Since 2021, every day at Haisley Elementary has made Alex Sutton want to stand up and shout “Bingo!” Having previously taught graduate students, undergraduates, high schoolers, and middle schoolers, his time as a Haisley Husky has allowed him to cover the last space on his teaching bingo card: elementary schoolers.
A proud product of public school education, Sutton grew up in Milan and went on to earn degrees from the University of Michigan. After teaching at Tecumseh High School and working with the Boychoir of Ann Arbor, he pursued further studies at the University of Cincinnati and taught at the University of West Georgia and Wayne State University.
Sutton says he’s thankful to be back in this neck of the woods to be closer to his parents (Suzanne, a retired nurse, and Gene, a retired Washtenaw County employee) and his sister Rachel, who works for the University of Michigan and recently earned her master’s degree in higher education from the U-M School of Education. He says he’s very proud of her.
Haisley school nurse Patrice Gage says Sutton is filled with joy and positivity while being humble and preferring to direct attention to others. In fact, she says, he knows every student’s name and stands at the door at dismissal and says goodbye to students by name as they pass him.
“He comes early and leaves late,” she says. “He takes on added jobs—hall monitor, bus dismissal monitor. When staff forget it is St Patrick’s Day, he gives them green beads to wear. When it is a staff member’s birthday, he writes them a beautiful poem and shares it with the staff. He bakes for us some of the yummiest treats. And he never, ever complains.”
“He is truly exceptional,” Gage says. “I haven’t even moved on to what an amazing music teacher he is: very dedicated and creative, and the energy in his room is explosive.”
You’re known for your infectious energy in the classroom. How do you maintain such enthusiasm day after day with young students?
I don’t know about infectious energy—I’m neither an epidemiologist nor a physicist—but I do know that children possess an infinite capacity for silliness. And so do I. Comic actress Amy Poehler says, “There is power in looking silly and not caring that you do.” I couldn’t agree more, and to extend her thought, I believe that the give-and-take of silliness generates an effervescence that energizes learning and relationships.
Sustaining energy, however, is distinct from creating it. Beyond my connections with students and their families, I am only able to sustain my energy and enthusiasm because of the people in my building. I’m nothing without them. The Haisley specials team is second-to-none, our precious few paraprofessionals can walk on water, and our teaching and student services staff members are the best in the business. It’s easy to have energy when you’re surrounded by it.
What inspired you to become an elementary music teacher?
I usually tell people that I once signed a contract without reading it, and that’s how I became a music teacher. But in truth, like so many before me, I have had and known many otherworldly amazing teachers and professionals. In addition to my very first teachers (Hi, Mom and Dad!) these include Sue Paris (my elementary music teacher), Sr. Pat Neckel (my childhood piano teacher), Bob Cindric (retired music teacher with Saline Area Schools), Beth McNally (retired music teacher at Wines Elementary), Cherry Westerman (retired music teacher at Slauson Middle School), and Laura Dunbar (executive director of the Boychoir of Ann Arbor). It is said we eventually become our parents, but I think we also become our teachers. That probably explains why their words tumble out of my mouth whenever I’m teaching.
How do you approach teaching music to children who might not have a natural musical inclination or confidence?
Children are naturally inclined toward music because the human brain is hardwired for it. It’s part of being a person, so musicking is really about learning experiences and connecting those experiences to students’ lives. If I do my job correctly, each moment in class is one of musical discovery. The confidence part is really about showing students that the music room is a place where each and every one of them belongs.
You know every student by name at Haisley. What’s your secret for remembering so many names, and why is this personal connection important to you?
I think Kung Fu Panda said it best: “There is no secret ingredient.” In addition to practice, the ability to make hundreds of student names an automatic part of yourself requires comfort with the knowledge that, at some point, you will absolutely call a student by the wrong name. It happens. I know I speak for many if not most when I say that knowing every student’s name (and valuing what they bring with them) is a routine part of being an AAPS elementary specials teacher.
Your classroom has been described as having “explosive energy.” What does a typical music class look like under your direction?
Oh goodness, I hope the neighbors don’t mind! Each class is the next step in a multistep process, so each is as atypical as the one before or after it. In general, Haisley music classes begin with movement and then progress to singing. Whether used aloud or mentally or for speech or for song, your voice is you, and I want students to develop their ‘yous’ (‘thems,’ I suppose) to become instruments of musicianship and self-expression. Sometimes both of those things require a little explosive energy to get things rolling, but I’ve yet to receive a noise complaint.
Beyond teaching music fundamentals, what life lessons do you hope your students take away from your classroom?
The Golden Rule. I want students to know that there are over 8 billion people on this planet. Some of them are going to be similar to you, and some of them are not, and that’s okay.
How has teaching music to elementary students changed your own relationship with music?
Fred Rogers said, “I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.” This is the foundation of my relationship with music, one that is grounded in the expressive and learning needs of our students. Mister Rogers was a noted musician in his own right, and I can’t help but wholeheartedly agree with him: when it is deep and simple, I am completely sustained by the music I experience and the music I create.
What’s been your most rewarding moment as a music teacher at Haisley?
There have been so many moments at Haisley, but I would sooner choose a favorite puzzle piece than a favorite moment. Moments, like the parts of a jigsaw puzzle, are only truly meaningful when they are placed in the right spot and viewed as part of the bigger picture. There is no one moment that captures the love I have for working with the students and professionals of my building. I am very fortunate to do what I do every day.
You’re known for taking on extra responsibilities like hall monitoring and bus dismissal. What motivates you to go above and beyond your teaching duties?
I see my colleagues at Haisley—and all around the district—spending endless personal time and money in order to work daily miracles for children. That is a kind of ‘above and beyond’ that has been normalized in our schools. My colleagues support me in ways too numerous to list, so the least I can do is support our school community by ensuring that students move safely through our buildings and to their buses at the end of the day.
You write personalized poems for colleagues’ birthdays. When did your interest in poetry begin, and how does it complement your musical talents?
There might be a few couplets or a limerick every once in a while, but I generally send prose messages on behalf of the Haisley Social Committee. The First Amendment is a glorious thing, and it is only right to use it to celebrate the birthdays and life moments of Haisley’s staff members.
I’d say I first fell in love with the sound of words during the late 20th century, as one of Georgia Anderson’s first graders at Paddock Elementary. She had me memorize “Smart” from Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. Did that have a lasting impact? Unclear, but Haisley students can tell you that they sing musical settings of Silverstein’s poetry with curious frequency.
What’s your philosophy on creating a positive school culture, and how do you contribute to it? Aside from teaching, what are your other passions or hobbies?
My thoughts on school culture are best expressed by musician and comedian Victor Borge: “A smile is the shortest distance between two people.” Aside from teaching, I am passionate about consistent use of the Oxford comma, and my interests include baking, singing and playing instruments, reading, playing trivia in all its forms, and spending time with family and friends. (Many of my friends have young children, so I’m growing into the ‘Uncle Al’ phase of life. Everyone needs an Uncle Al, right?)
Your baking skills have become legendary among the staff. Do you have a signature treat, and is there a story behind it?
I am continually inspired by the acres of bakers we have at Haisley! Their example has pushed me to level up as a purveyor of confections. I don’t know if I have a signature treat (we Huskies respect all genres of carbohydrate), but I tend to be drawn to the layer cake as a vehicle for expression.
If you weren’t a music teacher, what career path might you have pursued?
When I was in third grade, I told everyone that I was going to become a mathematician. I wasn’t particularly skilled in mathematics, but I liked the word. I still do. Let’s say a mathematician.
What advice would you give to new teachers?
Hydrate, save for retirement, and protect your joy.
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