Teaching Philosophy Statement

Music is a gateway to expression and creativity. I believe expression and creativity are two very important things that children need in order to stay true to themselves. As a music teacher, it is my responsibility to help mold and form the minds of my students so they can see exactly how expressive and creative they actually are. I believe that all children deserve the right to be introduced and taught the fundamentals of music. In my opinion, music is the best therapy, whether you’re listening to it, dancing to it, or the one actually making it.

I believe all students have the capacity to learn and retain general music. Because music is a great outlet that fosters enjoyment, all children should be exposed to general music and it should be a part of the curriculum for all students regardless of gender, race or disability. Every student should know and grasp the fundamental knowledge of music. Since all students grow and learn at various rates, in my class, every student will have the opportunity to make up test in order to showcase their comprehension of musical concepts.

An ideal balanced music curriculum is one in which the students would use music not only as a form of an elective, but also as an enhancement to classroom instruction. Music can be used across all platforms. It should not be taught in isolation, but rather in conjunction with other subjects. It can be used as a pneumonic strategy in order to assist students in memorizing and learning other academic concepts, vocabulary and content. Music can also be used as a form of motivation. Many students struggle during long reading, math, science and social studies courses, but may have a love for music. This love for music can be implemented into learning strategies for the struggling subjects.

The comprehensive goals for students in general music programs consist of performing music, composition/improvisation, developing awareness of sounds, recognizing the role of music, meter/rhythm, and melody. When it comes to performing music, students will be able to read music notation, perform harmony, read/perform pitch and rhythm, and recognize instrumental ostinatos. Learning composition and improvisation allows students to create melodies, improvise new texts in familiar songs, and respond to rhythm. Developing awareness of sounds allows students to use environmental sounds and distinguish voice types. Also, being exposed to different cultures of music is very important. By introducing students to various cultures, it allows them to step outside of their comfort zone and experience how other ethnicity learn music.

My initial role as a music teacher is to teach fundamental music principles, musicianship and rudimentary theory and notation. Every child is musical in their own unique way. It is my job to bring it out of them and to recognize musical talents within my students in order to guide them towards future musical endeavors such as band, glee club, choir and orchestra. As a music teacher, I am the leader of the classroom and I take responsibility in setting the tone for my students. It is my responsibility to make my classroom a safe and creative environment for students to express themselves freely whether it be through song, dance or even poetry. I expect my class to be a judgement free zone. There will be no such thing as mockery or bullying. All students will be treated equal, no one will be better than anyone and everyone has a voice. I take responsibility in making sure my students understand that there are no dumb questions and are comfortable enough to ask questions and seek clarification. Disrespect will not be tolerated. Everyone will respect, listen and support each other on all platforms. If I display respect, love and care, then it will be reciprocated in my students.