A Front Row Seat

Teachers are given a unique privilege in that they can witness a passion being discovered.

By: NAOmi Chapman-Noles, music teacher

When asked the question, “How will you minister to students through your position as a music teacher?” the answer once seemed so painfully obvious to me. Children learn to sing and play songs, and a large majority of those songs are Christian. In addition to that, they discover music from different cultures around the world, which equips them for the mission field. One plus one equals two. There you have it.

While I still stand by those observations, my perspective has shifted over the last few months. Teachers are given a unique privilege in that they can witness a passion being discovered, a God-given talent being brought into the light through the beauty of education. Not only that, but they are able to spot, recognize, and foster talent through collaborative work with students and fellow teachers!

Last fall, around October, I had been working through a songwriting unit with two sixth grade classes. Naturally, a creative assignment is always met with some resistance, but I could not have predicted which students would take it and run with it. They formed small groups to work together and bounce ideas off one another, but anyone who preferred to work solo was permitted to do so once they had gone through a session or two with a group.

There was one student in particular whom I had previously taught in chorus. I knew she loved music, but her natural skill and passion – not to mention her genius capability for writing meaningful, God-centered lyrics – blew my mind. Now she’s almost ready to begin sharing her original songs with others, and I could not be more proud of her. There’s a special gratitude I feel toward God for allowing me to watch that passion unfold.

Similar events occur in the classroom on a weekly basis. A class may be practicing for an upcoming in-class performance, and a student might accidentally come in too early or hold a note too long. Yet in those moments, I sometimes hear a beautiful voice I had never noticed on its own before.

In fifth grade, students performed an in-class program in December and began learning the ukulele in January. Earlier in the year, I thought I had identified which students were most passionate about music. But once they picked up those ukuleles, I saw excitement in the eyes of students who had not shown the same enthusiasm for singing or dancing. And that is a beautiful thing! I began to see that nearly every child in the room had a love for music - it simply manifests differently in each one.

Sharing Our Gifts

The Word of God contains a multitude of scriptures regarding giving back to God. I would say that the most relatable one to this matter is the parable of the servants and their talents. As a child, I misunderstood this story. I remember thinking, “Oh, no, these terrible servants are using gifts from their master to gain more! Only the one who hid his gift is being careful.” (Perhaps I was confusing it with the prodigal son.) But by the end, I realized that the faithful servants returned what they had gained to their master.

I think that we often equate sharing our gifts in public with pursuing self-interest and fame. But if that were the case, God would command us to hide our gifts, which He clearly does not. So sing that song, paint that landscape, run that marathon, translate that book, or simply encourage someone today.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16 (ESV)