Written Response 2

One question I have asked myself throughout this philosophy unit is, why do I need a teaching philosophy? My initial response to this question is that a having a clear philosophy gives me focus, purpose, and direction as I teach. However, “Music education philosophy: Changing times” by McCarthy and Goble (2002) gave me additional insights to answer this question. The article gives the historical background of common teaching philosophies in the U.S. such as aesthetic, absolute expressionism, and praxis. For over a decade, the aesthetic philosophy was especially widespread, allowing music educators nationwide to be united in their advocacy of music in schools ( McCarthy & Goble 25). Today teaching philosophies tend to be individualized, but I believe that if we as educators can find common ground, our defense of music will be stronger. So why have a teaching philosophy? So we can unite with our colleagues to advocate for music within schools. For we are much stronger together than we are apart.

Written Response 1

Before reading “Democracy” by Doug Goodkin (2006), I had never considered the classroom to be a democracy. I considered teachers to be the authority in the classroom, so students don’t get much say as to the material in a lesson plan. I suppose that my view was more of an authoritarian approach to teaching in which the teacher dictates all aspects of the lesson.

As I considered the possibility of democracy in the classroom, I realized that a full-blown democracy would result in a more permissive approach to teaching. This approach would give the children a voice in everything that they learn. Sure, children would enjoy the freedom and fun which accompany this approach, however it would also be more difficult to meet learning objectives and maintain order and safety.

Perhaps, neither the authoritarian nor the permissive approach is the right teaching style. An authoritarian approach stifles creativity, and a permissive approach loses order. Goodkin suggests a method which finds balance between the two. Rather than have the teacher determine both form and content, he suggests that the teacher choose one and the students choose the other. This maintains order and learning, while allowing students to be active participants in the learning process.

Having read this article, I now aim to be an authoritative teacher. I will still determine most of the lesson plan, but I will give my students options as appropriate throughout each class to foster creativity and make learning more enjoyable.