Lyre, lyre, pants on fire

I’m very fortunate to live close to Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges National Park and the famous 1000 Steps – a popular walking and hiking trail for locals and tourists. This gives me a regular opportunity to experience nature while challenging my physical fitness. Living so close also means I can get there early and beat the crowds.

On rare occasions, I have had the distinct privilege to encounter a lyrebird – a stunning and intriguing local resident. I have not had the privilege of witnessing a male lyrebird in its full splendour – with its tail spread magnificently in its attempts to secure a mate. I have only seen female lyrebirds going about their morning forage.

You can learn more about lyrebirds from this fact sheet and this ABC News article.

Prior to my most recent encounter, I was pondering the bird sounds I could hear. Were those actual cockatoos? Or was there a lyrebird somewhere, mimicking that familiar squawk? Would I have the privilege of a lyrebird encounter today? What compels a lyrebird to mimic the sounds it hears? Is it not aware of its own beauty and uniqueness?

Moments later, a lyrebird crossed my path – a female foraging. I interpreted this as some kind of sign. It gave me a lot to think about – enough to write a blog post. How much am I like a lyrebird?

In my role as a primary school teacher, the curriculum I teach and the lessons I deliver are all prepared. I download and present them. Even our social emotional learning is scripted!

The lessons are thoroughly researched, evidence-based best practice, which I can appreciate – we can learn so much from the experts in our fields.

Here’s the thing – I listen to the school leaders and decision-makers and all I hear is other people’s words. Like lyrebirds, they’re mimicking the sounds they hear. I’m also just reciting somebody else’s words. I’m just mimicking somebody else’s sounds. It doesn’t feel authentic.

Making Mooshuns is my opportunity to connect with my authenticity. Since day one, I have made every single Mooshun by hand. I place great value in the beauty and uniqueness of each Mooshun.

In all honesty, the 1000 Steps trail is hard work. So is making Mooshuns, but I’m reluctant to give it away to somebody else. Outsourcing might free me up to pursue all the other social emotional learning projects I dream up and want to share with the world, but this is who I am, and this is what I do.

So how much am I like a lyrebird? I discover amazing artwork and read fascinating articles all the time and readily share them. I love talking to curious people about what Mooshuns are and where they came from – my words, my story.

If I had the resources, I would go all out and do whatever I could to get the Mooshun message out there. Mooshuns are an amazing resource for social emotional learning. However, I’m not inclined to put on a spectacle to attract a customer, to do so would not feel authentic.