Flash Mob Surprises Teacher Retiring After 34 Years: See Video

EDGEWATER, MD — Mrs. Fidyk gasped in shock when she removed her blindfold. An orchestra of current and former students surprised the retiring music teacher by playing her favorite song, bidding her farewell after a 34-year career.

Hundreds packed into the Central Elementary School cafeteria Tuesday evening to thank Tamela Fidyk for inspiring generations of young musicians in Edgewater and Davidsonsville. The band ranged in age from elementary schoolers to now-adult former students whose kids have classes with Fidyk.

Not one student or teacher spilled the beans, so Fidyk was utterly befuddled when the flash mob started playing the "Rocky" theme song, "Gonna Fly Now." She has taught students to play that track for years.

"It's like my absolute, all-time, pump-up song," Fidyk said. "I was blindsided in the best of ways."

A video of the surprise is posted here.

Fidyk thought she was going to pick up a Mother's Day and retirement gift that arrived late. Instead, her husband blindfolded her and drove her to the surprise retirement party.

"I literally had no idea, and I fancy myself a little bit of a good detective," Fidyk said, noting her affinity for crime shows.

Fidyk has spent her entire career teaching at both Central Elementary and Davidsonville Elementary. Elementary instrumental music teachers often work at multiple schools to reach full-time status, as each school's job is usually a part-time role. Fidyk occasionally worked at other schools in the South River High feeder system, but she taught at Central and Davidsonville every year of her career.

Davidsonville Elementary Principal Colleen Harris said it's "very rare" and "probably unheard of" for teachers to spend their entire careers in the same place.

"She's a big personality," said Harris, who has worked with Fidyk for eight years. "She just naturally connects with others."

Central Elementary Principal Pete Thompson, a former music teacher himself, described Fidyk's classroom as "joyous."

"They're all having fun playing together," the second-year principal said. "It's good instruction. She's a great teacher, but more [so,] it's just about teaching kids to love it."

Barbara Helliwell has seen firsthand how strong teaching can influence a child.

"She makes every student feel that they're the best that there is," the mother said. "No matter how they play, she gets them very engaged and interested."

Her daughter, Heather Helliwell, was easing into music at Davidsonville Elementary when Fidyk triggered an explosive curiosity.

"One day, the light bulb went off. Next thing I know, she's playing five different instruments," Barbara Helliwell said.

Now in sixth grade, Heather Helliwell has since learned another two instruments. She recalls a friendly Fidyk teaching her how to play tuba during recess.

"She's so inspiring ... to help you play instruments of your dreams," Heather Helliwell said. "She'll be super sweet and patient with me, and she would always be super encouraging."

Fidyk calls her students her "Peeps," so children often gift her Peeps marshmallow snacks. Heather Helliwell once gave her a Peeps scrunchie, and Fidyk even has Peeps earrings.

Lillian Goldbeck, a graduating senior at South River High School, still remembers Fidyk easing her nerves about switching from a string to a wind instrument in fifth grade. Fidyk helped her settle on the clarinet.

"I was so nervous about it," the Central Elementary alumna recounted. "First day of class, I was too nervous to actually go."

Fidyk noticed that Goldbeck was in school that day but didn't attend music class. Fidyk found Goldbeck in one of her other classes and offered to walk to the music room together for support.

"She just made me really comfortable with learning the music despite being a year behind everybody else," Goldbeck said.

Interactions like these inspired Goldbeck to pursue an elementary education degree at Bridgewater College in Virginia, where she will continue playing clarinet.

Tim Bowen was in Fidyk's class at Edgewater Elementary in her first year of teaching. Now, his son is in Fidyk's class at Davidsonville Elementary.

"People are still here, and they're still involved, and they're kids are involved in music," Bowen said. "That's a testament to those first-year teachers, those teachers we have in elementary school that start that musical foundation and really push through. Music is incredibly important to education."

All these years later, Bowen felt compelled to return and play the bassoon. He still remembers Fidyk giving him a solo during his fifth-grade concert.

"She made me love music and want to stick with it," Bowen said.

Fidyk looks back on her career with pride, knowing she followed her passion and helped students along the way.

"I really, truly do feel like I had the best time," Fidyk said. "Then, I get to see these kids when they're grown up, and they're like 3 feet taller than me ... I love what I do every single day."

In her retirement, Fidyk plans to dedicate more time to the nonprofit she started with her husband, Naptown Jazz Kids. The organization has lessons every Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. in Annapolis at Maryland Hall. The group also hosts a summer camp in the last week of June.

Fidyk, who has Lupus and wore an awareness shirt to the party, also wants to participate in more autoimmune disease advocacy in her free time.

Additional time with her father, husband, two adult sons, dogs and cat will be another retirement perk.

If Fidyk had to start over, she would teach again in a heartbeat.

"Teaching is not for the faint of heart. You really, truly have to love it," Fidyk said. "If you're going to do it, it better be your passion. It better be you're lifelong dream because on those days that it's hard, you gotta show up, you gotta show up for the kids."

And show up she did. Happy retirement, Mrs. Fidyk!