My Educational Philosophy of Education and Success
An anonymous author coined the phrase “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” To me, this means find passion in what you do and you will be forever happy. Teaching is the most challenging, yet rewarding career in existence. This means that in order to be successful in the classroom, a teacher must possess a passion for children as well as the ability to maintain a high level of patience. Lifelong relationships are built in the classroom that has a profound impact on both the student and teacher’s lives. It is my belief that the foundation and focus of education should always be the students.
The educational philosophy of Dr. Foster (2016) points out that every educational experience, including musical performances must be relevant to children. It was that mindset that led him to develop traditional style marching, affectionately known as showband. Rather than allowing the Florida A&M University Marching band to mimic military bands, Foster (2016) pushed his students to perform the popular music of their time, resulting in an increase in participation, retention, appreciation and audience engagement.
An outstanding teacher develops instructional content that is student-centered. This is made possible with vital communication between teacher and pupil. According to Rick Allen (2012), rigor is described as helping pupils to learn how to think independently. Rigor is exemplified in my classroom through lessons that grab attention. I expose students to multiple genres of music and artists while encouraging a high level of self-expression. Through music instruction, students gain a thorough understanding of new concepts, places, and cultures in a way that promotes student interest. The results are intrinsic satisfaction and fiscal success.
My personal feelings on education are that there is more focus on standardized testing instead of just teaching. Many students are deficient in valuable real-world skills, with more focus being placed on standardized test preparation. It is vitally important that the entire child is educated in a way that prepares them how to not only survive but to be successful in all aspects of academics including character development. I strive to establish a classroom structure that builds leadership and positive character, as opposed to a sole focus on discipline. Through planning instructional activities, a successful educator should ask the question: How can my teaching help students be successful in the real-world?
One real world example is the building of the Music Program at Austin High School. In 2005, I was hired to reestablish the music program consisting of the school Band and Drill Team. The foundation of our success was the students’ desire to be the best. The program began with a single student, who recruited many others with similar interests. Since the new beginning, students have had numerous opportunities to experience new cultures and learn innovative concepts through performances and travel. Our band nicknamed “Sonic Boom” has been the main attraction in New Orleans, San Antonio, Galveston and Natchitoches, Louisiana for several years. Through these performances, students discovered the historical relevance of the cities. In New Orleans, pupils learned about the development of Jazz, the impact of slavery and the establishment of the Creole Culture. Students experienced hands-on learning through the sampling of local cuisine and touring historical landmarks.
Students have also had the opportunity to learn and showcase their talents while performing several parades. During these parades, students performed music from several genres ranging from Jazz and Zydeco to traditional marches. Our tours were concluded with reflective critique and feedback from the students. My proudest moment came in 2010, as our Band and Drill Team were crowned Grand Champion at the Invitational Battle of the High School Bands in Los Angeles, sponsored by VH1. The students faced the task of raising over $50,000 to cover the cost of traveling from Houston to Los Angeles. Our students stood on street corners and played music for citizens driving in traffic for a donation.
In addition to receiving a title of Grand Champion, many of those students moved forward to pursue college, careers and families. Their experiences in California can never be replaced. In the years to follow, our program would grow in both quality and popularity. The Stephen F. Austin Band was selected to lead the Houston Thanksgiving Day, Veteran’s Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Parades. In 2015, Austin was selected to lead the Natchitoches, Louisiana Christmas Festival Parade where the students were voted “Most Entertaining Performance”. These students have been invited to perform in Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Paris, Beijing and Bolivia. All this has been achieved by our students because they have developed high standards of pride in themselves and their school.
My instructional style is a process:
I. Teacher Actions
A. Headline/ Attention Grabber
B. Breakdown
II. Student Actions
A. Subject Analyzed
B. Project Creation (Peer to Peer)
C. Assessment
III. Teacher Action
A. Analyze Results
IV. Teacher and Students
A. Revisit Concepts
B. Create and implement new instructional strategies to approach identified weaknesses
C. Reassess
This student-focused process allows for students to collaborate and compare the concepts. If weaknesses are identified, the concepts are revisited to allow for a new approach to the subject at hand. I handle conceptual weaknesses through identification followed by creating new tools to assess pupils.
With new innovations in education, teachers have many options for their classroom methods. Countless studies have been conducted on educational practices, yet not one has been selected as the single best. It is up to good teachers to experiment, communicate and relate to the students in order to determine what is best to achieve student goals. The success of my music programs lie in my commitment that my student’s interests are kept in mind.
