My Philosophy of Elementary Music Education 

 

   This year has been a really important year for me in deciding my future and what I want to do.  I always knew I wanted to be surrounded by music in whatever I ended up doing, but this year, with the help of this class, as well as the music in the community class, I decided that teaching is for me.  Something that I really believe to help students learn is giving them the opportunity to have their own ideas.  Throughout the semester it was so helpful having small children in our class teaching us along the way.  It was so valuable to learn that we as future educators need to know that we must give students time to answer our questions before we swoop in and save them, or have them tell us what they thought of something that they did, instead of us telling them how we thought they did and what they could improve upon.  This is difficult to remember to do, as for the most part growing up in the school system, the teachers would tell us what they thought or what to do better, this is what we know, and it is hard to change what we know.  I noticed myself doing this at my placement in the music in the community class.  I was at an elementary school in the music class working with students playing the violin.  At the beginning of my time here, after the students would play, I would give my suggestions.  I found as time went on in the semester, I was asking them how they felt about this, and if they were not sure, I would have them play it again and ask them to really listen.  I would do everything I could not to answer my own question for them.  I think this is so important in a students learning and development.  To have them thinking reflexively about something, to have them have their own ideas and thoughts is a beautiful thing that I will strive to do as a future educator.  

   Another thing that I have tried really hard to change is saying “good job”.  I would say that in front of my peers doing a teaching demonstration where they are the students, and I have said this in front of actual students in an elementary school.  I have learnt that saying things like that does not make someone feel good, it is not a nice compliment, it is empty praise.  This is really difficult not to say.  This is something I really never want to say again.  I never realized before this year how little those two words meant.  Every type of praise that I give to a student should be meaningful.  I am trying to always think hard about what I say in front of students now, which is hard to do, to constantly be thinking of what I can say that will be meaningful and helpful in this young person’s life.  I find this to be so important, saying things like “I like how you played this section quietly” or “why did you choose to play this section quietly” are going to make students think about why they played it quietly, and if I am saying that I liked how they played in quietly, they will be more likely to think about why they did it, or to think about different ways they can play other pieces or incorporate dynamics into those pieces.  Saying “good job” will not make them think about anything, and will not make them feel they need to do any more with what they are playing, they will think it is good and does not need any more work or they don't need to spend any more time thinking about it.  It is so valuable to make a student think about why they did something the way they did, or what they could do differently.  This is how they will learn, this will make them think about these types of things in the future.  

These are things that I will never forget.  I know how important it is to do these things and I have seen it first hand in just this semester.  These are valuable teaching ideas that I hope to implement into my teaching in the future, and expand upon.