“Thank you for helping me teach you” On Gratitude…

The holiday season is a time that urges us to slow down, spend time with loved ones, and reflect on what is important in our lives. It is a time to reassess and rearrange our priorities as we prepare to welcome a new year. Above all, the holiday season is a time wherein the word ‘gratitude’ is brought to the forefront of our thoughts and interactions. We pay more mind to expressing and showing gratitude during this time of the year than we do any other, and for many of us, gratitude is often set back on the shelf waiting for its reemergence next holiday season. Expressing gratitude on a daily basis however, is proven to increase quality of life and overall happiness. 

How can we show gratitude every day? How can we make it a part of our regular routine? Below, we highlight practices utilized in arts education that may help inspire ideas to bring gratitude into your everyday life! 

“Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens. If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.”

― Shinichi Suzuki

Shinichi Suzuki is known for his popular method of teaching violin to young children, The Suzuki Method, that is used widely around the world due to its emphasis on focus and progression. Dr. Suzuki held motives beyond shaping young violinists that aimed to inspire “beautiful citizens”. One routine that he held in his pedagogical practice was bowing to his students at the beginning and ending of his lessons. The interaction went as such:

At beginning of lesson...

Teacher: *bow* “Please Help Me Teach You”

Student: *bow* “Please Help Me Learn”

At end of lesson...

Teacher: *bow* “Thank you for Helping Me Teach You”

Student: *bow* “Thank you for Helping  Me Learn”

This practice, though concise, does a few things that are powerfully impactful. First, it brings both the educator and the student into a moment where an agreement is reached. For the next set amount of time, we are both going to dedicate our energy and focus toward pursuit of knowledge and artistic expression. This practice also conveys mutual respect between teacher and student, of knowledge, of time, and of each other. It empowers the student to feel safe and supported, and encourages them to take ownership of their learning.  We utilize this ritual in our violin and theater classes because we feel that it allows both our instructors and students a moment of time to express gratitude toward one another and set the tone for a productive and supportive learning environment. We respect and are so grateful for our students and their simple showing up to learn and we hope to instill gratitude in our students toward their instructors for serving as leaders and advocates for pursuit of excellence both within and beyond the studio. 

“In a dancer there is a reverence for such forgotten things as the miracle of the small beautiful bones and their delicate strength.”

― Martha Graham

Another practice of gratitude utilized in arts education is the réverénce, often done as the final exercise in a ballet class. Réverénce translated from French means to bow or curtsey. It is often done to slow music in a “follow along” format where students mimic the teachers actions. This practice, set up as a bow of respect toward teacher and (when present) musical accompanist, goes beyond just that. It is a moment taken at the end of a class to acknowledge the body and all of the amazing things that it can do, the strength that it holds, and the systems actively working to maintain life that we don’t even need to think about. Dance, said to be the “language of the soul” is an extremely physical practice, and taking the time at the end of a lesson to acknowledge the body as our instrument builds a healthy mindset around care for self, nourishment of our bodies, and acknowledges necessity for rest. We don’t often think to express gratitude toward our bodies, but doing so sets the tone for meaningful moments and deep respect of and care for self. 

These two practices, though different in nature and intention, instill a deeper knowledge of gratitude that can be translated into everyday life. How do these inspire you? What daily rituals can you take on to keep gratitude a present in your world?