Influential Teacher Project - Saturday February 10th, 2018
One influential teacher who has changed my life was my high school music teacher, Rachael Amos. She helped me to become the musician and the person I am today. Without Ms. Amos, I likely would not have pursued music in university. When assigned this project, I knew immediately that I would interview Ms. Amos. I brainstormed three major questions to ask her.
Interview
What makes someone a teacher?
Going off of that question, can you elaborate on what you like to share with your students in the classroom?
What was your motivation for becoming a music teacher?
As your motivation to teach music, what impact did your music teachers have on your teaching methods today?
Could you say more about what you mean by diversity in the classroom?
Overall, have you achieved this goal?
Do you think that this goal is the most difficult aspect of being a music teacher?
That would be such a rewarding experience to have, even if it is difficult to say goodbye. My next question is, how do you define creativity?
How does this creativity play a role in the classroom?
Are there times when you do think there’s a right or wrong answer?
Well said! I like that idea of approaching creativity with your heart. Do you find that this creativity is included in the curriculum?
Lastly, are there any questions that you would like to ask me?
Thank you so much for talking with me, I loved speaking with you and I can’t wait to visit when I come home for reading week!
Reflection
Overall, I think that the interview went really well, I thought that I did an effective job at coming up with questions based on her answers in order to find out more. I find it amazing that Ms. Amos cares for her students so much, even after they have graduated and I think that this is a sign of truly compassionate teaching. It is clear that she sincerely wants all of her students to learn the joys that music can bring and to succeed in life, even if that is in a career that does not involve music. I like Ms. Amos’ idea of what makes a music teacher because as a student I do find it more engaging when a teacher shows a passion for their subject, and it allows the student to easily find the joy in the subject. When a teacher shows the student the happiness that a subject can bring and the importance of that subject in the students’ lives I think that that definitely accomplish the task that is put forth by being a teacher. Ms. Amos’ definition of a teacher would not only apply to those who teach in the classroom either. I think that this definition assumes that anyone, of any age and background could become a teacher even if they don’t have a teaching degree. As long as you share the joy that the subject can bring you, and pass along your knowledge, you can be a teacher.
I also like Ms. Amos’ idea of diversity in the classroom in regard to personality. Reflecting on the personalities present in my grade 12 music class, everyone was so different in their likes, dislikes, goals, and more, but we all had music class in common. This made the experience of learning so much more rewarding because students get to interact with people they may have interacted with if they hadn’t both taken music. Ms. Amos has helped me to realize that diversity of not just culture and religion but also of personality and interests is important to pay attention to and appreciate in the classroom. I had never thought of diversity in this way, but now I’ll be sure to recognize it more, especially when I have my own diverse classroom of students someday.
I think that Ms. Amos’ definition of creativity is certainly present in her classroom, as she always gave us the room to grow by making our own interpretations through music. I think that Ms. Amos’ idea of fostering creativity is true. I was surprised that I had never really thought of creativity in this light before. Creativity is not something that one can teach because it is so personal. Everyone has their own idea of what creativity is and how they are able to express it, it we are to “teach” creativity, such as if we were to use the steps Ms. Amos mentioned are in the curriculum, the outcome would not be truly creative because it would not be unique for each individual. Therefore, by encouraging students to open up their hearts and express themselves in a way that is completely theirs, we can foster creative minds rather than enforce them. When we tell students how to be creative, we are forcing them to follow specific steps, and telling them that there is a right and a wrong way to being creative. With creativity, I believe that there is no right or wrong, only the students’ interpretation of expression. The minute that we label the “creative process” as being a series of steps, we take away the student’s opportunity to critically think for themselves and give creativity their own definition. As a teacher, I would approach creativity in the classroom similar to how Ms. Amos does, by demonstrating, encouraging and allowing students to reflect on their work. I love the idea that we need to teach students to “get out of their brain and get more into their heart”. Students are often trained to reproduce exactly what the teacher wants and expects as A+ work. When a student abandons this mindset, even briefly, this is when creativity truly shines through.
