PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Bel Canto THERE’S A CHILDHOOD experience that may be nearly universal. It happens at different times for each of us, but most kids process it similarly. Picture it: You’re grocery shopping with mom or dad. You’re tagging along— perhaps listlessly; perhaps amusing yourself by helping out here and there. It is a normal day. All is well and right in your ordered world. You turn the corner; frozen goods, maybe. And that’s where it happens. You see her. Or him. Your mind reels. The universe shifts. Nothing makes any sense. It. Is. Your. Teacher. For many of us, this moment is poignant because it initiates the gradual realization that we are not the center of the world. The thought may be more or less conscious, but the gist is always something along the lines of, “What?! My teacher exists outside my experience of them?! How can this be?” But it can be. In fact, it is. Teachers exist outside of classrooms all over
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the world! Even when no students are in sight! Teachers have families, pets, histories, aspirations, habits, hobbies, burdens, triumphs, pursuits, and passions. They might even wear jean shorts. They are fully-actualized human beings. At Valley School, we put this truth to good use. Our faculty and staff are active community members and lifelong learners who pursue their interests ambitiously and devotedly. And our teachers don’t leave their passions behind when they enter their classrooms. They bring their interests to school, and excite students with their fervor. In this way, Valley School’s classrooms are intercurricular spaces. Faculty’s personal pursuits converge with classroom subjects to augment student learning in dynamic and perspective-enriching ways. For the past two years, Valley School music teacher, Debbie Broker, has been involved in the Pittsburgh Opera’s
Education Program. “Opera Academy” is a year-long series of workshops designed to immerse educators in the world of opera. Teachers from all grade-levels and content areas explore the historical, cultural, and societal circumstances of an opera’s creation, and then develop lessons to connect the arts to other academic areas. “I always loved learning about music history,” explained Mrs. Broker, “but in the past, I most often elected to study and attend symphony or musical theater performances. Opera was a gap for me. I saw Opera Academy as an opportunity to supplement my knowledge. The more I learned, the more I wanted to guide my students in discovering this musical genre.” Last year, Mrs. Broker took the Upper School music and art students to the Benedum Theater in Pittsburgh where they attended a performance of Donizetti’s Elixir of Love.
Valley School welcomes faculty to contribute their “real life” passions and endeavors to student learning. More recently, for more than a month, Valley School was in possession of an “Opera Trunk” containing costumes, props, CDs, and lesson plans on loan from the Pittsburgh Opera. Students were given opportunities to explore music, character, and costume design using the Opera Trunk’s contents. 1st grade developed a sound story with rhythm instruments for Hansel and Gretel, and experimented with vocal improvisation. 2nd grade turned one of their favorite books into an opera! Then, to give the students another authentic experience, at the end of May, Mrs. Broker brought four performers from the Pittsburgh Opera to Valley School for an interactive educational presentation designed to teach operatic elements, terminology, and musical features. The students
