Thank You Circe

I love to read Circe's blog at http://dopppartyofseven.blogspot.com/ I find her blog funny, insightful, delightful, inspirational and very joyful to read. I love to follow the lives of her children and her family through their daily life. I use to work with her husband in my former life =) at the courthouse and that is how I came to know of her blog. Although I have never met her personally I feel I know her and her family through her husband and her blog and their love of San Diego since I lived their for 12 years.
As I read her blog this morning I sat thinking as I do so many mornings,"WOW, she couldn't have said it any better". Now I normally NEVER copy a persons blog nor do I ever post a persons blog because I do not want anyone thinking I am poaching, copy writing infringing, or any other nefarious deed with their blog, but this morning her blog struck a note that EVERY parent, teacher, and daycare provider feels every day, so I just had to share this. So I will be letting Circe know I have copied it and making sure she knows ALL the credit is hers and hers alone...
So you see all our hard work we go through... we are not alone... we do not go through this ourselves.... there are others out there also that care and strive to better children. They may seem like they are hidden in the shadows or quietly in the background but they are out there.
Thank you Circe we needed this.

Lately, I've been saying to my ballet students at the end of class, "Well, you've dedicated another hour of your lives to becoming beautiful dancers.  Because of your hard work, you're one hour closer to your dream."  I'm not being quite as flippant as Click and Clack, but I think it's funny to channel them, even if the 3rd graders don't pick up on it.

The message I'm trying to relate is to point out what the girls are accomplishing and what they're aiming for.  Most of them probably didn't seek out ballet on their own, and they certainly don't drive themselves there.  Whether they love it or hate it, the reason they're in my class most likely has something to do with their parents' vision.  As a teacher, I have to instill the desire to succeed as well as the awareness that their hard work is for a purpose.  Occasionally, I pull in some older dancers from the dressing room and have them demonstrate something.  Then I deliberately make a connection between my little Level Ones and the big girls.  "See?  That is what you'll be able to do when you're older, and it's because you are so dedicated.  You work so hard and you love to dance."  Give them the vision of what you want them to be.  

The second time I gave my Car Talk speech, someone pointed out, "You said that last time!"  Now, they look forward to it.  I can see their eyes brighten as we take a moment and celebrate our efforts.  Suddenly, it's not just another dance class.  It's a completed leg of our journey toward the ideal.  That is very satisfying.  I feel it, and I can see it on those little faces.  You can bet that I use this strategy with my own children, too, in everything they do.

In ballet as in life, if we don't have a clear idea of what the goal is, the work to get there can seem pointless and overwhelming.  It's nice to pause, as we wipe the sweat off our faces and gingerly stretch our tired muscles, to look back at what we were, and look forward too, knowing exactly what we want to become.