Teaching...It's like riding a Bike!

We have all heard the saying that "it's like riding a bike...you never forget." I can say that is true for me. No, I was not remembering how to ride a bike. However, I did draw an analogy to the saying. I believe that teaching is like riding a bike. If you ever leave the classroom or take a break from teaching and if you are "good" at teaching, returning to the classroom will ignite that teacher passion. For me, I was back on the podium directing a band rehearsal at Armstrong Middle.

As an assistant principal, I rarely find time to peek my head into where my teaching career began. As much as I want to find the band hall, I find myself gravitating towards the core classroom to see teachers working their craft and students learning.

I left the band classroom 7 years ago, and I loved every minute of it. The rehearsals and performance were good times. People ask me all the time, "do you miss band directing?" My response to them is that I miss the teaching and seeing the "ah-ha" and the light bulb moments that happen when the kid gets "it."

At my middle school, I have a great relationship with the band staff. We have know each other prior to my years in administration. During the fall semester on a Friday, there were times where the directors had to leave and travel to an away football game. Instead of canceling the rehearsal or bringing in a classroom substitute teacher, I asked to rehearse the band. The rehearsal consisted of warmup, technique, songs, and closing. During the warmup, that saying popped into my head. "You never forget." I found myself back on the podium teaching, motivating, and engaging kids to reach that "ah-ha."

Administrators should never forget why they went into education. You love kids; you love teaching; you love seeing the "light bulb" going off in that students' head. I challenge my colleagues in principalships to go back into the classroom. If you are truly an educator, you'll take me up on this challenge to ride that bike again.