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TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Sarah K. Labrie
Westminster Choir College
Princeton, NJ

Introduction
The Nicene Creed, Hail Mary, Glory Be, etc These are the words I learned to
speak before I could even understand their meaning. I was raised by two very strict,
Roman Catholic parents who both came from a long line of traditional Western
European families. From the week after I was born to when I moved out of my
parents house at age 19, I was brought to church each Sunday, no exceptions. I was
professing my faith to God before I really even had a concept of who or what God
was, because it was something taught to me by rote. When I was nearing the end of
high school, about to turn 18, I met someone who for the first time asked me why I
believed in this God and religion. I was caught off guard, and was even a little
offended that I was being asked this question, at the time. I stuttered, stumbled, and
tried to mutter a good defense of the religion that I had let define me for my entire
life so far. It hit me hard. For the next weeks and months to follow, I found myself
listening to the sermons differently. It made me question the mindless incantations.
Sure, some of the people in the congregation truly believe in God, the savior, the
redeemer, but it caused me to wonder how many people were sitting in the pews
below, as I stared down from the choir loft, who were just like me? As time passed, I
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realized that I could not justify to myself a good enough reason for continuing to
follow this religion, even after 11 years of Sunday school and a confirmation. I
realized that I do not believe in a God (of any religion,) I do not believe in
predestination, and I do not believe in a heaven or hell. My parents, extremely
displeased with my atheistic beliefs, refused to listen to any opinion that didnt
match theirs, and thus we fought for a very long time. I found that the lyrics from
REMs Losing my Religion capture the exact chaos and confusion that lead me to
this point. Thats me in the corner. Thats me in the spotlight, losing my religion.
Trying to keep up with you, and I dont know if I can do it. Oh no, Ive said too much.
I havent said enough.
This experience has been an enormous influence on the way I think about
growth and learning in children, adolescents, and young adults. It made me think of
how I had heard the words of the creeds and prayers since I was born, and how they
just went in one ear and out the other. I thought I believed in God because thats
what I was told to do, but when I was asked to question those beliefs, I found whom
I truly am. Students in too many schools are taught through the same banking model
that was used on the congregation and I. Lessons are read from the Bible, the
metaphorical school book, and the lei people (students) are expected to learn and
follow the teachings, without ever being asked to bring themselves and their
personalities into consideration. Students taught through this method are hearing
what the teacher is saying, but theyre not truly listening or decoding, meaning that
theyre not truly learning. Not only are they not listening, but also the students are
not engaging, interacting, or having a dialogue with the teacher or the topic. It is
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much more important that the students actually learn in school, than help improve a
graduation statistic because they got passed through the public school system.

