Fundamentals

     In reflection, fairly early in my teaching career, I think I was an advocate of teaching the fundamentals.  For example:  courtesy, listening, respect for others, materials, and the environment, appreciating opportunity, effort, discipline, time-management, cooperation, working together, trust, using appropriate language, speaking out of turn, supporting one another, recognizing strengths and identifying areas that required improvement, fitness, personal hygiene, caring for others, prayer, serving in the community, etc.
     I suppose many of us would generate a different list of “fundamentals”, and your list would be different than mine.  In addition, a list generated in 1990 would probably be different than a list created in 2005 or 2015(?)
     Music education does a good job of teaching the fundamentals; life skills that will serve you well in anything you choose to do.  I think that many areas of education assume that students will realize where and how “fundamentals” are connected to the subject area.  I disagree.  I think some may realize the importance of connecting and relating, but most do not notice or even appreciate how the parts can come together.  Perhaps we have our priorities confused.
     It seems to me that many of us fall into the cycle of life.  Currently, humanity is facing a serious challenge that is of a global scale in dealing with Covid-19 (Corona Virus).  It’s disrupting everything and having a deep impact in our lives.  We need to come together, work together, now more than ever, to apply the “fundamentals” we were taught both at school and in the home.  We must set aside our selfish tendencies and not ignore this.