My Dad's favorite movie was Coal Miner's Daughter. Without fail, if it was on TV, we all watched it. And without fail he would ALWAYS ask us "Did y'all know that Sissy Spacek learned to sing like Loretta Lynn?" "She's not lip syncing," he would continue, "She studied her voice and learned to sing just like her." I must confess that even now, I will watch this movie every time it is on television and I always laugh. The other night I heard Sissy Spacek singing like Loretta Lynn. I curled up in my Phillies blanket, enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate and watched Coal Miner's Daughter for the gazillionth time.
As I watched, I started thinking about teaching and how important it is for each teacher to find his/her own voice. Just like Sissy Spacek, we need to study, model and learn from the legends in our profession. If we surround ourselves with great teachers, we cannot help but be inspired by them. As we are surrounded by great teachers, we will begin to learn what makes these educators legendary. As we study them, observe them, collaborate with them, we will begin to model excellence. As we grow, we will learn to sing with our own voice. Yes, there will be days we "lip sync" their lesson plans. However, just as Sissy Spacek made the bold move to sing with her own voice while paying tribute to the "lady of country music" ( while most other actresses were content with moving their mouths to someone else's voice) we, too, will make strides to use what we learn and make our own voice in education. As we surround ourselves with excellence in education we will grow more comfortable in our own voice. As you teach this week, remember to reflect on the mentors who have guided you and will continue to guide you. Pay tribute to them by using their example while singing in your own voice.
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