You will be given wings to fly

Author: Karine Babujyan

I have been working at «ՄխիMkhitar Sebastatsi"Mkhitar Sebastatsi" Educomplex as a primary school teacher for eight years. I love my work. It is a better world: you may create as much as you want... you will be given wings to fly...

I think I had my biggest achievement and progress four years ago when I began singing in the choir  Teachers' Choir "Sebastatsies". Difficulties were expected to overcome. Concentration, persistence and, most importantly, love towards that engagement was needed, and I was tied up and carried away with music. Such is our Great Maestro, Harutyun Topikyan. There is not any alternative: you are supposed either to stay and sing without falsifying the song and youself or leave... During the rehearsals of the choir you get a better ear for music, and a better sense of rythm. Listening is a sort of art. There were days when I recorded my voice after the rehearsals and then listened to it. I removed the recordings which I didn't like, and continued listening to the ones which were a success. When I couldn't sing some part of a song, I stayed in the music hall after the rehearsal and worked on that part individually with Mr.Topikyan. I made progress in singing. It seemed as if it was personal achievement, but the quality of music lessons in my class was improved in the result of that. 

This is my first musical-theatrical project:  "Komitas+Tumanyan+Anti-virus"

Every day I give the learners in my class an opportunity to listen to classical music.  I usually do it during the intervals. Classical music is also present in our weekly projects.  The learners say that they have developed a habit of listening to classical music before going to bed, and they like that new habit of theirs. They especially like to listen to the music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 

Everyday listening to classical music fosters:

• the development of musical taste
• concentration of attention
• the ability to listen
• the ability to create

We have also made materials for our musical radio: 

• We dedicate to our mothers 
• What is music? 
• We are singing ritual songs
• Some extracts from our musical performances 
• Musical-theatrical radio
• Archimandrite Komitas
• Komitas Days

The digital means, particularly the recorder, gives us an opportunity to check what we have done. While recording the learners develop their skills in concentrating attention, listening to each other, following each other's speech, observing and correcting the mistakes.

The Theatre in Class

My inspiration and loving disposition for the theatre are infinite...so are they for the learners. The use of theatre tricks makes communication among the learners easier; they become freer and more self-confident, and the educational process is made very interesting.   

We began reading "The Beetle School" by Tumanyan , and very soon the learners performed it. This performance turned out to be very musical and rythmic. We performed it in the Art School during the May gathering of author pedagogy. 

We are also going to present it at Theatrical Festival 2016.

Playing in the theatre develops the learners' ability of self-expression at ease, speaking skills and expressiveness, sense of music, image and colours. Educating, attractive, inspiring and ongoing theatre work has united the whole class as a small community and each learner. I am a Sebastatsi. I am fond of 

Սեբաստացի եմ… Սիրում  եմ  սովորող ընկերներիս հետ նաև swimming, biking, tragoing on an educational trip, running and overcoming obstacles with my fellow learners.  I am so thankful.