My music teacher's face bulged when he played the trumpet

It's Day 2 of Teacher Appreciation Week!

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5-9), I’m sharing a tribute to one of my own teachers each day this week instead of my usual roundup on the first Tuesday of the month. Thank you to every teacher – past, present, or future – who’s reading this. I appreciate you and the work you do.

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When my middle school music teacher, John Wicker, passed away in the summer of 2023, I received notice that the school was hosting a memorial to him that fall, and his former students were invited to submit tributes to him. Here’s mine, with the written transcript below:

To Mr. Wicker, and all the other teachers who show their students what it means to love what, how, and whom you teach, thank you.

I appreciate you.

from the summer between 6th and 7th grade, back when cropping a photo meant cutting it up and then gluing it back together with just your friends

Transcript:

Hi, my name is Rebekah Shoaf and I was a student at Country Day in the early 90s for sixth through ninth grade. And I have to say that the reason why “Oh Darlin” is my favorite Beatles song is because I remember Mr. Wicker singing it to us. I can so easily now conjure up the sound of his voice when he sang “Oh Darlin,” also when he sang “Hey Jude” and “Crocodile Rockin'“ and “Annie's Song.” Sometimes he would even play the trumpet for us. And when he played the trumpet and when he sang, a lot of times I remember his face would get really red. Sometimes his eyes would even bulge a little. And the way I think of it now is that's how much heart he was putting into his music. It was just coming out of him any way that it could.

Later I became a high school teacher myself. And one of the things that I believe really strongly is that in order to be an amazing teacher, you need to be in love with whatever you're teaching. You need to bring that love to your students. And Mr. Wicker certainly brought that love to all of us in the music that he taught us to play and to sing. And as a result, many of us fell in love with that music too.

Your turn:

• If you have 5 minutes: Share a comment about something that resonates with you. First draft thoughts are welcome!

• If you have 10 minutes: Send a note to a teacher you appreciate – a past teacher of your own or your child, a colleague, a leader, or anyone else who helps others learn. Better yet, send them a gift subscription to the Cocoon for Teacher Appreciation Week, Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day!

• If you have 30 minutes: Schedule time on my calendar to chat. What are you working on right now? It’s a free half-hour of thought partnership!

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Let’s partner!

• I help educators break through their blocks by finding the intersection of effectiveness and sustainability.

• I believe educators need to stay connected to their passion and purpose to provide all students with joyful, enchanting, empowering learning experiences–without burning out.

• I have more than 2 decades of experience as an educator with deep expertise in leadership and instructional coaching across grade bands and content areas, learner-centered professional development design and facilitation, and teacher team development.

Interested in learning more?

“This book could not have come at a better time.”

Carolyn Yaffe, Executive Director, Valley Charter Schools

Thank you for reading this issue of The Cocoon. I’ll see you tomorrow for my next Teacher Appreciation Week post and on the first Tuesday of next month for my next regular edition.

And if you’re interested in the pleasures, perils, and politics of mid-40s, post-divorce, perimenopausal, red-state dating, please visit my other Substack Red State Blue Balls. It makes a great birthday or just-because gift for yourself or someone else!