{"id":142489,"date":"2026-05-04T20:01:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T01:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/?p=142489"},"modified":"2026-05-04T20:05:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T01:05:25","slug":"best-of-all-teddy-erickson-finding-meaning-music-and-confidence-through-tutoring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/2026\/05\/04\/best-of-all-teddy-erickson-finding-meaning-music-and-confidence-through-tutoring\/","title":{"rendered":"Best of All: Teddy Erickson- Finding Meaning, Music, and Confidence Through Tutoring"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>At <strong>GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Wausau<\/strong>, &#8220;<em><strong>Best of All<\/strong> &#8220;<\/em> isn\u2019t about perfection. It\u2019s about <strong>progress, persistence, joy, and those powerful moments<\/strong> when someone discovers,<strong>\u201cI can do this.\u201d<\/strong> We are overjoyed to celebrate <strong>Teddy Erickson<\/strong>, whose tutoring work reminds us all that <strong>learning doesn\u2019t have to follow a script\u2014it just has to be meaningful.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"360\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 640 \/ 360;\" width=\"640\" controls src=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/files\/2026\/03\/Teddy-Tutoring-Singing.mov\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Teddy<\/strong> brings <strong>heart, creativity, and authenticity<\/strong> into every tutoring session. From the start, it\u2019s clear that <strong>Teddy<\/strong> understands something deeply important:<strong> learning is personal<\/strong>. What works beautifully for one student may not work at all for another\u2014and <strong>that\u2019s not only okay, it\u2019s something to be celebrated<\/strong>. <strong>Teddy doesn\u2019t focus on <em>how learning is supposed to look<\/em>; instead, Teddy focuses on whether it makes sense to him.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes that learning looks structured and quiet. Other times, it looks <strong>energetic, playful, or completely outside the box.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And sometimes\u2026 <strong>it sounds like singing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"353\" height=\"513\" src=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/files\/2024\/12\/wish-list-picture.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-141989\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/files\/2024\/12\/wish-list-picture.jpg 353w, https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/files\/2024\/12\/wish-list-picture-206x300.jpg 206w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 353px) 100vw, 353px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>There have been moments during tutoring when <strong>Teddy<\/strong> recognizes that spoken instructions and responses aren\u2019t quite landing, or a concept just hasn\u2019t clicked yet. Rather than forcing it, <strong>Teddy<\/strong> pivots\u2014turning words into rhythm, steps into melody, and information into a <strong>song<\/strong>. Suddenly, what felt confusing becomes memorable. What felt overwhelming becomes approachable.<strong> Music transforms learning into something engaging, joyful, and accessible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Teddy&#8217;s<\/strong> tutor <strong>Jeff&#8217;s<\/strong> flexibility is what makes <strong>Teddy\u2019s<\/strong> tutoring so impactful. Jeff instinctively understands that <strong>learning through song isn\u2019t a distraction from the goal\u2014it <em>is<\/em> the pathway to it<\/strong>. Melody can support memory. Rhythm can build focus. And singing can help concepts stick long after the session ends. Most importantly,<strong> it meets the student where they are and honors how <em>they<\/em> learn best<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each tutoring session with <strong>Teddy<\/strong> is built on trust and respect. There\u2019s no pressure to rush or \u201cget it right\u201d immediately. <strong>Teddy<\/strong> is encouraged to <strong>explore, to try, to laugh, and yes\u2014sometimes to sing<\/strong> his way through a challenge. Learning becomes something safe and even fun, instead of something stressful or intimidating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>That sense of safety is powerful.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve seen students come into tutoring unsure of themselves\u2014hesitant because past learning experiences didn\u2019t always feel successful. As is the case with <strong>Teddy<\/strong>, those same students begin to take ownership of their learning. They ask questions. They show curiosity. They walk out taller than when they walked in. That confidence doesn\u2019t happen by accident; it grows because our tutors<strong> create an environment where every effort is valued.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jeff also understands that learning sticks best when it has <strong>purpose<\/strong>. Skills aren\u2019t taught in isolation. Instead, they are connected to real life\u2014things <strong>Teddy<\/strong> cares about and uses every day. Whether it\u2019s reading something meaningful, understanding numbers in a practical way, or learning a life skill through repetition (<strong>or song!<\/strong>), singing helps <strong>Teddy<\/strong> see the \u201c<strong>why<\/strong>\u201d behind the work. <strong>When learning has purpose, motivation naturally follows.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"581\" height=\"759\" src=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/files\/2023\/11\/Capture-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-141732\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/files\/2023\/11\/Capture-6.jpg 581w, https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/files\/2023\/11\/Capture-6-230x300.jpg 230w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 581px) 100vw, 581px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We at the <strong>Playhouse<\/strong>, as well as parents and caregivers notice the <strong>impact<\/strong> as well. They see <strong>growth<\/strong> that extends beyond the <strong>Playhouse<\/strong> walls\u2014confidence at home, independence in daily routines, and pride in new skills. They hear about tutoring sessions that didn\u2019t just involve worksheets, but laughter, creativity, and music. That ripple effect is part of what makes <strong>GiGi\u2019s Playhouse<\/strong> so special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What truly sets <strong>Teddy&#8217;s<\/strong> tutoring apart is the ability to blend structure with flexibility, patience with encouragement, and learning with joy. At <strong>GiGi&#8217;s Playhouse<\/strong> our tutors embody the <strong>GiGi\u2019s Playhouse<\/strong> belief that<strong> individuals with Down syndrome deserve high expectations paired with meaningful support<\/strong>. <strong>There is no single right way to learn\u2014only the way that makes the most sense to the learner.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So today, our <strong>Best of All<\/strong> goes to <strong>Teddy Erickson<\/strong>\u2014for <strong>reminding us that learning can happen in many forms<\/strong>. Sometimes it\u2019s spoken. Sometimes it\u2019s practiced. And <strong>sometimes, it\u2019s sung from the heart<\/strong>. Thank you, <strong>Teddy<\/strong>, for bringing your creativity and confidence into every tutoring session and for showing that <strong>everyone has their own powerful ways of learning<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is truly <em><strong>Best of All<\/strong><\/em>. \ud83d\udc9b\ud83d\udc99<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At GiGi\u2019s Playhouse Wausau, &#8220;Best of All &#8220; isn\u2019t about perfection. It\u2019s about progress, persistence, joy, and those powerful moments when someone discovers,\u201cI can do this.\u201d We are overjoyed to celebrate Teddy Erickson, whose tutoring work reminds us all that learning doesn\u2019t have to follow a script\u2014it just has to be meaningful. Teddy brings heart,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29370,"featured_media":142557,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,251,234,1],"tags":[245,20],"class_list":["post-142489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-awareness","category-gigis-playhouse","category-programs","category-uncategorized","tag-down-syndrome-support","tag-gigis-playhouse-wausau"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29370"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142489"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142489\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/wausau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}