As an educator and performer, I see the importance of not only providing the proper knowledge for my students to grow to the best of their abilities, but also, to inspire and care for them as a superior and mentor.  Education is about leading students into a successful future by providing the tools they need to achieve great things in life.  As a music teacher, I love that I can present a new language for people of all ages to speak through.  Music can be used to inspire, yield a creative outlet, and encourage students within both group and individual settings to do their best and accomplish amazing tasks.  

 

The process of learning music provides interdisciplinary skill sets for life, such as self-discipline, organization, creative thinking, listening, critical thinking, muscle discipline, language development, patience, and more.  Whether you choose to become a musician, or are just having fun with learning the basics of music, you are developing skills that can be used across the board, leaving you with nothing but a positive outcome. 

 

My approach to teaching involves focusing on students by an individual basis.  Every student approaches learning differently, no two people are alike.  Understanding each and every student in a classroom, their background, and how they learn can make a world of difference between a student who excells in school and a student who falls between the cracks.  I find it imperative to always address students by name, be aware of all who are present and participating in the classroom, and students who are not, or did not make it to school that day.  In my experience, the biggest impact you can leave on a students life is through letting them know that you care about them, how they do and what they achieve.  

 

Speaking on a more technical aspect of music education, it is imperative to not only follow the Music Education National Standards that are set out for us as teachers, but to also incoorperate those standards and other activities that involve the five senses.  The more tactile an activity is, the more a student will be able to learn and grow from the lesson that was taught.  I find it important to keep a classroom fun, especially at a young age.  If students are not enjoying themselves at this age and stage of education, when will they ever enjoy education?  Elementary school should impart a positive attitude towards education to leave a lasting impression for the student that school is fun.  It follows through to secondary education, school should always continue being fun.  Tasks become harder, but if the right amount of building a strong foundation of basic knowledge to scaffold upon has taken place, a student should be able to keep up with the fast pace and enjoy learning new concepts.  Looking into all types of music education from elementary to secondary, I choose to lay down a solid concept of music education from a young age, and push my advanced students to do more, excell at everything they put their mind to, and to be a helping hand along the way.