Theoretical Framework

According to Freire (1970), Education either functions as an instrument
which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the
present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom,
the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and
discover how to participate in the transformation of their world (p.34). Freedom
and empowerment are the two biggest things I hope to give my students through
their education. My philosophy of teaching is highly influenced by the beliefs and
actions of Freire. According to Dr. Abrahams, a modern critical pedagogue, Critical
Pedagogy is a post-modern teaching model that views teaching and learning as a
conversation among teachers and their students (p. 1). There needs to be an
exchange of knowledge between the students and teacher; a dialogue. This is what
Freire advocates, and what has strongly influenced my teaching philosophy. Freires
goal was to shift the power structure of classrooms, allowing students to connect
learning to their own life experiences, and to change the perception of both the
students and the teacher. Friere based his perception of learning on the process of
conscientization, which is when the students and teachers know that they know,
according to Abrahams (p. 1). This it how the students will become independent and
empowered people when they leave the educational system, according to Freire.
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The second major influence on in my personal teaching philosophy is
McCarthy (1979), who advocates for lessons equally suited for the students that fall
into all four of the learning types. The four learning types cover a broad spectrum of
students, and generally at least one of each is going to be in the classroom for the
same class. This is why I believe teachers need to always be mindful of the learning
conditions for their students. The four types of learners according to McCarthy
(1997) are imaginative, analytic, common sense, and dynamic (p. 31)
Type one learners are the students who will generally ask why? According to
McCarthy, type one learners are highly imaginative students who favor feeling and
reflecting (p. 2). Type two learners are the theorists who seek to know what the
experts of the topic have to say about it. McCarthy describes type two learners as
the analytic students who favor reflecting and thinking (p. 3). These students need
clearly defined goals for their learning. Type three learners are very to the point,
and need to know how what they are learning will be applicable to them in the
future. These are the why do I need to know this? students. According to
McCarthy, type three learners as the common sense learners who favor thinking
and doing (p. 4). Type four learners are the type of student who would be asked to
assemble a desk, and would make some form of modern art instead. These students
are the ones who always ask what if? Sometimes these learners come off as the
smarty pants of the classroom, and may be an overpowering personality
compared to the other students. McCarthy describes these learners as the dynamic
learner who favors creating and acting (p. 5). It is critical for teachers to be
consistently conscious of each of the four learning types in their classroom, that way
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each individual will be challenged to problem-solve appropriately for their future
benefit in both academics and real life. Using hidden curriculum is a fantastic way
to make sure that each students needs are being met. Its a great way to give
students information that they may not otherwise have received through their
regular curriculum. This requires that the teacher is always conscious of the four
learning types, so to engage the minds of each student in ways that satisfy their
educational needs. The Glossary of Education Reform (2013) defines hidden
curriculum as, the unwritten, unofficial, and often unintended lessons, values, and
perspectives that students learn in school. While the formal curriculum consists of
the courses, lessons, and learning activities students participate in, as well as the
knowledge and skills educators intentionally teach to students, the hidden
curriculum consists of the unspoken academic, cultural, and social messages that are
communicated to students while they are in school (p. 1). Hidden curriculums help
to reinforce what is already part of the formal lesson structure by creating a
classroom based on dialogue and reacting to the students on an individual level.
According to Eisner (1994), There is something of a paradox involved in writing
about a curriculum that does not exist. Yet, if we are concerned with the
consequences of school programs and the role of curriculum in shaping those
consequences, then it seems to me that we are well advised to consider not only the
explicit and implicit curricula of schools but also what schools do not teach. It is my
thesis that what schools do not teach may be as important as what they do teach. I
argue this position because ignorance is not simply a neutral void; it has important
effects on the kinds of options one is able to consider, the alternatives that one can
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examine, and the perspectives from which one can view a situation or problems (p.
97). Hidden curriculum will be a significant part of my theoretical framework.
Another strong influence on my personal teaching philosophy has been Wink
(2005), especially in her book Critical Pedagogy; Notes From the Real World. In this
book, she describes critical pedagogy as the meaningful interaction between
teaching and learning. In addition, critical pedagogy seeks to take action to improve
teaching and learning in schools and in life (p. 24). Winks ideas of transformative
teaching and learning, as well as her ideas of liberation pedagogy, a focus on power
and status quo and our role in all of it, according to Wink, are two ideas that I fully
intend to expand upon during my teaching career. They allow for more room to
grow and be functional participants in society. Wink (2011) also advocates for the
banishment of hegemony, which she describes as the domination of one group over
another with the partial consent of the dominated group, (p. 394). For a group to
partially allow themselves to be marginalized in such a manner is disturbing, and
also not all that uncommon in todays classrooms. In order to change this pattern of
marginalization and hegemony, we must fight for more than just our individual
classroom. According to Kincheloe (2001) in his book Getting Beyond the Facts, For
the struggle for justice to win on the local level, it must be fought in the global, the
national, and the local arenas (p. 741). When trying to gain several perspectives on
the concept of critical pedagogy, I also came across McLaren (2014), a highly
respected critical educator. In an interview he expressed his thought that critical
pedagogy needs to move beyond liberalism in the direction of Marxist Humanism.
I have to respectfully disagree with McLarens take on critical pedagogy, because I
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do not believe it should be moving in the direction of Marxist Humanism. I believe
that his idea overcomplicates the concepts of what critical pedagogy is meant to
achieve. John Deweys concept of a more democratic classroom where learning is
students centered is much more pro-critical pedagogy, and though he never spoke
about music education, Dewey has also contributed significantly to my ideas about
education.

