Teaching Philosophy
As a teacher it is my desire to instill confidence, independence, critical thinking, and a passion for music in my students. I believe that a meaningful education is best facilitated through genuine positivity and enthusiasm, both of which bolster my aforementioned aspirations. My ultimate goal is to provide my students with a deep understanding of their own learning habits and put them on the path to be able to learn independently with the proper pedagogical tools and resources at hand.
I promote a healthy and positive learning environment through student engagement in peer collaboration and evaluation. It is paramount to create such an environment where students feel safe to freely give and receive constructive criticism as well as cultivate their own passion towards their discipline. This culture is supported through allowing students the opportunity to think critically about their peer’s playing and offer creative and helpful feedback.
Critical thinking is a skill that is essential to the development of independence, which is established through the development of a strong foundation of fundamentals. I engage students in their own personal development by assessing their unique needs and providing them with the proper technical exercises, etudes, repertoire, and pedagogical resources to best suit their learning style and needs. The establishment of these fundamentals allows students to feel more confident in themselves and more likely to be proactive in their own education. This way, when a problem presents itself, students have the ability to assess themselves and utilize their personal body of knowledge to approach and solve it.
It is equally important to consider teaching students holistically and helping them through the physical and mental challenges of playing. I encourage students to first and foremost care for themselves, as playing the clarinet is an extension of ourselves, and playing at our highest potential can only happen when we care for our mental and physical wellbeing. I meet students where they are and help them to discover ways to break through these barriers to their own playing. It is my goal to provide extrinsic motivation and maintain established expectations until my students can develop their own intrinsic motivation. Injury prevention is also a consideration in the wellbeing of my students. I provide students with resources, including publications, presentations, and clinics, so that can implement good practice hygiene.
Confidence, independence, critical thinking, and passion are significant to me because these are not only applicable to music—these skills transfer to every aspect of my students’ lives. My responsibility as a teacher is to be a mentor as well as role model and inspire my students to strive for excellence, not perfection, in all that they do outside of and within the field of music.
I promote a healthy and positive learning environment through student engagement in peer collaboration and evaluation. It is paramount to create such an environment where students feel safe to freely give and receive constructive criticism as well as cultivate their own passion towards their discipline. This culture is supported through allowing students the opportunity to think critically about their peer’s playing and offer creative and helpful feedback.
Critical thinking is a skill that is essential to the development of independence, which is established through the development of a strong foundation of fundamentals. I engage students in their own personal development by assessing their unique needs and providing them with the proper technical exercises, etudes, repertoire, and pedagogical resources to best suit their learning style and needs. The establishment of these fundamentals allows students to feel more confident in themselves and more likely to be proactive in their own education. This way, when a problem presents itself, students have the ability to assess themselves and utilize their personal body of knowledge to approach and solve it.
It is equally important to consider teaching students holistically and helping them through the physical and mental challenges of playing. I encourage students to first and foremost care for themselves, as playing the clarinet is an extension of ourselves, and playing at our highest potential can only happen when we care for our mental and physical wellbeing. I meet students where they are and help them to discover ways to break through these barriers to their own playing. It is my goal to provide extrinsic motivation and maintain established expectations until my students can develop their own intrinsic motivation. Injury prevention is also a consideration in the wellbeing of my students. I provide students with resources, including publications, presentations, and clinics, so that can implement good practice hygiene.
Confidence, independence, critical thinking, and passion are significant to me because these are not only applicable to music—these skills transfer to every aspect of my students’ lives. My responsibility as a teacher is to be a mentor as well as role model and inspire my students to strive for excellence, not perfection, in all that they do outside of and within the field of music.