Preface
Beginning Your Journey
The Preface begins with a rationale for writing From Music Student to Teacher: A Professional Approach based on the recognition that individuals entering the music teaching profession often bring incomplete preconceptions reflecting their perspective as students. Consequently, the book provides readers with a three-part framework designed to establish one’s professional role identity and help them to think, act, and look like teachers. The framework is grounded on the idea that teachers experience a predictable progression along their professional path based on what they may be most concerned about in each teaching situation. Those at the earliest stages are concerned primarily about where they fit personally as a “teacher” (i.e., self-concerns), addressed in Chapters 1-3. As teachers become more comfortable in their role, primary thoughts move to teaching concerns (e.g., questions about designing and delivering instruction), addressed in Chapter 4-7. Once teachers move through these two stages, they tend to be most aware of the impact they are having on their students (i.e., student learning concerns), addressed in Chapters 8-11. The Preface continues by describing the book’s features, Companion Website, aspects that are new to the 2nd edition, and providing acknowledgements.
Introduction
Drawing Your First Map
The Introduction takes readers through a two-step concept-mapping example, asking them to consider the question, “What should all musicians know and be able to do with music?” In the first step, readers are presented with a graphic node-arc figure in which the central node is labeled Musician; four surrounding nodes are labeled, Performer, Creator, Responder and Connector; and lines linking the surrounding nodes to the central node are labeled with a linking phrase (i.e., as), resulting in the concepts of Musician as Performer, Musician as Creator, Musician as Responder, and Musician as Connector. In the second step, readers are presented with a more complete concept map depicting additional ideas addressing the original topic, providing a greater degree of clarity and complexity. From this example, readers are given strategies to construct their own concept maps and are asked to address the question, “What knowledge, skills, and dispositions are necessary for you to acquire and/or develop as you become a professional music educator?” This new concept map provides a unique starting place for each reader from which they may begin their journey as a professional music educator.
PART I
DISCOVERY OF SELF
The text is organized into three parts based upon Fuller & Bown’s (1975) teacher development model that organizes the process into three levels defined by teacher concerns (i.e., self concerns, teaching concerns, and student-learning concerns.) In Part I we address self concerns. At this stage, teachers’ primary thoughts are about their identity as a “teacher.” There may be moments of role conflict during this stage as teachers negotiate their preconceived ideas about teaching music with the reality of the actual process. To help resolve these conflicts, teachers should critically examine their initial ideas about music teaching. So, in Chapter 1 we help you investigate your various concepts of the music teacher role. In Chapter 2, we explore your beliefs about how music should be taught and learned. We close Part I in Chapter 3 by helping you develop an informed understanding of what you may need to know and be able to do as a professional music educator.
Chapter 1
What Is Your Role as a Music Teacher?
This chapter is the first of three chapters that address the self concerns stage of the book’s framework; and it poses the question, “What is your role as a music teacher?” In this chapter, readers explore definitions of a “profession” and differences between viewing one’s role as a professional educator versus a teaching technician. The qualities of an excellent educator are examined, and readers discuss if they believe these qualities are simply inherent or can be learned and developed like other talents. The roles of active learning and reflective practice are presented as a foundation for effective teacher development as readers take part in their very first formal teacher introduction.
Chapter 2
What Do You Believe about Learning and Teaching?
This chapter is the second of three chapters that address the self concerns stage of the book’s framework; and it poses the question, “What do you believe about learning and teaching?” The impact of teacher beliefs on teaching philosophy and therefore, teacher actions is the focus of this chapter. The use of metaphor is presented as a powerful tool to help teachers explore both their spoken and unspoken beliefs, and two metaphors for schools – the factory and the museum – are presented to explore beliefs about teaching and learning exemplified in each. Specific metaphors for teachers are juxtaposed with each other to examine the impact of certain teacher beliefs on student learning and student/teacher interactions. Finally, formal teacher-centered and student-centered educational philosophical positions are presented for consideration to prepare readers to design their own metaphor for a school that reflects their beliefs about teaching and learning.
Chapter 3
What Do You Need to Know and Do as a Music Teacher?
