The Journey

WARNING!
Quite a loooooong post … You may want use this as your bedtime story. Hehe!

Throughout my teaching experiences at three kindergartens, all three run their “Graduation Ceremony cum Concert" rather differently.

When I first came to know about this school’s style, I was shocked!
First was to know they have TWO nights of concert. Reason being there are two sessions of children and it is just too many to combine.
Another was the grandness of the concert, at least compare with my experiences at the previous two kindergartens.
And the help received on concert nights, whether from the church people, ex-teachers or ex-students etc. Everyone seem to will set aside those nights to be available to help or just to watch.

With the grandness definitely comes the busyness and maybe also cause I’m taking the graduating classes thus busyness will be twice than other levels. Of course being busy during concert is unavoidable but I must say I don’t really have much “pressure” in this school. 

Seriously speaking, is also in this school where my perspectives of concert changed and of course this credit goes to the Principal who believes/expects differently.

Few examples:
(1) after much practicesss and rehearsalsss, if a child falls sick on the actual night…

I used to think “Aiya! Wasted! Cant get to perform, the child’s practicesss has gone into waste!”
But Principal Mrs E Tan reminded even for children’s concert, it is not the product but the process that matters. Whether they perform on the actual concert or not, what’s more important is the skills, the fun and the moments the child has during the practices and rehearsals. 

(2) “Worry this! Worry that!“ tends to happen hours before the concert…
Sometimes the pressure can comes from the management whether we have done this or whether we have done that

But not here. 
Hours before the concert, Principal Mrs E Tan will gather all staff to pray in the main auditorium - for the family and friends who will be coming, for the little ones who will be performing and for the staff and helpers.
The environment Principal Mrs E Tan has set is we shouldn't be worrying or panicking or complaining before or during or after the concert. Once all done are done, once we did our best and we should leave the rest to God. She wants us to enjoy the moments with the little ones. 

(3) Usually the dance steps will be from the teachers and when the children are ready, they will first perform to the Principal. Unlike my other experiences, you rarely hear Principal Mrs E Tan making comments like “why are their actions not synchronized?” or “why Child X is doing like?” “Why Child Y is doing like that?” etc.
It will always be praise affirmations to children and the class teacher too.
 
Her key belief, whether is it for concert or for the things she embark in school: “think children”
 
So in concert contact…
When one child finally moves, even a little (as not at all at last year concert or even during combined rehearsals), the entire staff will rejoice and praise the child. 

And is in this kind of environment, teachers rarely lose their cool on the children during practices or rehearsals, especially when they couldn’t catch the cue or actions. 

Come next week, 31 October and 1 November…
You wont be seeing a concert with children dressed up too extravagantly or in any special costumes but rather some typical casual wear (as the school believes not just in costumes where the children can only wear once, during concert). 
Or even teachers who are too dressed up as the school believes the limelight should be on the children (this is definitely something different from my previous kindergartens). Hehe!

But a concert where you will see little ones shaking and dancing proudly on the stage, not just making their daddy, mummy and grandparents proud, their teachers showing “Thumbs up” but also bringing a smile on their Heavenly Daddy’s face.