Ms. Amos is without a doubt one of my biggest role models in my life. It was an honor to interview her and understand her ideas of teaching better so that I can use the learning experiences I had in her classroom to impact the way that I someday teach.
One influential teacher who has changed my life was my high school music teacher, Rachael Amos. She helped me to become the musician and the person I am today. Without Ms. Amos, I likely would not have pursued music in university. When assigned this project, I knew immediately that I would interview Ms. Amos. I brainstormed three major questions to ask her.
- What makes someone a teacher?
- What was your motivation for becoming a music teacher?
- What is your definition of creativity?
Interview
What makes someone a teacher?
- Oh, this question is already starting to make me emotional! *sigh* I think that someone is a teacher when they love someone or something more than they love themselves. When they love their subject or their students so much that they enjoy sharing their passion for the subject with others.
Going off of that question, can you elaborate on what you like to share with your students in the classroom?
- I like to share the joy that music offers in the classroom with my students. My goal for my students is that by the end of class, they are able to appreciate music on a new level. My work is done when students learn to love music and when I have students like you, Alex (my friend who goes to University of Windsor for jazz) and Emily (my other friend who just got accepted to the University of Windsor for music) who go on to follow their dreams and love music and spread the joy of music too.
What was your motivation for becoming a music teacher?
- My motivation for becoming a music teacher was my music teachers growing up, they made me feel special for the first time ever as a child. My trumpet teacher especially kept me going with music through all of the hard times in my life growing up. They motivated me to become who I am today as a teacher.
As your motivation to teach music, what impact did your music teachers have on your teaching methods today?
- They definitely did impact the way that I teach today. They gave me the means to love the diversity in the music classroom and to appreciate it and this has made me a better teacher.
Could you say more about what you mean by diversity in the classroom?
- Of course, I mean that even if a student doesn’t think they’re going to enjoy music class, they will in the end. There are all types of students out there, there are football players, and bookworms, and students who love science or writing. Each student is different, but when they come into music class they all end up loving it. For example, think of Kyle (a student in my music class throughout high school), he loved football, cars, and building things, and he admitted he took music in grade 9 as an “easy” credit, but ended up loving the saxophone and sticking with it and participating in concert band all four years of high school. The moments that I love most about teaching is when students who didn’t think music was “for them” fall in love with it. That’s my goal in the classroom.
Overall, have you achieved this goal?
- Definitely, I think that the majority of students take music as an “easy” credit but then end up loving the class because they find out the joy that music can bring them.
Do you think that this goal is the most difficult aspect of being a music teacher?
- No, I think the most difficult thing about being a music teacher, or likely any teacher, is when the students leave you. It’s like if you’re a dandelion and all your seeds blow off in the wind and you just hope that they find a place to plant themselves and grow. At the end of every semester, your heart breaks when the grade 12 students who you’ve watched grow up leave but then you have to make room in your heart for the new students who are coming into your classroom. The hardest part about being a teacher is saying goodbye because students aren’t in high school forever. But even though this is sad sometimes, it can also be happy too because I get to see kids I once taught become professional musicians or doctors or lawyers or just follow their dreams.
That would be such a rewarding experience to have, even if it is difficult to say goodbye. My next question is, how do you define creativity?
- I would define creativity as looking within yourself and challenging yourself to go deeper. It’s originality and interpretation. As musicians, we don’t have colours or shapes or words to express what we mean, we need to be creative in the ways that we communicate music and expression. Creativity is when we look deeper and think harder about how we can express something.
How does this creativity play a role in the classroom?
- I think that creativity is always present in the classroom but as teachers it’s impossible to teach creativity, instead we foster creativity. In the classroom, we need to give students the room to grow and encourage them to embrace originality. When a student comes to you with something they worked on like a composition, teachers need to tell them that even past that there is more room to grow and think deeper and different ways to be creative. Mostly, I think that creativity in the classroom starts when students realize that sometimes there is no right or wrong answer.
Are there times when you do think there’s a right or wrong answer?