This chapter is the third of three chapters that address the self concerns stage of the book’s framework; and it poses the question, “What do you need to know and do as a music teacher?” The chapter explores the knowledge, skills, and dispositions (KSD) necessary to be an effective music educator. Teacher knowledge is examined in terms of teacher decision-making that is informed by educators’ pedagogical knowledge, subject matter knowledge, curricular knowledge, and knowledge of students and how they learn. Teacher skills are discussed through the lenses of teaching skills, personal skills, and musical skills. Effective teacher dispositions are perhaps the most difficult to define and understand. As a result, two different perspectives are presented. The first perspective examines dispositions in terms of five categories: reflection, caring, responsibility, authenticity, and responsiveness. The second perspective considers dispositions in terms of a continuum of perceptions regarding self, others, purpose, and a general frame of reference toward people or things. Readers are asked to put their KSD into action as they teach a simple lesson to colleagues.
PART II
DISCOVERY OF TEACHING
As teachers begin to alleviate their self concerns, primary thoughts move to teaching concerns, which is the focus of Part II. At this level, developing music teachers become concerned with questions about designing and delivering instruction. To address these concerns, in Chapter 4 we investigate the various ways music has been taught in the past, how it is being taught currently, and how it may be taught differently in the future. In Chapter 5, we address responsibilities of music teachers to deliver engaging and motivating instruction and help you take a personal inventory of the tools you have or need to develop as you meet these responsibilities. Chapter 6 addresses concerns about designing instruction as you investigate the various ways that music teachers develop everything from individual lesson plans to an entire curriculum. This part concludes in Chapter 7 with a brief investigation of several established methods and approaches for teaching music. You will have the opportunity to compare the foundations of these approaches and use this information to help you address your current and future teaching concerns.
Chapter 4
What is Your Classroom?
This chapter is the first of four chapters that address the teaching concerns stage of the book’s framework; and it poses the question, “What is your classroom?” In this chapter, Schwab’s model is offered as a tool for examining music learning spaces through the four elements common to all teaching and learning environments: students, teacher, subject matter, and milieu. Then, the strengths and the challenges facing today’s American music education are explored, followed by a step back in time to consider how today’s traditions of teaching music in schools came into being. Looking ahead, the profession’s strengths and challenges are presented in light of evolving contemporary influences. Finally, aspects of current music teaching are examined regarding how they are meeting the needs of today’s music students.
Chapter 5
How Will You Present Instruction in Your Classroom?
This chapter is the second of four chapters that address the teaching concerns stage of the book’s framework; and it poses the question, “How will you present instruction in your classroom?” This chapter explores the effects of one’s vocal expression (i.e., vocal pitch, vocal volume, vocal quality, and vocal timing/rate) and physical expression (i.e., eye contact, facial expression, gestures, and posture) on their ability to influence student learning. After a brief comparison between ways proficient teachers and talented actors utilize delivery skills effectively, a case is made for the many differences between acting and teaching and the role enthusiasm for the content and for teaching that content plays in facilitating learning. This background sets the stage for a deep dive into ways each component of vocal and physical expression can be developed. These ideas are followed by a description of how the teaching space can be staged and manipulated to engage and hold students’ attention. The chapter concludes with suggestions for accelerating one’s delivery skills development through specific practices.
Chapter 6
How Will You Construct Music Learning Experiences in Your Classroom?
This chapter is the third of four chapters that address the teaching concerns stage of the book’s framework; and it poses the question, “How will you construct music learning experiences in your classroom?” Curriculum and planning are the two focuses of this chapter. After acknowledging that several definitions exist for the ‘curriculum,’ the term is examined in relation to two views of the purposes of music education. Using an outcomes-based approach, curriculum is discussed in terms of transmission of knowledge and product. Shifting to an experienced-based approach, curriculum as process and praxis are examined. From this broad view of curriculum, a framework for planning for significant learning that considers situational factors, learning goals, feedback and assessment, and teaching and learning activities is presented. Using their understandings of curriculum and planning, readers deconstruct some of their lived experiences in their own music education and reconstruct them using different curricular approaches and planning structures.
Chapter 7
How Will You Teach Students to Understand and Make Music in Your Classroom?
This chapter is the fourth of four chapters that address the teaching concerns stage of the book’s framework; and it poses the question, “How will you teaching student to understand and make music in your classroom?” Readers begin this chapter by exploring various personal methods for tying a shoe. From this experience, they note the presence and value of methods/approaches that guide teaching and learning. This sets the frame for examining four well-known and established methods/approaches for teaching music. These include, Kodaly, Orff-Schulwerk, Dalcroze, and Music Learning Theory. Each is explored in terms of their foundations that support effective music learning. After the individual examination of each method/approach, the chapter presents five common foundations found in all four. Sound before sight, experience before theory, teaching from the known to the unknown, sequential instruction and child development are presented as common foundations for effective music instruction. A final discussion about moving from a teaching perspective to a learning perspective sets up the student-learning concerns stage of the book’s framework.
