Summer VBS

 

 On June 10, 2016, I returned back to the church to observe another teacher helping with the production of this year’s vacation bible school. Mrs. Judy, the chorus director of the church, takes time to show the students how to sing out into the audience for them to be heard. She believes that all of the students are special in their own ways and should present themselves accordingly.

 

I arrive at 12 pm to observe her rehearsal time slot with the major characters. She begins the lesson saying how proud she is if each of them to step up and be diligent in their work.  Once the students have warmed up, they begin with the opening scene. Mrs. Judy watched carefully as they execute higher notes and change facial expressions depending on the intensity of the songs.  If she liked how they presented themselves, she would move on. Although if they did not seem to put their all in it, then she would say “I know you all can put an extra percent on that,” and smile.

 

After a short break to help put out the snacks, she went on to another group of students. This group took longer than expected to catch on the rhythms of the song, but she did not get flustered. Instead she began to count out the beats as they song along with her. The students responded positively by catching on to how fast the tempo was and began to sing louder with confidence. I was able to speak with the group after the class, and ask if they felt as if they were being called out. They said that “I am glad she stepped in to help, because I don’t want to mess up when we present in front of our families.”

 

At 5 pm, the students sat at the edge of the stage to be critiqued by both Mrs. Janet, the theatre teacher and Mrs. Judy. She began by saying how proud she is of this hard working group of young individuals.  I expected her to be harsh towards them because of the amount of time they have, but she would say only one mistake then overflow with positive comments. Mrs. Judy used this tactic to help improve the students without them feeling as though they only made mistakes. It was a joy to see her give her students’ confidence over critique.

 

 

Summary

Personally, I would want to continue in her footsteps shown during these classes. Mrs. Judy presented herself to her students as a curing teacher devoted to having them at their best. She was a wonderful teacher to observe for these five hours.