Abigail Carter

Dr. van der Vat-Chromy

MUED 376
September 18, 2021

Effective Music Teaching

The study and subsequent conclusion questions Mayhew discusses in this

dissertation I found to be both fascinating and an important reminder about the quality of

my own teaching. I was interested to see the results of this study were mostly as I would

expect them to be, and the factors in the evaluation of effectiveness were also

expected. I did not expect there to be such discrepancy between what different

observers considered effective teaching. Still, I found this study an excellent reminder

that teaching effectively is to engage the mind, body and soul of not only the students

you teach, but you as the teacher.

Rarely do I consider all of the characteristics explored in this study when

reflecting upon the effectiveness of my own teaching; I have noticed that I mostly will

reflect on how something felt, rather than a series of traits or behaviors that may affect

effectiveness. When you are the person engaging in the action of teaching, it can be

hard to understand perceptions of others about your teaching. After reading this, I am

considering new self-reflection questions to ask myself after teaching a lesson or

leading a rehearsal: how did my body language, verbal communication and intensity

affect the lesson? How can I improve upon these for the next lesson? How might the

students have perceived the way I delivered/presented/facilitated this content or

activity? These are so helpful to consider for growth and development as an emerging

educator or experienced educator alike. Metacognition through personal and given

feedback can be such a motivator for growth as educators and as human beings; this

reflection transfers into every facet of life.

This study includes a series of observations, and through that, I am reminded

that observing and learning from my colleagues and mentors is also extremely

important to growth as an educator and in turn, promoting growth for students. As music

educators, we are able to identify the presence or absence of the traits of highly

effective teachers when we see them; we have observed them since our first music

education experiences. This study also shows us, however, that perhaps the behaviors

of highly effective teachers are not one-size-fits-all. Class sizes, student learning

method preferences, personas and many other factors may affect learning needs and

teacher behaviors. What can be agreed on is that a unique combination of behaviors

can create a highly effective or ineffective rehearsal/class environment overall.

The study concludes with a discussion of how music educator effectiveness is in

need of greater focus and magnification. What can we take away from this study

overall? How is this study limited or restricted? How may these results and evaluations

vary due to classroom needs/student learning preferences? How can we continue to

evaluate various behaviors as educators in our own classrooms and study these

behaviors for effectiveness? I hope to begin to explore these questions in my

development as a music educator with the students at the forefront of every decision

and evaluation I provoke. This study motivates me to commit to growth, acceptance of

constructive feedback and response in my teaching habits, and to discover sustainable

ways to carry out these effective behaviors in a way that is nourishing to students in my

classroom while not being ingenuine or inducing burnout. The initial impressions we
make as educators set a precedent for the entire school year, and it is crucial that we

engage in habits that promote a healthy and safe space for young musicians to come

into their selves more confidently and without fear of failure.