1Philosophy

Caleb SimondsSecondary Music MethodsApril 11, 2015Philosophy of Education Paper

Educational PhilosophyThere are many different philosophies when it comes to instrumental music education. People often dispute whether or not music education is even a necessary part of a childs education, how the teacher should assess a students progress and the role of the teacher in the music classroom, just to name a few. There are also numerous ways to teach different types of students. Throughout this essay I will explore many of these educational philosophies that I have, and how these are important in order to maintain a functioning society. Education is and always will be a very important part to an individuals functioning in society; there are many purposes of getting an education that benefit everyone. One of the key purposes of education is to help equalize opportunity for success in todays society. Education allows the possibility for everyone to have the same chances and same base knowledge to pursue the career that they want. A good education also allows each individual to secure a better future. I believe that music is a necessary part of education that helping the students grow and build even brighter futures for themselves. Music allows students the ability to express themselves in a creative way, it allows them to create something new, it allows them to connect with the history behind each piece they perform. Studies have shown that music is more than just a creative outlet as well; it helps to develop the left side of the brain, and helps to wire it in new ways, imprinting information in your mind. This means that through music, people are able to remember and retain more information. Music has also been proven to increase a childs abilities in learning and other non-music tasks.In addition to this, playing music allows a person to access more of their brain than usual, and increases the spatial temporal intelligence in a person. That intelligence helps students thrive more in numerous other fields including; math, art, architecture, engineering and many others. Studies have even shown that there is a positive correlation between music education and improved test scores. I believe that it is clear that a musical education is essential in order to bring out the best in a student and making them a well-balanced and valuable part of society. Not just music though, I feel that instrumental music plays an even more instrumental role in the development of a child. In vocal music the child does learn a great deal and it has a great positive effect on them. However, I feel that instrumental music can accomplish even more. Instrumentalists have to develop a stronger sense of eye-hand coordination in order to have the right fingering for a note as soon as they see the note, in addition they must have a dexterity to make rapid fingering changes. In addition to these two, playing instruments also teach hand independence. In percussion, a drummer must be able to play with all four limbs independently acting from the others, a French horn uses one hand for tuning, and the other hand for fingering, in most woodwinds, the fingering of notes include rapid changes between both hands. These are skills that can prove to be valuable in the work force as these students grow, that can be hard to learn elsewhere. Most teachers will teach a unit and follow it up with some sort of assessment, whether it is a test, quiz, or project. In an instrumental music classroom this is not usually the case. The teacher is to be continually informally assessing the students progress throughout rehearsals and try to make whatever accommodations may be necessary to help the student succeed. This could include anything from pointing out a note that they are missing to enrolling them in private lessons. The goal in a typical classroom is the score on a test, the goal in a music class, is teamwork, to put on a great concert where everyone succeeds. Because of the nature of this goal, music teachers shouldnt grade a student based on a day-to-day individual performance, but rather whether or not the student is trying hard and improving. There can be a playing test every now and then, but that wouldnt be the sole tool for assessment. It will be clear to the teacher whether or not the student is practicing outside of the class, and that will affect their daily participation point. Generally, their performance in class will be assessed through the amount of effort they put in to helping the ensemble put a great performance together. The teacher plays many roles in the classroom, and it is the same in a music classroom. One of the key roles of the teacher is to be a role model and mentor for their students. Children have the habit of picking up on mannerisms and following the example of adults, especially when the adults are unaware that they are watching. Students will inevitably start to copy what the teacher does even when theyre not teaching. I feel this may be even more of a problem in a music classroom, because, in my experience, students tend to view band directors less of a teacher, and more of a mentor. Teachers, especially music teachers need to be mindful of what they say and do in the presence of their students. Teachers are also supposed to be there for students when they are struggling and to help the student succeed, as any good mentor would do. Another role of the teacher is to be a friend to the students. Although teachers must maintain order in the classroom and can seem to be mean at times, a good teacher must still try to relate to the students and be an understanding friend to the students. The teacher may be the students friend but they also have the requirement of being a strict disciplinarian, and enforce rules, as they should have been clearly laid out in the beginning of the school year. Teachers must also be motivators, encouraging their students to do their best and to overcome any obstacle that arises. Only by fulfilling all of these roles can a teacher truly help the students that come into their class. There are many different types of students represented in the school system, and each type has a different prominent learning style or combination of best learning styles for them. There are many different types of learning styles including visual, auditory, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and kinesthetic learners. It is important to make sure you try to teach the students keeping this in mind. A good way to teach an instrumentalist their part is to have them listen to it, have them sing their part and have them play it slowly, and pick up the tempo over several progressions of the phrase. This, touches on the auditory, and kinesthetic aspects really well. You can also have the students work on their parts in sectionals where they can see someone playing their part, this would cover visual and interpersonal learners as well. A good teacher should be able to formulate his or her own philosophy and know that it may change over time, especially through experience in the classroom. A teacher cannot expect to be successful without having a full knowledge of their students. It is the teachers duty as an educator to make sure that the needs of the students are well accommodated and that their learning styles are well facilitated in the classroom. It is also important for the teacher to understand the importance of the material they teach and to make sure that the students and their parents are also aware of its vitality. All of these factors have formulated my educational philosophy and I recognize that my view on these may change through the experiences that I will face when I start to teach, but this is what I believe a good instrumental music teacher should be.