MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION AND COURSE SPECIFICS
I believe…
The purpose of teaching music and
drama is not to support and help students improve their math and
test scores, but to learn the specific cognitive activities which
can only be apprehended through a study of the performing arts.
Music is a non-conceptual mode of cognition which heightens students’
aesthetic and expressive awareness.
Music is a nexus for the arts, humanities, and sciences
and should be taught as an interdisciplinary, multicultural class
which should include the visual arts, English, Science, History,
and the Social Sciences. The choral rehearsal should include a
comprehensive curriculum including music theory, history, composition,
improvisation, and conducting.
The study of Drama should not only include stage
work and public speaking, but an understanding of the nuts and
bolts of creating a large-scale artistic product.
Constructivism
I believe that Constructivism is a
useful philosophy as a cornerstone for a philosophy of education.
Applying Jonassen’s principles, I create real-world environments
that employ the context in which learning is relevant; focus on
realistic approaches to solving real-world problems; see myself
as a coach and analyzer of the strategies used to solve these problems;
stress conceptual interrelatedness, providing multiple representations
or perspectives on the content; and use valuation as a self-analysis
tool.
What is my goal as a teacher?
I teach my students
to become thinking actors and musicians able to artistically interpret
a piece of music or play without a conductor’s/director’s guidance.
What is the role of the teacher?
My role is to guide, challenge, and train my students to approach
music and drama intellectually as well as emotionally. I have found
Marvin Marshall’s Discipline Through Raising Responsibility system
to work very well in maintaining class management. Marshall’s system
stresses self-discipline through reflection and allowing students
to make responsible choices.
What do I think should be taught?
In addition to music
theory, musicianship, vocal technique, a choral student should
also be able to contextualize a piece in terms of its historical
and literary background and to perform the music musically without
a conductor’s guidance.
In addition to deportment and stage presence,
a drama student should also understand the basics of blocking,
script writing, and be comfortable as a public speaker.
How do I think content should be taught?
Content should
be taught using a project-based curriculum whereby the students
are challenged to come to their own conclusions based on the study,
discussion, and analysis of the project’s rubrics. Each project
begins with a specific rubric and goal. The project then builds
on the results of each previous iteration. Active learning is the
key to apprehending in-class projects and Socratic questioning
forms the basis of my teaching methodology.
For instance, as a
pre-read discussion for Julius Caesar, my 8th grade drama class
realized that the Roman Republic faced with the rise of Caesar
was very similar to the tension between the Galactic Republic and
the rise of the Emperor in the Revenge of the Sith Star Wars movie.
The class then broke down into pairs, developed characters who
were for Caesar and a dictatorship or for Pompey and the Republic,
wrote expository dialogue on why each character was for or against
Caesar or Pompey, blocked the scene, and choreographed a light
saber duel. Each project was subsequently videotaped. The class
then reviewed each performance and critiqued them not only for
content, but also for good stage blocking and audible and clear
presentations.
How do I measure the effectiveness of my instruction?
Performance
is the main test vehicle for any performing art. Throughout the
rehearsal cycle or during projects, we make recordings which allow
the students to consider the work they are doing and to make necessary
changes and improvements. At the end of every project/concert I
ask the students to reflect on the nature and quality of their
work and to grade themselves accordingly.
What is the role of my students?
The role of my students
is that of seekers of knowledge. I teach them to think through
the problems and find their own solutions. In my choral rehearsals,
singers are constantly commenting on each other’s performance to
improve not only their singing, but also their critical ear. My
drama classroom is full of “productive noise” as students are engaged
in a multiplicity of ongoing projects. Students are encouraged
to argue, collaborate, and determine the outcomes of their projects.
