Don't Break The Instruments

Many a rock band has staked their claim in fame by smashing the instruments. The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana came to the conclusion of a show by smashing the very instruments that got them there. It was beautiful, for them. It was part of their art.

It symbolized what they did in music. Break through. It worked for them. Anyone else that tried were marked as imitators. It just looked stupid. If your name was not Pete, Jimi or Kurt.... It was.

Lots of teachers get into education because of a frustration with school. I was one of them. I sat in a desk for 12 years thinking I could do it better. Then I got the job and found out I couldn't. I found I could just be me in the job. I couldn't imitate or smash my predecessors. If I did, I would look stupid.

When we started the band, we had three rules. Be in tune. Be loud. Don't smash the instruments. The last rule was initiated because we were poor. We worked hard for our instruments. We could not afford to replace them. They meant a lot to us. Many of us owned them since we were kids. Some were treasured gifts. But after some thought, another reason rule #3 worked is that we would look stupid. We can't imitate those that smashed. We would be imitators.

In the classroom we are often handed curriculum guides, materials that are other teacher's lessons. You can't teach another teacher's lesson. Just like you can't imitate someone else's act (Pete always swore Jimi stole his bands act, only Jimi could pull it off). Somewhere in the teacher guides you have to find yourself and interpret the lesson. It's like a cover song. Someone else made it popular, you have an opportunity to put your twist on it. Take what you like, leave what you don't, add something of your own and create your art. Your lesson. Teach your lesson. Don't smash the instruments.