- Certain things, like rhythm or playing the correct notes, there is a right and a wrong but with other aspects of music like dynamics or tempo, students need to know that this is where they can be original and creative. Sometimes there’s only a student’s interpretation and they can be as creative as they like with their interpretation. I find that students become scared of being creative when they’re afraid of being wrong, like when improvising. As teachers, we need to encourage them that its ok to expose themselves to others with creativity. I’ve also been noticing this more and more as I teach more drama classes this year too, I think that we need to teach students to get out of their brain and get more into their heart.
Well said! I like that idea of approaching creativity with your heart. Do you find that this creativity is included in the curriculum?
- No not at all. Just the fact that the “steps of the creative process” is something labelled in the curriculum proves that creativity is not there. Creativity doesn’t always have a process. The curriculum is very wishy-washy in that I can include creativity without using those labelled steps though. I find that the best way to teach and involve creativity is by demonstrating, encouraging, and then letting the students reflect.
Lastly, are there any questions that you would like to ask me?
- Hmmm, let me think…… what is one way that you think that high school teachers could better prepare students for university?
Thank you so much for talking with me, I loved speaking with you and I can’t wait to visit when I come home for reading week!
Reflection
Overall, I think that the interview went really well, I thought that I did an effective job at coming up with questions based on her answers in order to find out more. I find it amazing that Ms. Amos cares for her students so much, even after they have graduated and I think that this is a sign of truly compassionate teaching. It is clear that she sincerely wants all of her students to learn the joys that music can bring and to succeed in life, even if that is in a career that does not involve music. I like Ms. Amos’ idea of what makes a music teacher because as a student I do find it more engaging when a teacher shows a passion for their subject, and it allows the student to easily find the joy in the subject. When a teacher shows the student the happiness that a subject can bring and the importance of that subject in the students’ lives I think that that definitely accomplish the task that is put forth by being a teacher. Ms. Amos’ definition of a teacher would not only apply to those who teach in the classroom either. I think that this definition assumes that anyone, of any age and background could become a teacher even if they don’t have a teaching degree. As long as you share the joy that the subject can bring you, and pass along your knowledge, you can be a teacher.
I also like Ms. Amos’ idea of diversity in the classroom in regard to personality. Reflecting on the personalities present in my grade 12 music class, everyone was so different in their likes, dislikes, goals, and more, but we all had music class in common. This made the experience of learning so much more rewarding because students get to interact with people they may have interacted with if they hadn’t both taken music. Ms. Amos has helped me to realize that diversity of not just culture and religion but also of personality and interests is important to pay attention to and appreciate in the classroom. I had never thought of diversity in this way, but now I’ll be sure to recognize it more, especially when I have my own diverse classroom of students someday.
I think that Ms. Amos’ definition of creativity is certainly present in her classroom, as she always gave us the room to grow by making our own interpretations through music. I think that Ms. Amos’ idea of fostering creativity is true. I was surprised that I had never really thought of creativity in this light before. Creativity is not something that one can teach because it is so personal. Everyone has their own idea of what creativity is and how they are able to express it, it we are to “teach” creativity, such as if we were to use the steps Ms. Amos mentioned are in the curriculum, the outcome would not be truly creative because it would not be unique for each individual. Therefore, by encouraging students to open up their hearts and express themselves in a way that is completely theirs, we can foster creative minds rather than enforce them. When we tell students how to be creative, we are forcing them to follow specific steps, and telling them that there is a right and a wrong way to being creative. With creativity, I believe that there is no right or wrong, only the students’ interpretation of expression. The minute that we label the “creative process” as being a series of steps, we take away the student’s opportunity to critically think for themselves and give creativity their own definition. As a teacher, I would approach creativity in the classroom similar to how Ms. Amos does, by demonstrating, encouraging and allowing students to reflect on their work. I love the idea that we need to teach students to “get out of their brain and get more into their heart”. Students are often trained to reproduce exactly what the teacher wants and expects as A+ work. When a student abandons this mindset, even briefly, this is when creativity truly shines through.
