of education now seems capable of the advantage of logical immediacy—in other words, performance oriented.
My thanks go to Carolyn Malcolm for the invitation and to all who planned the tour and carried it out so successfully.
I only hope they continue in like manner to spread the good new of education in our valley!
As I reflect on observations of the tour, “Kulia I Ka Nu’Y” comes to mind. In Hawaiian, this translates to “Together We Excell.” My impression is that our district is fully on board to do just that.
Harley Brumbaugh
North Bend
