My Core Values

We all have a central set of core values by which we live our lives. Whether or not we can put these values in to a verbal context is another matter entirely. We may wish to write our values down as a source of motivation to keep our families focused on the "big picture" when we might otherwise be "sweating the small stuff". We might also wish to write them down as a testament to our faith or other convictions. As for myself, I believe I may have to give a verbal contextualization to my core values for the purpose of answering the questions of a potential future employer or a parent of a future student, or to keep myself focused on the larger picture of my time teaching when I might otherwise get caught up in the exhaustion and trials of teaching impressionable and opinionated students. Suffice to say, providing myself with a list of my main values of teaching is important to my career and my mental well-being. Given previous discussions on teaching values, I have prioritized those that are at my core as follows:

1) Love children and desire to work with them, for every child can learn and has a right to learn.
2) Music is worthy of curricular study on its own right and exists for its own sake, and should not need justification to be included in the school curriculum.
3) The classroom is a place of safety, freedom or expression, and should be a place where children can discover and learn without fear of ridicule.
4) Have integrity -- Do the right thing, and do your best, whether someone is watching or not.
5) All classrooms, especially music classrooms, should be structured as communities that teach vital life skills: listening, cooperation, understanding, empathy, and self-confidence.
6) Be proud to celebrate your accomplishments, whether they be as a teacher or a student, whether they be small or large, and whether they seem significant or not: they are still important on their own merit.

Hello Future Me!

My dear Karen,

CONGRATULATIONS!! After ten long years of study you've finally obtained your Bachelors! Remember: It was all worth it. I know you originally came in to the Music Education field out of desperation. How else would you be near guaranteed to find a job upon graduation that would help support your family? But hopefully after the decade-long struggle to complete your educational goals you have come to the same realization I have: You are passionate about teaching. You have learned as much from Professor Harney and Jennifer Murphy, and hopefully from the rest of your cooperating teachers. Remember how much you loved helping teach the kids at Irving? Keep hold of that. You'll be tired. You'll wonder why you ever entered this field. You may even wonder if all the work you're doing is worth it in the end. But don't forget your love for teaching kids to love music. That's why you're in this -- why you've stuck with this degree through all the difficulties and stress -- and why you know you can continue on the path towards being a phenomenal teacher.

Okay, so you're teaching career didn't lead to a position like you thought it would. You're not teaching General Music...you're teaching a Junior High Band! How did that happen? You're probably beyond frightened by the prospect of your being unable to adequately teach your students since you yourself are not an instrumentalist. Stop worrying! I know that's been the motto of your life for God knows how long, but it's true. All music teaching comes down to the same core values:

1. Passion Breeds Passion: If you show your love for all things music through your words, your demeanor, and your daily preparations/teachings, then your students will learn to be passionate about music too. You're not just teaching them notes, you're teaching them to love what they do.
   
2. Practice Makes Perfect: You practice so your kids can learn to practice. This may seem common sense, but remember that to many of your students this may be a foreign concept. It's your job to show them that practice isn't merely a requirement that needs to be met, but it can help build self-confidence, skill, and can come from and build a love of the instrument.
   
3. Music is Auditory Emotional Expression: Teach your kids to express themselves through the notes on the page. Music doesn't have to be rigid. Every one of your students at some time in their lives will experience fear, hope, loss, love, and anger. Teach them to focus those emotions in to their work, so they can make the piece have greater depth than the harmonic structure.
   
4. Love What You Do: We can't always get our way. You know this. Your life has been led by this fundamental concept since as far back as you can remember, and it will never deviate. But love is a choice. Sure you didn't expect to be teaching instrumental music. So what? You have to do it. You  have a choice of being bitter about not being in your "ideal" job, or you can take what you're given, learn from it, and become the best instrumental teacher possible. It's your choice: Complain, or love what you do.
    
5. Anyone Can Learn Anything: The brain is a remarkable thing. Every sensory input we gain creates and reinforces pathways for learning. You think you can't teach instrumental music because you didn't play an instrument? Wrong! You can learn anything. Remind your students of this. Remind yourself of this. The brain is a pliable tool, able to easily learn great things, and able to stop learning just as easily. Keep trying, and when you fail, try again. Remember: You never know what you are capable of until you have no choice but to do it. You are capable of greatness...allow yourself to be great.

I know you're scared of making a mistake with your students and what they, and your supervising administration, will think of you. Don't be. Music is music, and is merely expressed in different venues. Instruments are made to mimic the human voice. Apply what you know about vocal music to that of playing an instrument. If anything, instrumental music requires even more skill than singing, and I know you know this. Playing an instrument requires kinesthetic skill, mental knowledge and preparation, as well as the same concepts of breathing you find in singing. Try to recall the studies you've read: Performing music uses both sides of the brain, thus enhancing the skills needed in many other left and right-brained activities. Does this guarantee that students in Band or Orchestra will be better students? No. But many of the higher achieving students are in an instrumental ensemble. What if other students, those who were not such high achievers, were to participate in the same ensembles with their higher achieving peers? Would they become friends? Would they potentially see that seeking to do well at school in their curricular requirements could be beneficial? Possibly. Participating in instrumental ensembles helps build confidence, enhances many curricular subjects, and provides a construct for working as a team to meet a common goal. Not every student can be in sports, but every kid can learn to play an instrument or sing. It's your job to enlighten the school board, the district, even your local and state officials as to the importance of music in the schools. Show your passion, and prepare useful data concerning these matters -- It may mean your job some day.

Okay, so that last part may sound a little dire. Let's focus on the here and now: It's August and the school year starts in less than a month. Do you have enough time to relearn how to play all the instruments? Unlikely. However, you can review your Instrumental Methods notebook, as well as all your books from your techniques classes. Concentrate on the music your ensembles will perform this year, knowing it inside-and-out, and being able to conduct it in your sleep. Know each part like you know your child's voice: you'll know when something is wrong. It's easy to be overwhelmed. Don't be. Take what the previous instructor left you and adapt it to your teaching style. A lot of change for your students will not make for a great learning environment. Make small changes gradually, and above all, FOCUS ON THE MUSIC!! After all, isn't that what this is all about?

Be excited! You'll do great, even though this is all new. It's all about learning to adjust. You can learn anything, remember that. Don't be scared: Be confident. You are going to be a phenomenal teacher. And above all: Remember why you became a teacher.

You love every part of it, and it makes you blissfully happy.

All the best, Dear Karen.

Love,
You