“Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.”
Anyone who has ever said these words to me tends to find themselves on the receiving end of a ‘Paddington Hard Stare’.
Years ago, when I was studying for my Drama and Theatre Studies A Level (so many years ago that I have purposely chosen not to add in the year) I commented on how amazing my Drama teacher was, only to be told that he must be so frustrated to be a failed actor.
“Nobody wants to be a Drama teacher!” They pontificated. “He’s just settling because he couldn’t make it as an actor. All Drama teachers are failed actors.”
So why did I make the choice to be a teacher? Why do I choose to do something when there is this attitude that I only do so because I couldn’t succeed elsewhere?
Well, firstly, I do think that I have succeeded elsewhere. I wouldn’t say that being a member of The National Theatre Company would be considered a failure. Or being directed by a guy called Harold Pinter would be considered not ‘making it’. I just discovered, totally by accident, that I got more of a buzz from seeing someone that I had taught using the skills that I had shown them.
And just stepping back and observing that achievement.
And here were my students taking what I had taught them and making it their own.
What could be a better feeling?
And of course not all students who take Drama are going to follow a path within the Arts! How about that kid in Year 7 who was shaking and close to tears when asked a question in class, only to work with them, to help instil confidence and facilitate public speaking skills so that they could stand up and talk in an end of year assembly in Year 11?
That is success.
And I am passionate about it.
Ask me about being a teacher and you will see my eyes light up, my facial expressions come alive and my whole body respond to me just thinking about what I love.
Yes there are negatives; nothing that we do is perfect (or should be), which is one of the reasons that I’ve transitioned from mainstream secondary education into being a yoga teacher. I am not going to focus on the negatives (who wants to hear about children becoming no more than a piece of data? And don’t even get me started on Gove or Morgan because I will rant!) but yoga has helped me.
A lot.
And I just want to share this with as many people that are willing to listen and practise with me.
Yoga has helped me physically and mentally.
Yoga enriches my life. Teaching yoga enriches my life - as Phoebe found out in a ‘Friends’ episode, there really is no such thing as altruism!
If everyone did yoga, the world would be a better place. And right now, the world really needs to be a better place.
So rather than thinking - Those who can, do and those who can’t teach - I have my new mantra:
Yoga teaching is a superpower and I am making the world a better place one practice at a time!
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