Philosophy of Education

MUS 231

December 6th, 2022

Kyleigh Ryan

Why do you want to teach music? What should be taught? How should it be taught? Who should

have access to music education? Why? What other things are important to you in when thinking

about music education? Reflect upon classroom readings to help guide your writing.

The education we receive changes the way we see life, it changes the way we are brought

up, it changes how we grow, and helps form our hobbies and interests. Having educators who

care and who truly want what is best for their students. I, as an educator, want to be this person. I

want to be someone who can make positive changes in people's lives. My philosophy of

education is to make a positive impact on each of my students while challenging them and

helping them pursue their passions. As a music educator, it is not only my job to teach about

what music is, but what music can do for my students as well. I want to be able to inspire my

students to care for themselves and one another, and I want to show them ways they can do this

through music.

Students spend so much of their time, at school with their teachers. They make their

closest friends, start to find their passions and interests, and get a lot of their knowledge in the

hundreds of hours they spend at school every year. I see schools as a place to help students grow

in all aspects of their lives. As educators, it is our job to ensure all of these things are done in a
way to positively impacts the students. We should inspire our students to go after these things,

and care about one another in the classroom. As teachers, we can initiate activities within our

classroom to push these ideas. For example, in my music classroom I can start a warm fuzzy

board within my classroom. A warm fuzzy board is a bulletin board that my students can write

kind notes to their peers. This can be used for music specific things within the classroom and be

encouraging for one another. It allows my students to help them connect and understand one

another more. This could also mean writing someone a song or poem, this could mean talking

about the talent someone else has, or maybe this is asking someone else to sing or play an

instrument with them sometime. By starting the warm fuzzy board, I believe I will be able to

show my students different ways they can take care of one another within the classroom, and

truly improve and enhance my classroom's atmosphere. I think students must know how to take

care of one another, and I know how to treat one another every day. Since so much of our time is

at school, each student deserves to have a good time while they are there, and if we take more

steps toward creating positive environments in our schools, we will come closer to reaching this

goal of bringing positivity to life.

Every student has the potential to grow and succeed in every subject. This includes

music. Not every student is going to love music, but every student can be good at doing

something musical. I believe the idea that a child is not good at music, or cannot be good at

music comes from the idea that music is not as important as other classes. I feel like this is

completely untrue, every subject can be a place for a child to thrive. A music education

classroom can be used to teach valuable life skills, as well as musical skills. Music is something

that people use in their lives almost every day, you cannot go anywhere without hearing music be

played. And with that some students are good at math, and some at English. The same applies to
music. We should seek out these talents and strengths within our students, and help them grow to

achieve their highest potential in these areas. We need to teach them how to use their individual

talents, no matter what the subject is. As educators, we are the people who influence our students

and encourage them to bring out those talents.

Students also play a role in their education, but as educators, if we do not push them and

give them opportunities to participate in this rule, they will never achieve the things we want

them to. Students deserve to have clear guidelines, with all expectations laid out for them. Just as

we do not want to assume things about their work, they should not have to assume things about

ours. We must supply them with these tools and then they can take them and thrive. There are

many different ways to do this. For example, I can create a board in my classroom with rules and

expectations, and we can go over this on the first day of class. I can tell them my rules and lay

them out in the most understanding way possible, which is especially important with younger

students. By showing the students what is expected of them right away I can ensure they know

exactly what they need to know in my classroom. Another thing I can do is make sure every

assignment has clear outlines and expectations. I can write out the rules as well as create a rubric

so they know the exact specifications for the assignment. Or for students of younger ages who do

not have the ability to read and interpret these rubrics I can make sure they know exactly what to

do by doing mini versions of the assignments in class. Students deserve the same respect and

understanding that they give us, by giving them all of these expectations right away they will be

more likely to meet the expectations we have for them. These tools can be used to enhance their

growth and further their education daily.

The reading A Nation At Risk, which I read in my EDT 110 course, discusses the

challenges within our education system today that make so many classrooms unsuccessful. The
quote that stood out to me said, “All, regardless of race or class or economic status, are entitled

to a fair chance and the tools for developing their powers of mind and spirit to the utmost”

(Berliner and Harvey, 1983). This stood out to me because I believe that all students have the

right to a quality education that gives them the greatest opportunities to succeed. This is where

music becomes the greatest factor for me. Music is a way for all students to feel included, it

gives kids who don’t feel good about math, English, or any of those basic standards to come

together with one another and be good at something together. It can help students learn about

their history, it can help them learn about those educational topics, and it can help them grow to

love and passion. The tool of using music to learn about history is a big one. You can have class

discussions about a specific composer or writer, and then listen to the music they wrote, or you

can even play that music or sing it as well. This helps the students maintain a connection with the

lesson.

Education is a field I have wanted to go into my whole, and although the subject has

changed my heart hasn't. I want to do this for the students, I want to make change in people’s

lives. As a music educator it is my job to make sure all of my students can learn and grow

musically, and spiritually. Children’s personalities are constantly growing and changing and as a

teacher I want to help enhance their personalities in ways that show positivity daily. I want to

show students ways to care for one another, I want to help students' passions grow, and I want

my students to be positive influences on the other students around them. I want to supply them

with the tools to use music in their lives in more ways than one. In order to do this I must put my

students first and give them opportunities to meet these expectations on the daily.