Salvador philosophy of teaching

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Karen Salvador

Philosophy of Teaching I have taught in early childhood, elementary, middle school, and college classrooms, and conducted choirs of singers ranging in age from second grade to my oldest church choir member (who celebrated her 90th birthday in a choral rehearsal). My philosophy has evolved to include a number of components: Music touches the soul. Musical interactions are fundamentally different from any other way of being with other people. Teaching music is special because of the bonds that active musicking forms among and between teachers and students. I am constantly reminded that teaching, and especially teaching music, is a relationship, and one that must be based on personal authenticity and mutual respect. When I began my career as an elementary music teacher, I feared talking about emotions in music, or about joy in the classroom. I have come to believe that these are crucial elements in music teaching and learning. Further, I believe that music is present in every person, and therefore every person can learn and grow musically and through music. “The medium is the message.� My behavior is the message my students are most likely to retain. I consistently endeavor to model excellence in scholarship, professionalism, and musicianship, as well as an inquiring stance and reflective practice as a teacher. I strive to communicate my high standards for students honestly, and to give accurate, fair, and empathetic feedback on students’ successes and failures. A teacher is a master learner. The longer I am in this profession, the less I seem to know. Because of this, I want to help students understand concepts and contexts in music teaching and learning to the degree that they can enter the classroom as novices with the skills not only to ask questions that will improve their practice, but also to seek information and assistance. By modeling and encouraging an inquiring stance, I hope that I can help students find the questions that fascinate them, which will help them become master teachers. Teaching music is an awesome responsibility. Because our music--the music we choose for listening, the music we produce with our voices or instruments, the music we portray through movement of our bodies--is so personal to us, a music teacher wields incredible power. When we ask students to play, to sing, to dance, we are asking them to share pieces of their soul. The ways that I choose to help students grow as musicians [or teachers] could either reaffirm their humanity, or could reject and shame them. In recognition of my power and of the humanity of each person I am privileged to teach, I must honor the contributions of each student with honest assessments of their progress and diligent attention to ways I can help each individual grow as a human and a musician. My course evaluations and syllabi reflect my high standards, my passion for teaching, and my commitment to helping students learn and grow.


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