Wall art in my classroom!
My passion in life has always revolved around music. As a young child, I loved to sing and dance, though I was absolutely terrible I might add. I essentially forced my parents to attend every concert, and every dance program imaginable under the sun. Every now and then I run into my father singing nursery rhymes to himself in the kitchen, knowing it’s because I sang them to him at all hours of the day as a small child. As I got older, I found myself in the string orchestra at the local high school with a new, strange instrument that made me look like a chicken while holding it. Again, I must have given my parents, friends and teachers several ear infections from the ghastly noises of my violin. What always remained with me though was my love and passion for music. I rushed home every single day to excitedly practice my violin much to the dismay of my neighbours. Even though I was far from playing like an angel, I had a wonderful music teacher that saw the fire and passion that music ignited in me. He encouraged me to practice, gave me access to wonderful resources, gave me extra help when I needed it and provided me with feedback so that I could improve. Turns out I went on to
complete a violin performance degree at UBC.
When I think about what made that particular classroom a positive and welcoming learning environment, so many things come to mind. My teacher, no matter what mood he was in, always made sure to stand at the door to greet each and every one of his students. Just by doing that simple act, the atmosphere of the classroom changed and it always felt like we belonged there and we always welcome. At the very back of his classroom, he had these horrid orange coloured couches that he had set up for students to collaborate on projects, relax with friends and on the occasion, sleep on when waiting to perform. The bottom line was that we all knew exactly what he expected from us; no jokes, no frills, just competence and a heart for music. We always knew what the schedule for the day would be, what jobs or tasks we had been assigned and how we could contribute to the classroom in a positive, effective manner.
Mural I painted at the school!
As a teacher, I believe that it is essential to provide students with a safe, welcoming and nurturing environment in which they can learn and actively engage with the material. By ensuring that each student feels like they are valued and an important part of the classroom, students will be more likely to contribute to the classroom and communicate with one another to create sonorous, beautiful music. Much like my former teacher, I want to create a classroom in which the students are comfortable with one another, where they push each other to succeed and achieve their goals. I want students to be able to develop their own personal relationship with music and help foster their own growth and self development. Music is an amazing resource to expose students to the concepts of motivation, cooperation and teamwork, especially in today’s “I and Me” driven world. As a future educator, my goal is to provide my students with positive and meaningful musical experiences inside and outside the classroom. I want to provide my students with an environment that inspires musical risk taking, and encourages an open mind to constructive criticism. I want to instill an appetite for life long learning, foster the ideals of craftsmanship and achievement, while providing freedom for the students to explore their interests, delve into their imaginations and nurture their passion and zeal for music.
Discipline, Team Work and Perseverance will lead to craftsmanship and a work of art.
My goal as a music educator is provide my students with as many positive and meaningful experiences in and outside of the classroom. Music is good for the soul, and for the mind. It’s a way to get to know yourself, what your habits are, what your ticks may be and what’s important to you. Someone like myself who can’t draw, isn’t a huge fan of writing papers and not terribly coordinated am grateful for the opportunity to have a hands on activity that keeps me busy while also reaching into the depths of who I am. Every time I play, it’s as if the world stops and I can align myself again. For some students, it’s the same case. At the very least, a music classroom is a positive and safe space to ask questions and explore a variety of diverse topics without fear of persecution. We get to create works of art that are fun and meaningful.Please click the links below for a more in depth look at my educational philosophy.
Moving Beyond Classroom Management