General Music Educational Philosophy

These are my goals for students in my general music classroom and how I plan to accomplish them:

Students will learn how to learn and will transfer what they learn in music class to other areas of their life.
Students will become better problem solvers and natural inquirers about the world around them. In order to
accomplish this goal, I will give students opportunities to problem solve and figure things out for themselves through
a constructivist approach. Students will experience music first by singing, moving to music, and playing music on
classroom instruments. They will then analyze music through discussions in small groups of their peers about
different aspects of the music. These discussions will be scaffolded by the teacher through the use of higher-level
thinking questions designed to help students discover important aspects of the music. I will then give the students
the labels they need to describe the concepts they have discovered. I hope that through these problem solving
activities, I will be able to spark an enthusiasm for learning in my students by engaging them and helping them
become intrinsically motivated to question the world around them and seek out answers. I will hold students
accountable for participating in class and doing their best work through the use of self-evaluation and reflection.
Students will reflect on information they have learned and evaluate how well they were able to put this knowledge
into practice in their work. In order for students to be able to transfer the ideas and skills learned in music class to
other areas of their life, most class projects will be interdisciplinary in nature, helping students understand how music
is so interconnected with every other area of life. For example, if students are exploring jazz music, they might also
explore the art, dance, and other aspects of popular culture at this time. Through a constructivist approach, a focus
on musical problem solving, self-evaluation, and interdisciplinary projects, students will become betters learners in
general and inquirers about the world.

Students will use music to create and communicate meaning, and students will understand that there are
different purposes for creating music and different responses to music. . In my class, students will explore
essential questions about music, such as how music is used in daily life. Students will have the opportunity to explore
and simulate musical experiences in daily life both of their own culture and in other cultures (historical and present).
My general music class will emphasize the creation of new music. Through an emphasis on the creation of music,
students will explore through a constructivist approach how or why others create music.

Students will use music for self-expression, challenge, and enjoyment individually and as members of a
variety of musical communities. Though not every student will go on to become a professions musician,
music will enrich every students life in some way and they will have the necessary confidence in their own
musical abilities to participate in musical experiences outside of school. I will accomplish this goal by creating
a musical community in my classroom that is a safe environment where students feel comfortable with their peers and
are able to express themselves freely and create without inhibition. Students will have experiences to create music
with their peers in class on a daily basis. I will also accomplish this goal through the creation of extracurricular
musical ensembles, such as choir, where students will have extended opportunities to experience the joy music can
bring to their lives. I also hope that students will become confident in their musical abilities and will have
opportunities to share their music with others. I will do this through the planning and execution of various
performing events for my general music and choir classes.