Student Needs. Teacher Needs. Human Needs. (or, The Blue Piano)

Working in an adult education centre has been life-changing for me. It has forced me to stay on my toes and to reflect on my practices more often than the youth sector. With sessions sometimes as short as nine weeks, we have to get to know our students and their needs as soon as possible (both educational and emotional).

The past few years, our staff have noted that our student population is getting younger and younger and we are having to deal with a variety of issues surrounding mental health. This reality has led our administration, with a team of teachers, to help bring more education and awareness to our staff (I think this is great!!)

After attending a meeting about student needs and how teachers could help, I found myself thinking a lot about what our students need. In fact, I found myself unable to not think about this issue. It almost became obsessive to a harmful degree. I felt frustrated. How were we able to help students when we haven't even asked them what they need? And, how were we supposed to provide the correct help without the proper training. I was starting to feel depressed myself -- obsessing over this matter. What was my role as a teacher - and how was I able to stay strong myself when having to help so many other students with emotional problems?

I felt like each day I was on an airplane that was going down, and I was putting on everyone else's mask without putting on my own - it was exhausting.

And then, during a week break from school, I decided to paint an old piano blue. While I painted, I played music and was able to disappear from my thoughts and go to a place of almost meditation. Basically, I was able to relax. I did not have any pressure to paint this piano, nor did I have a deadline. It was just me, Tori Amos, and some chalk paint.

It was at this moment that I realized what I need. I need time to turn off my brain and do something that I WANT to do.

I then thought - what if our students had more opportunities to turn off their brain - to learn things of their own personal passions and interest without the standard test at the end. What if they had the flexibility to take a break when they needed and the safe environment to feel frustrated yet supported. What if they were intrinsically motivated to do something that also made them feel HAPPY.

Isn’t that what all people need - to feel motivated and challenged in something that also makes them feel happy??

It was at this moment that I thought of creating my own course. A sort of do-it-yourself class where students could work on projects of their choice. And while working on this, they would reflect on their learning, motivation, and feelings. It would be a course that works on the inner self while participating in project-based-learning.

As I said earlier, working in an adult education centre has been life-changing for me. After thinking about this crazy idea for a course, my always supportive administrator (even when I bring her crazy ideas), asked if I would like to teach an options course - if I had any ideas that I would like to present.

It was unbelievable timing. From this, I began my journey to create a course based not only on student and teacher needs - but human needs!