Teacher as Facilitator

Based in the philosophies of Friere (1970), McCarthy (1979), and Wink
(2005), my personal philosophy is to mainly be a facilitator as a teacher. Through
the use of discussion, meaningful dialogue, and careful attention to different
learning types, students will be able to move forward in their lives with
empowerment from their education, by equally engaging. A key part of this is going
to be the use of technology integrated into the classroom. Not only can the use of
technology benefit certain types of learners, but it can also help to bring the
archaic subject of music into the 21
st
century. From what I have encountered so far
in my practicum experience in general music, a lot of students expect to walk into
their music classroom, and be bombarded by powdered wigs and sonatas.
Therefore, I believe it is incredibly important to engage the students by starting
from what they already know and enjoy. There will not be a single student who
walks into the classroom having never heard some form of music. By connecting to
the students through the music that is important to them, the teacher is
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strengthening their cognition. According to Abrahams (2014), music learning takes
place when both the teachers and the students can acknowledge a change in
perception. It is this change or transformation that teachers can assess (p. 19).
Assessment, both formative and summative, is also important in forming my
personal teaching philosophy. All quantitative assessment of the students however
can be harmful. By following a set curriculum with no hidden curriculum, the
teacher would be robbing the students of the connection that might make the lesson
meaningful. This is just continuing the problem of excess use of the banking model.
Friere (1970) once said, Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful
and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral (p. 122).
When creating lesson plans for classes, the most important part of the plan is the
four objectives, and having a focusing/essential question. This is where the lesson
plan should begin, as well as where it should center. The four types of learning
objectives are: behavioral, cognitive, experiential, and constructivist. By including
one of each type of objective in each lesson, the teacher is making sure that the
learning will be well rounded, and that it will provide several opportunities to
reinforce a common concept. Students will be held accountable for achieving the set
learning goals at their highest rate of excellence. This is especially helpful for
providing equal education to the students of the four different learning types. Along
the lines of providing educational equality, we must also be creative in structuring
how we assess students. The inclusion of formative, summative, and integrative
assessments is vital, that way there will be a baseline vital for each students
progress, as well as physical and quantitative data to show to administration. By
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incorporating all the ideas of my personal teaching philosophy, students will be
guided to a higher level of consciousness, where they will achieve a high level of
conscietization, and will be able to facilitate change in the future of our educational
and social systems.

Conclusion

The banking model (p. 73) of teaching mentioned in the beginning of this
paper is particularly what I intend to change for the children of the future. I believe
these individuals deserve to receive and participate in the highest level of education
and learning. I also believe that if more teachers are able to take a step back and
look at the big picture, they will realize the importance of connecting the subject
matter to the individual students. If they take a moment to reflect on the education
they received in their youth, they might have a better picture of which teachers
were more effective than others. Often, the best teachers are the ones who have
inspired you so much in a certain subject that you choose to lean towards that
subject as a potential career. Changing the state of todays educational system
globally will not be a short, nor simple process. Only teachers with true passion will
be able to persevere and continue to re-invent the wheel for generations to come. To
continuously re-invent the wheel, teachers must always keep an open dialogue with
the students to add value to both their lives. In the words of Friere, If the structure
does not permit dialogue, the structure must be changed.
(2778 words.)
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References
Abrahams, F. (2004). An assessment of the sixth grade classroom music program
delivered by Westminster academy in residence at John Witherspoon middle
school, Princeton, New Jersey: Rider University.

Abrahams, F. (2014). Critical Pedagogy for Music Education: Philosophy, Psychology,
and Praxis. Powerpoint. Retrieved from
file:///Users/Sarah/Downloads/What%20is%20CPME2[1].pdf. Princeton,
NJ.

Darder, A., Baltodano M. P., Torres, R. D. (2009). The Critical Pedagogy Reader. (2
nd.

Ed.) New York, NY. Routledge.

Eisner, E.W. (1994). The educational imagination: On design and evaluation of school
programs. (3rd. Ed) New York. Macmillan.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed (M. B. Ramos, Trans.). New York, NY:
Continuum.

Great Schools Partnership. (2012) Glossary of Education Reform. Retrieved from
http://edglossary.org/hidden-curriculum/. Portland, ME.

Kincheloe, J. (2001). Getting Beyond the Facts: Teaching Social Studies/Social
Sciences in the Twenty-First Century. New York. Peter Lang Publishing.


McCarthy, B. (March 1997). A Tale of Four Learners: 4MATs Learning Styles.
Educational Leadership. 54(6), 46-51.

McLaren, P. (April 7, 2014). World Health Day)Personal Communication. Global
Education Magazine.

Wink, J. (2011). Critical Pedagogy: Notes From the Real World. (4
th
. Ed) Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.



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