INCLUSION FOR ALL; FINDing THE JOY.

My philosophy of music education is rooted in finding joy and actualizing musical goals for all students. One way I achieve this is through the creation of global modifications and adaptations to fulfill the needs of all students without singling out any individuals. I refer heavily to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: for all students to achieve self-actualization, the four prerequisite needs must be fulfilled. If all students do not feel safe, feel that they belong, and feel that they are being respected by their peers, they will not be able to realize the creativity and optimization of their musical potential. It is my job as a music educator to make sure the prerequisite needs are entirely fulfilled for all students and help guide them to their own self-actualization.

It is my ethical promise as a music educator to teaching in a variety of ways to attend to the variety of ways that students learn best.

My goal will always be to instill learning while highlighting the enjoyment and fulfillment that comes with musicmaking. This does not mean that low expectations are to be set; in fact, setting high expectations is critical. When we push students to achieve their full potential, we as educators must push ourselves, too. In my own teaching this translates to use of differential learning strategies and formative and progressive assessments. These types of assessments focus on the student’s growth, not their ability to satisfy a rubric. The concept of “perfection” does not exist in my music classroom. We must learn from each other (student-from-teacher, student-from-student, and teacher-from-student) to ensure that everyone learns and everyone grows.