Allen, R. (2012). Support Struggling Students with Academic Rigor. Education Update, 54(8), 3- 5.
Foster, W. P. (2016). The Man Behind the Baton: The Maestro, the Law, the Legend. Charleston, SC: Advantage.
The educational philosophy of Dr. Foster (2016) points out that every educational experience, including musical performances must be relevant to children. It was that mindset that led him to develop traditional style marching, affectionately known as showband. Rather than allowing the Florida A&M University Marching band to mimic military bands, Foster (2016) pushed his students to perform the popular music of their time, resulting in an increase in participation, retention, appreciation and audience engagement.
An outstanding teacher develops instructional content that is student-centered. This is made possible with vital communication between teacher and pupil. According to Rick Allen (2012), rigor is described as helping pupils to learn how to think independently. Rigor is exemplified in my classroom through lessons that grab attention. I expose students to multiple genres of music and artists while encouraging a high level of self-expression. Through music instruction, students gain a thorough understanding of new concepts, places, and cultures in a way that promotes student interest. The results are intrinsic satisfaction and fiscal success.
My personal feelings on education are that there is more focus on standardized testing instead of just teaching. Many students are deficient in valuable real-world skills, with more focus being placed on standardized test preparation. It is vitally important that the entire child is educated in a way that prepares them how to not only survive but to be successful in all aspects of academics including character development. I strive to establish a classroom structure that builds leadership and positive character, as opposed to a sole focus on discipline. Through planning instructional activities, a successful educator should ask the question: How can my teaching help students be successful in the real-world?
One real world example is the building of the Music Program at Austin High School. In 2005, I was hired to reestablish the music program consisting of the school Band and Drill Team. The foundation of our success was the students’ desire to be the best. The program began with a single student, who recruited many others with similar interests. Since the new beginning, students have had numerous opportunities to experience new cultures and learn innovative concepts through performances and travel. Our band nicknamed “Sonic Boom” has been the main attraction in New Orleans, San Antonio, Galveston and Natchitoches, Louisiana for several years. Through these performances, students discovered the historical relevance of the cities. In New Orleans, pupils learned about the development of Jazz, the impact of slavery and the establishment of the Creole Culture. Students experienced hands-on learning through the sampling of local cuisine and touring historical landmarks.
Students have also had the opportunity to learn and showcase their talents while performing several parades. During these parades, students performed music from several genres ranging from Jazz and Zydeco to traditional marches. Our tours were concluded with reflective critique and feedback from the students. My proudest moment came in 2010, as our Band and Drill Team were crowned Grand Champion at the Invitational Battle of the High School Bands in Los Angeles, sponsored by VH1. The students faced the task of raising over $50,000 to cover the cost of traveling from Houston to Los Angeles. Our students stood on street corners and played music for citizens driving in traffic for a donation.
In addition to receiving a title of Grand Champion, many of those students moved forward to pursue college, careers and families. Their experiences in California can never be replaced. In the years to follow, our program would grow in both quality and popularity. The Stephen F. Austin Band was selected to lead the Houston Thanksgiving Day, Veteran’s Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Parades. In 2015, Austin was selected to lead the Natchitoches, Louisiana Christmas Festival Parade where the students were voted “Most Entertaining Performance”. These students have been invited to perform in Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Paris, Beijing and Bolivia. All this has been achieved by our students because they have developed high standards of pride in themselves and their school.
My instructional style is a process:
I. Teacher Actions
A. Headline/ Attention Grabber
B. Breakdown
II. Student Actions
A. Subject Analyzed
B. Project Creation (Peer to Peer)
C. Assessment
III. Teacher Action
A. Analyze Results
IV. Teacher and Students
A. Revisit Concepts
B. Create and implement new instructional strategies to approach identified weaknesses
C. Reassess
This student-focused process allows for students to collaborate and compare the concepts. If weaknesses are identified, the concepts are revisited to allow for a new approach to the subject at hand. I handle conceptual weaknesses through identification followed by creating new tools to assess pupils.
With new innovations in education, teachers have many options for their classroom methods. Countless studies have been conducted on educational practices, yet not one has been selected as the single best. It is up to good teachers to experiment, communicate and relate to the students in order to determine what is best to achieve student goals. The success of my music programs lie in my commitment that my student’s interests are kept in mind.
Allen, R. (2012). Support Struggling Students with Academic Rigor. Education Update, 54(8), 3- 5.
Foster, W. P. (2016). The Man Behind the Baton: The Maestro, the Law, the Legend. Charleston, SC: Advantage.