From a young age I enjoyed helping others, and I have a genuine interest in encouraging people to be the best they can be. In my time at University, my curiosity in my own learning has evolved into a passion for teaching. I am pursuing a career in education because I know that teaching is my vocation and that learning is a vital part of any child’s growth and development. I believe in the importance of providing meaningful educative experiences that engage students collectively. By providing this foundation, education can become a vessel to help students unleash their potential. As a teacher, it is the reward you get from making a difference in the lives of students that becomes the inspiration to help them grow and flourish into the young thinkers they are.
I have always seen the promise in education, as demonstrated to me by my teachers through my own education. My high school music teacher created a positive and nurturing environment that inspired my curiosity and helped me develop as a musician and thinker. I hope to recreate this same atmosphere for my own students. Teaching is one of the most direct ways to make an impact in people’s lives. |
Providing educational opportunities for all students can help them feel inspired and energized in their education which will eventually transfer to their everyday lives. As a teacher, I want to help young minds grow and develop. They are our future, and I want them to feel proud of their accomplishments and motivated to discover what lies ahead.
Educators can have a large impact on their students and on the field as a whole. They have the chance to inspire and motivate them. I believe that educators have a responsibility to help students achieve their own measure of success, helping them to become active, self-empowered young people. As an educator, I see the continual need to improve the quality of education students are receiving. I recognize that with students’ ever-changing, diverse needs, the education system needs to grow with them. My hope is that in my role as a teacher I will be able to affect this change within the classroom and beyond. I want to be a teacher so that I can help the next generation come to find their own empowerment. |
I will be the kind of teacher that not only promotes but advocates for a democratic education. In my opinion, the classroom ought to be a place to build respect for each other and to understand that our strength lies in our diversity. Having a culture that celebrates diversity and difference is something I want to bring into my classroom. I believe that having a democratic purpose in education in my own teaching can create a place for everyone to feel included, heard, and accepted.
Furthermore, I believe in motivating students to be lifelong learners. As a lifelong learner myself, I see the value in constantly reflecting upon my own learning and teaching inside and outside of the classroom. There is so much we can learn from one another. |
We are not omniscient dictators at the front of the class. Teachers are reference points, guides, encouragers, and facilitators of learning who have just as much to learn from their students as they do from their teachers. I will be a teacher who values all knowledge and experience.
There is also so much that we can learn from other subjects. As a prospective Music and French teacher, I want to integrate the arts into all aspects of learning while encouraging my own students to interact with the other subjects as well. I want to be the kind of teacher that insists on intersectional and interdisciplinary learning, because I do not believe there is a “one size fits all” methodology to teaching and learning. |
The first clip is an example of a preschool music class. The content here was a small group setting of young preschool children learning various introductory musical ideas, like note names and rhythm. There was a high level of interaction used here, as well as the use of songs. For example, to introduce the musical alphabet, the teacher incorporated a song about the seven different musical letters. She also had a large piano keyboard sitting on the floor in front of them so they could easily find where each letter belonged. It made it much easier for them to visualize the musical alphabet. Most of these teaching techniques were already known to me, but I think they were still used appropriately. I really admired when the teacher had the kids walking around in a circle banging or shaking different percussive instruments to their own rhythm. Of course, she tried to help them feel the beat but the emphasis was on their own experimentation. I think this is very important for musical growth and development, especially at a young age. The technique and solidification of everything can come later. It is more important for self discovery of music to happen first, since music is so individualized, and it really is a form of expression in its most basic sense. This was what I enjoyed most and benefited from viewing, and partially why I chose it in the first place. Overall, this was a good example of teaching music. The teacher got the basic ideas across to the kids, while combining some fun interactive bits. It was great that the teacher had related the musical concepts to something tactile that the kids were already familiar with. For example, D is for Dog. As a piano teacher of young children myself, I can appreciate how well the teacher simplified the musical concepts. To young children, music is a whole new language and can be complex. To avoid this feeling of overwhelm, it was great to see such a simple, yet effective, approach to teaching music.
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