Ms. Amos is without a doubt one of my biggest role models in my life. It was an honor to interview her and understand her ideas of teaching better so that I can use the learning experiences I had in her classroom to impact the way that I someday teach.
Student Interviews Project - Friday March 9th, 2018
I really enjoyed this assignment because it allowed me to interview several of my close friends about their experiences with music. I was able to compare views on music as a music major in university to their perspectives as non-music majors. This made me realize that even though I’m pursuing music as a career, it does not mean that people who do not go into music love music any less. I found that this was an important realization for me because I was able to gain a new-found respect for those who play music while not pursuing the subject as a career.
For my assignment, I interviewed four students who experienced music in high school but did not pursue it in university. First, I interviewed my friend Rebecca who played flute for two years in her high school music class. I also interviewed Callista, my friend who also played flute and took music class all throughout high school, participating in concert band and choir. My third interview was with my best friend Darby. She played flute in my high school music class as well and was present in concert band and choir too. Lastly, I interviewed Sam, who played bass clarinet in her high school class and band.
Out of all four of the individuals who I interviewed, only one of them disliked music class more than they enjoyed it. Callista, Darby, and Sam all had very positive experiences in music class and band and kept with music all throughout high school. Rebecca was the only one who stated a dislike and therefore only took music class for only the first two years of high school. While she did enjoy learning and making music, she did not like her teacher. When asked further about this, Rebecca explained how her teacher took music class very seriously and she wished that he had made the class more fun. This is a very significant contrast in relation to the response that Darby gave when asked about one thing she liked and disliked about music class. When explaining her dislike, Darby expressed that her music class lacked structure and that she the teacher did not take it seriously enough at times. I think that this shows the balance that is needed in music education between being too structured and not having enough structure in the classroom.
One question that I posed to each of my participants inquired why they decided not to pursue music further. I found the answers to this question intriguing in every case. Callista answered this question by saying that she felt she was not skilled enough to continue in music further and would not be able to “get something out of it”. When asked if she could explain what she meant by this statement, she expressed that she felt she would prefer to study science and would enjoy that topic more than music. The answer that Rebecca gave to this question was a bit different. She said that she did not enjoy playing the flute enough to continue further with it and that she did not want to start over with a new instrument. When asked what she meant by “starting over”, she said that she felt like she had gotten somewhere on the flute and that she did not want to regress back to the basics again with a completely new instrument. When faced with this same question, Sam explained how, while music is one of her main interests in life, she did not feel a passion towards it like she does with visual art (her major), and she would not have the motivation to practice music enough in order to pursue it. I enjoyed asking this question because it made me reflect on what my like would be like had I not pursued music, and I find it nearly impossible to picture. I find that I can relate to Sam because music is my passion. When considering a future career, I had trouble deciding between music and science, but realized that I would never have the motivation to study science in the same way that I have the motivation to study music. Therefore, I found that I could relate closely with those thoughts of motivation and passion for a subject.
My participants had varying answers when asked what role music plays in their lives now. Callista found that music acts as a de-stressor in her life. She explained that often when she’s overwhelmed she will pick up her guitar, her flute, or she will listen to music. Sam discussed how she listens to music, plays guitar, or sings occasionally, but she no longer performs, even though she would like to. Rebecca explained how she no longer played music often but she does listen to it all the time. Lastly, Darby finds that music still plays a very large role in her life, even though she does not major in it. Occasionally, Darby still performs music, playing duets on the flute with her mother at family functions or get-togethers. She continues to practice music from time to time when she is not too busy with her school work and she also enjoys listening to music. Though not all the participants still play music, they all listen to music and therefore, all have some form of music involvement in their lives.
