Philosophies

Teaching Philosophy: This is the summation of my approach to pedagogy and the commitment I seek to make to my students each day in my class. It is in alignment with InTASC Standards 1-6, and 8.

Music education is an invaluable tool for students to explore their emotional and creative capacity. In the music education classroom, students develop skills in critical thinking, social interaction, personal accountability, empathy, and positive curiosity. Through exploring and participating in music, students are exposed to an unmatched variety of expressive ideas, multicultural voices, and the importance of a community that celebrates our differences. As a student moves through my music classes, I want them to develop the language and ideas that they need to reflect and explore their own connection with the world around them through music.

Throughout my development as a music educator, I have resonated the most with the principles of Culturally Responsive Teaching. Drawing from the depth of culture that enters a classroom through the students as a means of shaping the curriculum is an exceptional tool for the development of classroom community and student empowerment. I seek to shift the classroom dynamic away from “students and a teacher” into one of facilitated collaboration. This role-upheaval will allow students a say in repertoire, classroom management, expectations and disciplinary procedures, and teaching strategies.

When students enter my classroom, I will have created an environment that makes it immediately apparent that they belong. Music education is a right for all students and they should feel encouraged and welcomed in a space that celebrates them. This goal has shifted my intentions away from using the music education classroom as a rehearsal space. Instead, I want to focus my attention on more artistic creation, original ideas, and allowing the music classroom to function as a space for my students to have a voice where they might not get to otherwise.

Music history and its connection to world and cultural history is a major emphasis for my classroom. It is a fundamental goal of mine not to explore repertoire without a discussion on the purpose for its composition and the sociopolitical situation of the composer when it was created. This will allow students to connect pieces to themselves and their knowledge of their history while also reinforcing their understanding of world history and cultural empathy. On the side of summative assessment, I believe that intrinsic motivation can only be created through the emphasis of personal goals and accountability. Thus, my grading methodology will reinforce the measured importance of personal accountability, with assessment metrics drawn from one-on-one discussions of individual goals for progress.

To know that I have done my job right, I want students, families, and the community to see the music program as a safe and celebratory piece of their own culture. They should feel welcome at all times and secure in the knowledge that everyone is always learning and improving. Those around me should feel safe and confident in the fact that I am working in the best interest of my students at all times. In carrying out these strategies and beliefs, I seek to instill within my students the courage to challenge their surroundings and raise their voices, through passion and creativity, in pursuit of a better future for the new generations of musicians and educators.

Classroom Management Philosophy: This is an overview of my philosophy on classroom management as it applies to focus retention, behavioral expectations, and consequences. It is in alignment with InTASC Standards 3 and 8-10.

It is a firm belief of mine that no child’s natural instinct is to act with malicious intent in the classroom or to express disrespect for the sake of being disrespectful. While these behaviors certainly occur in classrooms every day, I maintain an empathetic perspective that seeks to understand first and reprimand second, if not at all. I think that, if given the opportunity to present and outline in good faith what respect and order looks like in a classroom, students are up to the challenge and capable of developing a perspective. That is why, apart from the maintenance of school-wide behavioral outlines, the daily expectations of classroom behavior in my room, in addition to their consequences, will be determined via class-wide discussion at the beginning of the year, with the parameters subject to reflection and change as the year progresses. My first reaction to ongoing disruption will always be to explain the impact of that behavior and prompt a verbal response indicating whether or not the intent of the behavior is in alignment with that impact. This helps students understand their behavior from perspectives that they might not yet be able to sympathize with, leading to greater self regulation and low disruption frequency.

My classroom will be organized above all, with clearly labeled areas for each student’s necessary items (bags, instruments, method books, etc.). Ample time will be given at the end of each class to return the room to the manner in which it was found. Handouts, including music, worksheets, readings, and other physical materials, will be done before class begins by way of the music stands that sit before each student in accordance with the section layout. Lesson plans will be crafted with accessibility in mind, lending ample avenues for engagement (visual with a projector, aural through the voice or amplified sounds, and kinesthetic in sectional opportunities for individual technical feedback). The environment will be friendly and professional, with each individual going by their preferred name and pronouns, and I will work to remain consistently accessible for questions, help, guidance, and clarification, by way of raised hand or other audible indication. In addition to the reaction described above, my first behavioral reminder will be to “lead with kindness in this classroom,” my next will be a quick discussion on individual needs (sit out, redirection, counselor, etc.), and the final will be direct instruction to sit out of rehearsal. I look forward to cultivating a positive, encouraging environment that lends itself to creativity, vulnerability, and connection through collective expression.