Those Who Can't, Teach . . . or, Ooo, Can I Play Too?

I've been reliving my childhood this year, vicariously, through our homeschool co-op. When you start mentioning what you were involved in as a kid, people latch onto it, and suddenly, you find yourself teaching it!

Case in point: I just finished teaching drama this quarter to middle school kids. If I'd had any idea how much fun it would be, I would have signed up from day 1. Granted, it was facilitated by the fact that I had 7 out of 8 very willing, highly dramatic participants. But in the midst of it, I found myself reliving some of my best memories from age 5-15, filled with rehearsals, classes, performances. Today I had printed out scenes from what I hoped were their favorite movies for them to act. I was right, and scored some points by asserting that Lord of the Rings: Two Towers is not only a great movie, but the best of the three. What I didn't expect was the pull inside me that said, "I want to play Gandalf!" and later, "I want to be the White Witch!" (The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe). I'll admit I've taken advantage of a few opportunities to demonstrate things to them, but mostly I try to sit back and just enjoy them.

Exhibit B: Next week I start coaching soccer again for the little ones. I have to own that when I say I made varsity in my first season of soccer junior year, I have to add the caveat that we were most likely the worst soccer team in the history of high school soccer. We didn't score ONCE my junior year. We lost one game 0-21. No, that's not a typo (I will add though that that was my senior year when I didn't make varsity until after that disastrous event). So I had to wonder what I might have to offer them. But in watching them play, and in playing in the evening with our daughter (who plans to be the BEST soccer player IN THE WORLD when she grows up), the joy in me is being awakened, as are my dormant skills (maybe I'm better than I thought?).

The best part? After class today, the kids begged me to teach them again next quarter (I can't) and one of them said, "You are an AMAZING teacher!" Aww. So fun!