Dear Self,
You are a straight A student so you always strive for perfection. You notice little flaws in everything you observe and come up with solutions to make it better. This is even evident in the classroom observations and reflections you do. You notice so many flaws that you may be overly critical or become so distracted in one item of imperfection that you forget to focus on the bigger picture. It is okay to notice and improve flaws, especially when your observations allow you to avoid the mistakes of others. However, do not become so focused on the details that you forget the larger picture. In your future classrooms, you will have to choose your battles because you can’t sacrifice the happiness of yourself and students in an unrealistic pursuit of perfection. Have balance so that you and your students can improve, but also enjoy the process.
Every day you live, you will encounter opportunities to learn in the most unexpected ways. For example, your piano lessons with Pamela taught you that all facets of life are connected. You were so stressed about schoolwork and checking items off your to-do list that your practice sessions were also full of stress and tension. It wasn’t until you resolved to de-stress your life that you could play the piano in a relaxed manner. Pamela always seemed to know what kind of day you had from the way you played. It you had terrible posture it was because you were tired. If you had no expressive dynamics it was because you were bored. You would be a terrible liar because your body language is a perfect reflection of what’s within. Use these clues to your advantage because they can help you achieve peace and balance.
You are in a great period of life. You regularly observe teachers for music education classes, then you can apply those lessons with your piano students. One surprising resource you discovered is pillar teaching. You tend to go through life by switching tracks; You complete one task then move on to the next. However, students don’t learn in the same way you do. They need consistent reinforcement on all the basic musical pillars. When you teach, try not to cover one topic in detail then forget that topic as you shift to something else. Cover a variety of topics with shorter activities in each lesson, and gradually build on these pillars each day.
Last semester you learned that if a student fails to learn it is almost always the teacher’s fault rather than the student’s fault. Yes, the student needs to also put forth effort and want to learn, but teachers have a huge influence on student learning. This was affirmed as you observed at the middle school and elementary levels. The middle school teacher you observed kept a fast pace, keeping the students engaged so there were no behavior issues. However, the elementary teacher you observed talked excessively and had a slower pace so the students showed more behavior issues. Maybe the behavior issues had more to do with age, but a teacher can often influence student behavior with a fast pace and a positive learning environment.
Of your music teachers, the teacher you spend the most time with is Pamela, because she is your applied piano teacher. Because she helped you find relaxation in both piano and life, she has taught you a good teacher does more than teach you how to effectively make music; a good music teacher also helps their students to have a better life. It is easy to believe that a teacher should stick to their subject matter, but you have learned that this is not always the case. Any effective educator — whether an educator of music, math, or any other subject — has the power to influence the very lives of their students. If fact, you will know that you have succeeded as a teacher when you have not only improved the skills of their students, but their very lives.
The most valuable part of this course, was seeing educators in action. There is only so much you can learn from textbooks. By observing a variety of music classrooms you got to see the principles you read about in articles, in action. You saw a student-centered environment, fast-paced lessons, and a welcoming atmosphere through the middle-school observations. You also saw a teacher-centered environment, slow-paced lessons, and unwelcoming atmosphere through the elementary school observations. You don’t have to learn the hard way; you can learn from the mistakes and successes of the teachers you observed.
You have been lucky to see many different music classrooms. You were involved in middle school and high school choirs, you teach piano lessons, and you observed classrooms this semester. Before coming into this class, you were most excited about teaching high school choir because that was the classroom that yielded the most fun and success in your own past. You also considered teaching elementary because you like children. But, because you hated your own middle school experience, you wanted to avoid teaching middle school at all costs. Now that you have taught a variety of ages in piano lessons and observed multiple classrooms, you realize that a middle school choir director may be your best fit. You enjoy that middle-schoolers choose to be in choir so there are fewer behavior issues. They also have the motor skills and intellectual capacity to learn quickly and are excited to learn new things. They have not yet reached their teens so much of the drama that comes in high school would also be avoided. So, given your past experiences you would probably be most inclined to teach middle school choir at this point.
Even though you would like to teach middle school choir at this point, remember that it is important to be well-rounded. Even if you never teach in elementary or high school, being knowledgeable in many musical areas will be beneficial. When you take orchestral instruments classes, take them seriously. There will be skills that you learn from playing brass, woodwind, and string instruments that you can use as a choral teacher. Don’t disregard any class you are required to take, thinking that you’ll never use the skills that are taught in that course. Every musical experience you have will help you become a better musician and teacher.
Other skills you need to develop are positivity and balance. Positive learning environments are the best environment to learn. Students feed off the energy of the teacher, so be the kind of person your students can look up to. If you want a positive, welcoming, and productive class, then you need to exemplify these qualities yourself. Also, work to be more balanced. You tend to operate in extremes because you have a one-track mind, but your students are unlikely to be the same. Make sure to achieve balance. Have an organized classroom, but don’t insist that it be spotless. Have a fun classroom, but make sure students stay on task. Be productive with class time, but not to the point that everyone is stressed and miserable. All things need balance, so work on achieving balance in your personal life so that it will be natural as an educator.
So much of your success as a teacher will come from within. You want a positive, motivated, and balanced classroom, so make sure that you have those qualities. You are already motivated as a student, so focus especially on positivity and balance. Have a positive outlook in life. You can still be realistic, but remember all the blessings and good fortune you have rather than focusing on all the things that may go wrong in life. For every negative thing you say or think, make sure you think or say a positive thing. You will know that you are positive when those around you notice your positivity.
Next, is balance. Start by scheduling free time. You work so hard all the time, so make sure that you stop to smell the roses. Of course homework still needs to be done, but you can manage your time so that you can hang out with friends and family without worrying about your to-do list. Be moderate in how you spend your time, and eventually balance will come naturally in every aspect of your life. You will know you have succeeded when you have both good grades and a social life, rather than your current state of good grades and an inexistent social life.
Lastly, be a well-rounded musician and student. Currently, you strive for the A but don’t always learn much along the way. You always seek to optimize the highest grade with the smallest amount of time studying. In some classes, you breeze through with little work. Make sure that you are not wasting time; That you are learning along the journey, not merely memorizing facts long enough to pass a test. Pause to reflect after every class and think of what you learned. You can learn something every day if you open your mind up to it. Soak in all the information you can and you will become a better student, musician, and teacher. You will know you have succeeded when you can list at least one thing you’ve learned every day. But don’t stop there; List several if you can.
You have amazing potential as a student, musician, and teacher. Don’t sell yourself short; Use failure at an opportunity to learn and improve. Don’t be complacent; You can become better each day. Don’t overwhelm yourself with the vast number of areas you need to improve; Take life a little chunk at a time and do something better today than you did yesterday.
Sincerely,
You
Brittany Whetten: Music Education Portfolio 