In response to the participants answers to the previous question, I inquired what type of music they each like to listen to and if this genre was present in their high school music class. Sam responded to this question very positively, and seemed really excited to explain how, for the majority of the time, her preferred genres were included in what they played in class. She explained how her class performed a medley of songs from movies and that she genuinely enjoyed the pieces played in music class. On the other hand, Rebecca’s interest in pop, rap, and alternative genres of music was not represented in her music class, and she expresses that if they were included, she may have enjoyed music class more. I think that these two very different answers show the effect that repertoire can have on the joy in the music classroom. I wonder that if Rebecca’s interests were represented in her music class more, as Sam’s were, if she would have found more joy in playing music and would have continued taking music class longer.
Each individual stated that they see music being a part in their future. Rebecca expressed how if she picks up music again in the future she would like to learn piano or guitar, rather than playing flute. Darby also said she would like to continue to play the flute because she finds that it’s a fun activity and it’s something that she enjoys doing. Callista expressed the hope that she will continue to play music in the future, but was worried that she would never actually find the time to join another concert band, even though she really enjoyed being in band in high school. Sam definitely plans on continuing to play music and explained how she’s considering auditioning for one of the university ensembles next year at Western, but needs to find where she can get an instrument first. Overall, each person that I interviewed had the desire to continue in music in some fashion, whether that be to keep playing the same instrument, perform, or learn new instruments. I think that this reflects the impact that music education is able to have on an individual because it shows the life-long effect that music can have on an individual’s life. The participants have enjoyed making music, even if they disliked things about their high school music class, and therefore want it to be a part of their lives in the future.
With each participant, I found that I learned something new about how perspectives towards music differ between individuals and that these perspectives can be influenced by the experiences in the music classroom. The repertoire, the attitudes of the music teacher, atmosphere and structure of the classroom all has an effect on the student’s experience with music and shapes the role that music takes in their life for years to come. This will definitely effect the approach that I take to teaching music in the classroom, as I aim to make every student’s experience with music a positive and enjoyable one, even if they are not going into music, as music is a part of every individual’s life, not just those who pursue music after high school.
I really enjoyed this assignment because it allowed me to interview several of my close friends about their experiences with music. I was able to compare views on music as a music major in university to their perspectives as non-music majors. This made me realize that even though I’m pursuing music as a career, it does not mean that people who do not go into music love music any less. I found that this was an important realization for me because I was able to gain a new-found respect for those who play music while not pursuing the subject as a career.
For my assignment, I interviewed four students who experienced music in high school but did not pursue it in university. First, I interviewed my friend Rebecca who played flute for two years in her high school music class. I also interviewed Callista, my friend who also played flute and took music class all throughout high school, participating in concert band and choir. My third interview was with my best friend Darby. She played flute in my high school music class as well and was present in concert band and choir too. Lastly, I interviewed Sam, who played bass clarinet in her high school class and band.
Out of all four of the individuals who I interviewed, only one of them disliked music class more than they enjoyed it. Callista, Darby, and Sam all had very positive experiences in music class and band and kept with music all throughout high school. Rebecca was the only one who stated a dislike and therefore only took music class for only the first two years of high school. While she did enjoy learning and making music, she did not like her teacher. When asked further about this, Rebecca explained how her teacher took music class very seriously and she wished that he had made the class more fun. This is a very significant contrast in relation to the response that Darby gave when asked about one thing she liked and disliked about music class. When explaining her dislike, Darby expressed that her music class lacked structure and that she the teacher did not take it seriously enough at times. I think that this shows the balance that is needed in music education between being too structured and not having enough structure in the classroom.
One question that I posed to each of my participants inquired why they decided not to pursue music further. I found the answers to this question intriguing in every case. Callista answered this question by saying that she felt she was not skilled enough to continue in music further and would not be able to “get something out of it”. When asked if she could explain what she meant by this statement, she expressed that she felt she would prefer to study science and would enjoy that topic more than music. The answer that Rebecca gave to this question was a bit different. She said that she did not enjoy playing the flute enough to continue further with it and that she did not want to start over with a new instrument. When asked what she meant by “starting over”, she said that she felt like she had gotten somewhere on the flute and that she did not want to regress back to the basics again with a completely new instrument. When faced with this same question, Sam explained how, while music is one of her main interests in life, she did not feel a passion towards it like she does with visual art (her major), and she would not have the motivation to practice music enough in order to pursue it. I enjoyed asking this question because it made me reflect on what my like would be like had I not pursued music, and I find it nearly impossible to picture. I find that I can relate to Sam because music is my passion. When considering a future career, I had trouble deciding between music and science, but realized that I would never have the motivation to study science in the same way that I have the motivation to study music. Therefore, I found that I could relate closely with those thoughts of motivation and passion for a subject.
