Friday, June 12, 2009

Ending on an up

I've just taken a body blow in the form of an email purporting to contain 'constructive criticism'. The thing is, it wasn't criticism of my work. It was criticism of me, suggesting that I become less like myself in the future. But then Garry Platt's comment on my Musical Mash-up post came through, with a link to a video clip I had wanted include in that post, but had been unable to find.

To my delight, I found that PS22 (does that stand for Public School 22?) has put out several such videos. Since you have already had Viva la Vida this week, how about a taste of something else? Something with a title I need to own right now!



But head over to YouTube and search on PS22. There are several others to choose from. Just watch how every child sings as if it is a solo performance. Heart and soul. Learn more about them and their wonderfully enabling teacher here.

4 comments:

V Yonkers said...

Yes. I'm assuming this is NY City. At least in New York State urban areas, PS means Public School. The numbers don't always correspond to the number of schools there are however. In Troy, NY there is a PS 23 put not 23 elementary schools!

I often find when I get a real harsh criticism (such from my student evaluations) which I can't respond to or really can't learn from (I didn't like the way the teacher spoke, for example), somehow I happen on to something that puts that criticism into perspective. Last semester it was a comment from a former student that I was his favorite teacher yet as he was still using what I taught him after a year. It is hard to takes the lumps, but it is harder to appreciate the "ups" of life.

Anonymous said...

Dont let what ever was said get you down. One of my colleagues too had some 'constructive criticism' saying she needed to act more like a teacher and less like herself.

Then OFSTED came along and gave her a 5 for her teaching.

Sometimes I think people like to be nasty.

The upsycho said...

@Virginia and @Danielle Thanks for the support. I have knocked the dust off my feet and moved on. As a South African, I tend to very forthright. In a reserved society like England, this doesn't always go down very well. However, there are those who consider my candour a refreshing asset. Even if there were not, I could no more learn to dissemble than fly.

V Yonkers said...

PS 22 was on the national TV this morning. They are a public school in Staten Island (NY City). I think I saw a documentary on the music teacher who went out and fund raised to keep the music program in the school (although it could just be someone that looked like him).