As a music educator in training, I often consider what kind of teacher I would like to be. The thought-provoking article “The Conductor as Servant Leader,” by Ramona M. Wis, portrays several teaching styles and attributes of teachers and describes their effectiveness.This article has led me to ponder my purpose and goals as a music educator.
Firstly, the article caused me to reflect on my purpose as a teacher. Before reading the article, I likely would have adopted a teaching style similar to a collage, compiling various techniques I learned from my music instructors over the years. However, this approach would cause me to lose individuality, and thus I would have no driving purpose inspiring me to be an effective teacher. To gain that individuality I must develop my own teaching philosophy. I am aware that not every student I teach will become a professional musician. But, my goal as a teacher is to help students develop a deep appreciation for music so that they will be music lovers, supporters, and defenders for their entire lives. I want my students to realize that anyone can be a musician with the proper practice and persistence, and that life is not complete without music.
In addition to helping me develop a personal philosophy, this article helped me distinguish between managing a class and leading a class. I could be a manager, making all the decisions for the class, checking off a do-to list of the skills that need to be taught, and maintaining strict discipline in the classroom. Classroom management is important, but it cannot overshadow the learning process. The sole use of management may lead to student indifference towards music, instead of the deep appreciation I seek to inspire in them. To encourage learning I need to put the needs of the students above my own. After all, the music education is about the students, not about me. I need to allow students to make some of their own decisions so they will be invested in the learning process. I need to help students recognize the gifts and talents they already possess, and provide them with the necessary tools to expand those talents as they realize their potential.
I will not magically become the ideal teacher overnight. This article taught me that to become an effective teacher I need to develop attributes such as trustworthiness, consistency, and determination. To become trustworthy, I must keep all the commitments I make. This means accomplishing tasks before the deadline and being punctual to the classes, events, and activities I attend. To become consistent, I need to avoid displaying a different personality from activity to activity and class to class. Rather, I must always be my genuine self. To become determined, I need to stay motivated to be a good teacher. This will naturally occur as I remember my personal philosophy and purpose as a teacher. I can also be determined by refusing to be stagnant; I should always be working to improve my teaching instead of settling into meaningless habits.
The most effective teachers are those who have purpose, who remember why they are teaching. They are not content to merely manage a class, rather they seek to motivate and inspire students to learn and be better. These teachers also seek to be the best they can be by developing good attributes and continuously improving their teaching. It is as I follow these successful patterns that I too can become an effective teacher.
Source Cited
Wis, Ramona. “The Conductor as a Servant-Leader.” Music Educators Journal. Sage Journals, 1 Nov 2002. Web. 26 January 2017.
Brittany Whetten: Music Education Portfolio 