PART III
DISCOVERY OF STUDENT LEARNING
Part III explores the third stage of teacher development, which is marked by teachers moving beyond a primary concern for ones’ self or for the teaching task, and becoming most aware of the impact they have on student learning. Chapter 8 focuses on student diversity and the role music teachers play in facilitating effective learning among all their students. Addressing concerns about what music students should learn, Chapter 9 provides a framework for your investigation of this important issue. Perhaps one of the fasting growing bodies of research is in human learning. Chapter 10 presents an overview of this research in the context of music learning. Part III closes with Chapter 11 addressing concerns about how you might measure what and if your students are or are not learning.
Chapter 8
The Students: Who Are They?
This chapter is the first of four chapters that address the student-learning concerns stage of the book’s framework; and it poses the question, “The students: Who are they?” The chapter begins by asking readers to take a close look themselves under the assumption that only after one has acknowledged who they are and what shaped their path, are they best ready to learn about their students with the empathetic perspective needed to facilitate learning wisely. From there, the readers are led though the exploration of general student characteristics based on common demographic categories (i.e., race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation, and poverty level) and general characteristics associated with developmental issues and exceptionalities (e.g., appropriate developmental differences among students of differing ages, developmental delay, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Public Law 94-142, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, individualized education plan, the protection of students’ and parents’ rights). Finally, readers are offered a variety of strategies for helping them know their students as individuals.
Chapter 9
The Students: What Do They Learn?
This chapter is the second of four chapters that address the student-learning concerns stage of the book’s framework; and it poses the question, “The students: What do they learn?” To address this question, the chapter offers readers an in-depth exploration of how an effective education in music provides experiences that help students create, perform, and respond to music and connect those artistic processes to other disciplines and life experiences. From there, readers are directed to the National Core Arts Standards in Music where those same artistic process form the foundation of what the National Association for Music Education affirms every child should know and be able to do in music. The chapter continues by connecting this music-content learning to developing healthy social/emotional lives (i.e., social and emotion learning – SEL). Music teachers are uniquely positioned to facilitate SEL due to the social learning that occurs while making music. The chapter concludes by asking readers to think of which artistic processes they may be least comfortable leading in a classroom and consider ways they might develop their professional knowledge and skills so they may be most effective in the teaching/learning environment.
Chapter 10
The Students: How Do They Learn?
This chapter is the third of four chapters that address the student-learning concerns stage of the book’s framework; and it poses the question, “The students: How do they learn?” In this chapter, readers make use to two advanced organizers as they read about and discuss learning theories based in behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructionism. The general approaches of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, information processing, social cognitivism, cognitive constructionism, and social constructionism are presented along with direct applications to music education. Each is presented with descriptions of the approach, the primary researchers associated with the approach, and general terms and ideas found within the approach. While this content is not intended to be an exhaustive view of learning theory, the chapter serves as its own advanced organizer to help readers understand and value the connections of these approaches to learning as they progress through their professional preparation.
Chapter 11
The Students: How Do You Know They Learn?
This chapter is the fourth of four chapters that address the student-learning concerns stage of the book’s framework; and it poses the question, “The students: How do you know they learn?” This chapter examines assessment of musical learning. Beginning with understanding the differences between grading and assessment, readers explore the purposes of assessment, various forms of assessment, different types of assessment, and multiple uses of assessment. Noting the differences between informal and formal assessment practices, readers examine various assessment tools such as exams, checklists, rating scales, rubrics and portfolios used to collect assessment data. Strengths and weaknesses of each are discussed. The Model Cornerstone Assessments developed by the National Association for Music Education are presented as a possible model for application in the music classroom. Readers finish this chapter by designing an assessment tool to be used to assess their teaching as they present a simple skill-based lesson to colleagues.
Epilogue
Rediscovering Who You Are as a Developing Music Teacher
The Epilogue provides readers with a look back on what they learned from reading From Music Student to Teacher: A Professional Approach, and the associated materials and activities, as they consider the next steps in their professional development. It begins with a recap of the journey, taking readers through the three stages of the book’s framework. From there, readers are urged to be proactive with the remainder of their degree plan, viewing coursework as opportunities to develop as professional music educators and to consider that the knowledge and skills they need to develop may not all be addressed in their degree plan. To that end, they are encouraged to find a mentor and, ultimately, take ownership of their professional development as a music educator. The Epilogue concludes with self-care strategies to help readers promote their financial health, emotional health, and physical health.