My participants had varying answers when asked what role music plays in their lives now. Callista found that music acts as a de-stressor in her life. She explained that often when she’s overwhelmed she will pick up her guitar, her flute, or she will listen to music. Sam discussed how she listens to music, plays guitar, or sings occasionally, but she no longer performs, even though she would like to. Rebecca explained how she no longer played music often but she does listen to it all the time. Lastly, Darby finds that music still plays a very large role in her life, even though she does not major in it. Occasionally, Darby still performs music, playing duets on the flute with her mother at family functions or get-togethers. She continues to practice music from time to time when she is not too busy with her school work and she also enjoys listening to music. Though not all the participants still play music, they all listen to music and therefore, all have some form of music involvement in their lives.
In response to the participants answers to the previous question, I inquired what type of music they each like to listen to and if this genre was present in their high school music class. Sam responded to this question very positively, and seemed really excited to explain how, for the majority of the time, her preferred genres were included in what they played in class. She explained how her class performed a medley of songs from movies and that she genuinely enjoyed the pieces played in music class. On the other hand, Rebecca’s interest in pop, rap, and alternative genres of music was not represented in her music class, and she expresses that if they were included, she may have enjoyed music class more. I think that these two very different answers show the effect that repertoire can have on the joy in the music classroom. I wonder that if Rebecca’s interests were represented in her music class more, as Sam’s were, if she would have found more joy in playing music and would have continued taking music class longer.
Each individual stated that they see music being a part in their future. Rebecca expressed how if she picks up music again in the future she would like to learn piano or guitar, rather than playing flute. Darby also said she would like to continue to play the flute because she finds that it’s a fun activity and it’s something that she enjoys doing. Callista expressed the hope that she will continue to play music in the future, but was worried that she would never actually find the time to join another concert band, even though she really enjoyed being in band in high school. Sam definitely plans on continuing to play music and explained how she’s considering auditioning for one of the university ensembles next year at Western, but needs to find where she can get an instrument first. Overall, each person that I interviewed had the desire to continue in music in some fashion, whether that be to keep playing the same instrument, perform, or learn new instruments. I think that this reflects the impact that music education is able to have on an individual because it shows the life-long effect that music can have on an individual’s life. The participants have enjoyed making music, even if they disliked things about their high school music class, and therefore want it to be a part of their lives in the future.
With each participant, I found that I learned something new about how perspectives towards music differ between individuals and that these perspectives can be influenced by the experiences in the music classroom. The repertoire, the attitudes of the music teacher, atmosphere and structure of the classroom all has an effect on the student’s experience with music and shapes the role that music takes in their life for years to come. This will definitely effect the approach that I take to teaching music in the classroom, as I aim to make every student’s experience with music a positive and enjoyable one, even if they are not going into music, as music is a part of every individual’s life, not just those who pursue music after high school.
Feedback:
Hi Jillian,
Thanks for such a thoughtful presentation in class! Just want to share some thoughts in response:WHY did the students not find passion in music? Is this their innate interest or the way they were taught and engaged in music?Why do these students think they’re not “skilled”? Is this an intrinsic issue of self-image or a result of the ways they were taught?How was creativity present in Ms. Amos’ classroom?
Best,
Eric
Hi Jillian,
Thanks for such a thoughtful presentation in class! Just want to share some thoughts in response:WHY did the students not find passion in music? Is this their innate interest or the way they were taught and engaged in music?Why do these students think they’re not “skilled”? Is this an intrinsic issue of self-image or a result of the ways they were taught?How was creativity present in Ms. Amos’ classroom?
Best,
Eric