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Dr. Holcomb
12 December 2016
Philosophy of Teaching
music educators. I have observed many positive and negative approaches and
learned a lot about myself as a future educator, as a person, and as a musician. I have
learned, as a person, that I am very patient and caring. I will always try my best to suit
the needs of others, solve problems, assist them with the difficulties they may face, and
musician has made me much more aware of the musicality of the world around me. I
also find myself observing corrections and taking notes much more frequently. As a
future educator, I have learned a lot about my own strengths and weaknesses. I have
learned that I need to always be confident and sure of myself. I have become much
In elementary school, my music teacher’s goal was to make music fun. To teach
us the different instrumental families, she created a game where we would have to run
to corners labeled percussion, strings, woodwind, or brass as she said the name of an
instrument. Another game she played was dropping a ball on a giant staff and having to
name the note it landed on. This approach is important in getting children to see music
as something positive.
My high school music teacher was the most influential person in my music
education. My high school did not have choir as a class, so choir was an extracurricular
activity. He had to work a lot harder at keeping control and balance within the choirs at
school because there was no fear of receiving a poor grade. At the beginning of each
year, the upperclassmen in charge of choir would hand out contracts stating the
expectations for the ensemble and when performances and rehearsals were that
semester. Our expectations were to be present and engaged. Because choir was not a
class, there were no expectations of music literacy. He cared more about individual
effort and focus. For the audition chamber choir, expectations were much higher.
Chamber choir was not a class either, but it replaced the normal homeroom you were
assigned. Musical literacy was expected and worked on in the mornings in homeroom.
After school rehearsals worked on repertoire. There would also be trio hearings on
occasion to assure that we had practiced and learned the pieces outside of rehearsal
time as well. The school refused to have choir as a class, so many kids were still
Music theory class was much more effective in shaping my values for music
education. Music theory is split into two levels: Honors and AP Music Theory, which
equate to Music Theory 1 and 2. Music theory was a very small and intimate class,
which made for a very cohesive learning environment. In the beginning of the course,
the class moved at a very fast pace, so my my teacher’s initial plans shifted. We spent
When answering homework problems, he kept us from having one student constantly
answering the question was having difficulty, he helped them figure out the answer and
why it was correct. He never let anyone struggle and feel embarrassed. When we
messed up, he simply worked with us to help us understand why the answer was what it
was.
take turns writing our answers on the board. Instead of just telling us something was
wrong and why it was wrong, he let us peer correct first. I found this very helpful and
useful. Having someone at a similar skill level as me correcting me felt less intimidating
and more cooperative. He was able to assess our knowledge and skills for part-writing
about his students. He never let us fail and always let us come for extra help. We also
were able to come to him with problems outside of the classroom. Because of this, I
believe that a teacher should also be a support system for their students, not just a
teacher and how I should approach my students. Learning about all of the major
approaches to education put ideas into my head. The methods that really stuck with me
were Kodaly and Dalcroze. Kodaly’s approach is to get students singing and feeling
comfortable singing from a young age. Dalcroze encourages expressive movement and
feeling at a young age. I think both of these goals are important in teaching music
because a lot of issues in older children are that the students are embarrassed to move
and sing and are afraid of messing up or being mocked. I really like their methods
because building that confidence early on will create a strong musical foundation and
tool set to use as they continue forward in their musical careers. Although I disagree
with many of Gordon’s ideas about what qualifies as good musicianship, I really respect
and value his use of audiation. Developing aural skills is key to being a well-rounded
musician and will be a very useful tool if they continue into higher music education.1
The case studies we read and discussed forced me to think a lot more as to the
issues and challenges that music educators face. “Up the Creek Without a Paddle”
demonstrated the lack of priority music education has in most school systems. Latisha’s
entire plan was disrupted because she was the last to be considered.2 The case study
that affected me the most was “Best Laid Plans.” Dr. Michaels took no consideration as
to how music education is approached. He assumed that a lesson plan could be rigidly
followed without any consideration as to the skill levels and comprehension of the
students. He questioned if any learning was taking place, which I think is the biggest
Teaching a song by rote and teaching the new note on recorder gave me
opportunities to grow and assess myself and others. When I taught the song by rote, I
learned that contouring the melody with your hands and having a confident presence is
extremely influential to the students. Students are very perceptive of the teacher’s body
language and comfort levels. I observed that my peers who seemed more confident
were more successful in teaching their song than those who seemed a little unsure or
nervous. It also made me more aware of how important it is to trust yourself. In that
moment, you are the one in charge, and you are the guidance and leadership of the
I gained a lot of knowledge from the guest lectures, too. Dr. Abrahams’ lecture
made me think a lot about expectations for a student. Assuming a student’s knowledge
and skill level makes them feel unintelligent and unimportant. Professor Brashier’s
lecture was more of a hands on lesson, but she gave me a lot of insight into the
beginning, but it builds the skills necessary for more difficult music.4
Visiting the elementary, middle, and high school was very productive for my
understanding of teaching music. At the high school, there were some special needs
children in the choir, and Mr. Metallo made sure they got to be a part of the group, too.
He began every class with some solfege and ear training exercises, which I thought was
extremely important and effective. Ms. Tarxol at the middle school also did ear training
work with her students as well. Mr. Velez at the elementary school was not able to do
as advanced work with the kindergarteners and third graders, but he also worked on the
students’ aural skills and general comprehension of the music they were listening to.
Each of the teachers did not ever spend too long on one topic or skill. They shifted
what they were doing after a short time of practicing to keep the students engaged and
aware.5
I want my future students to be confident in their own abilities and selves. I want
to produce good musicianship within my students, but I want them to be secure and
to use their voice as a tool and not see it as a punishment. My goals as a music
musicianship skills. Incorporating ear training and aural skills building into each class is
to me when they need help inside or outside of the classroom. I want to be a support
system for my students. I do not want my students to ever think I am better or more
important than them. They should see music education as a conversation and skill-
building environment. I want a good relationship with my students’ parents and the
overall community as well. Support and good relations between parents and
departments is important for concerts, events, and other projects that may occur.
improvisational skills. All of these skills overlap and create a strong foundation. Peer-
correcting and group cooperation is important are important to these skills because it
makes the students hold some accountability and responsibility. I want my lesson plans
student’s needs and the needs of the class as a whole. I would select mostly classical
repertoire, such as Mozart’s Ave Verum. I also believe some a cappella repertoire is
important to get the students to listen and tune to each other. I would want at least one
piece that the students had some say in to make them feel present and that their
opinion matters.
I think knowing your students is the most important part of being a teacher. If you
just know things about them, such as their name and what class they have to go to after
yours, then you do not really have an understanding of your students. Knowing your
students is figuring out their reasoning for why they wrote a certain chord and the
processes that led them to the answer they got. Knowing your students also means
reading their body language and facial expressions and what they mean. Knowing also
means knowing how to teach them as a whole and how to cater to each students
needs. If you do not know your students, you will not be successful in educating them.
Although the questionnaires teachers often give students seem kind silly and pointless,
they do give some insight into the student and what their expectations are from the
teacher. Gathering information is not just about the written identification of the student,
______________________________________________________________________
1 Class Notes from 11/3/16
2 Case Studies in Music Education “Up the Creek Without a Paddle”
3 Case Studies in Music Education “Best Laid Plans”
4 Class Notes from 9/27/16
5 Notes from Observations 9/22/16, 10/6/16, 10/20/16