The Glee of Being a Teacher

I have to know.

Are you all watching "Glee?"

Because if not, you need to start. Like, now.

Described by the LA Times blog Showtracker as "a kind of cross between 'High School Musical' and 'Freaks and Geeks,'" it is the most delightful show on television. It is funny, it is weird, it is ridiculous, it is charming, it is heartbreaking....it is a win.

But this week's episode had a moment that made me think, "Um. No."

The show revolves around Spanish teacher Will Schuester and his quest to bring back the glory days of his school's show choir. In this last episode, he'd assigned a solo to Tina, a student who didn't normally take the lead. She sang it beautifully until the last note, which she couldn't quite hit. Despondent, she told Mr. Schuester that he should just give the song to Rachel (the choir's star) because she'd sing it better.

Will gave her an impassioned speech about....well, I don't really know. Probably something about trying again and how she just has to believe in herself and she'll get better and blah blah blah. Not that that's not a valuable speech, because the writing on Glee is super clever and I'm sure this was no exception.

But I'd stopped listening, because the teacher delivered the speech while holding onto the girl's shoulders and looking deep into her eyes.

Really? Would ANY male teacher EVER do that to a female student?

Okay, I know it's just a TV show and a satire at that, but that moment wasn't meant to be satirical - it was all deep'n'intense'n'life-lessony. AND the show has a character who lost his job at the school because of student hanky panky. Tsk tsk, I say.

Generally, "Glee" is simply fabulous and you should all start watching it (seriously, please do - it will break my little heart if it gets canceled), but that moment just reiterated to me that I'm a teacher, through and through, and my perspective on life, events, culture, anything, will always be influenced by seeing it through that lens.

Luckily I like that lens.