Alexa Marsellos My Music Education Philosophy In her article School Music Education and Change, Estelle R.

Jorgensen (2010) discusses some of the major challenges music educators face in todays society. As teachers, we are often not consulted about certification requirements or teaching assessments, and oftentimes, the schools we work in are structured in a way that causes disadvantages to the teaching and learning of music (such as scheduling, enrollment rules, etc). In response to all of these things that we have no control over, Jorgensen says this: it is necessary to respond to the interests and needs of our students, cultivate the sorts of environments that are conducive to musical learning, foster the active engagement of all of our students, assist them in successfully overcoming obstacles in their paths, assess their progress, and relate to all other interested parties to this education (Jorgensen, pg. 22). It is crucial that as teachers we keep the students at the focus of our teaching philosophy; after all, without students there is no one to teach. Part of this focus should be to note what student interests are; What music are they listening to at this moment in time, What genres of music they would like to recreate in, and how can we incorporate this into our classrooms. This is such an imperative part of todays music education experience; in order to get the students engaged in the classroom, you have to teach things that they want to learn in innovative ways. It is true that there will always be qualifications and certifications that teachers are required to meet. However, as music educators of the 21st century it is our job to create a curriculum where we not only meet these standards, but insure the classroom a place where students minds can be active. For decades, neuroscientists have performed numerous studies on the way music affects academic achievement. It is often said that children who engage in musical activity have better math skills and reading comprehension. But, music does so much more for students than make them better in school, and scientists have also researched the way music helps kids develop psychologically and socially as well. University of California psychobiology professor Norman

Weinberger (1998) discusses about some findings from both realms of research. He writes: music has the ability to facilitate language acquisition, reading readiness, and general intellectual development to enhance creativity, and to promote social development, personality adjustment, and self-worth (Weinberger, pg. 36). It is quite clear that what students experience in school leave a very big impression on them. Consequently, it is imperative as an educator to know what my role is in the classroom. Matthew Thibeault (2009) addresses what the student-teacher dynamic in the classroom should be. He introduces the term collegial pedagogy and the practice of allowing students freedom to be involved in structuring the classroom, as well as having an input on the things that they learn. Lisa Soepa founder of the organization Youth Speaksfurther defines this practice of students and teachers working as colleagues to partake in an educational process that allows both parties to actively learn from each other and the activities they undergo. As music educationand education as a wholecontinues on in the 21st century, more and more teachers should adopt this kind of interactions with their students to encourage active learning for their students. I hope to embody these ideologies in my classroom in the future, particularly the concept of collegial pedagogy. A classroom is made up of various kinds of students; the naturally music inclined, the invisible students, the outgoing students. As a future educator, I want to address the needs of each of my students on the individual level to provide each child with the best educational experience possible. Each time a student enters my classroom, I want them to feel free to exercise their creative mind in whatever way they wish. One way that I plan to do this is by creating a classroom where all of my students know that they are in a safe place where they can express themselves and their ideas and opinions. I want my students to help me find repertoire that they want to sing or play, I want them to help me create a space where they want to be, and I want them to create life-long friendships with members of their ensemble. Most importantly, I want my classroom to be a place where every person learns something new each and every day, myself included. With each new class I get, it my deepest hope that I will learn something new about teaching, about children, and about myself.