Teaching Music to Mrs. Flick's Grade 3 Class at Davison
In my opinion it is not one factor but a combination of several that allows an individual to become an excellent teacher. For instance, the ability to establish a rapport with the students is often very useful, if not essential, for success within the classroom. If a level of trust and comfort can be established then the opportunity for learning is all that more likely. After all which environment is more conducive to success of an individual, a negative stressful one, or a positive encouraging one? The latter is more the likely.
In my opinion it is not one factor but a combination of several that allows an individual to become an excellent teacher. For instance, the ability to establish a rapport with the students is often very useful, if not essential, for success within the classroom. If a level of trust and comfort can be established then the opportunity for learning is all that more likely. After all which environment is more conducive to success of an individual, a negative stressful one, or a positive encouraging one? The latter is more the likely.
It goes without saying that knowledge of the subject matter is essential to the teacher. A teacher needs to encourage open ended questions where the students must think and formulate answers for themselves. The old rote method of learning and memorization needs to be revamped to make way for more productive methods such as those found in non-traditional learning. I am not saying that memorization does not have its placed but we must consider that a grade based teaching approach is not the greatest indicator of understanding of subject matter.
Additionally, classroom management is beyond imperative to the teacher. By this I do not mean discipline (which is necessary at times) but the way the teacher facilitates learning. Not every student learns the same. What may prove a successful method to one student may be completely incomprehensible to another. It is the job of the teacher to find the way to help the student understand the subject matter to the best of their ability.
And finally the teacher must communicate clearly to the students. Speaking with clarity is vital because it showcases the teacher’s knowledge and confidence to the students. This in turn encourages the students to respect their teacher. Without respect it is difficult to create the necessary learning environment as any teacher could certainly attest because we are emotional creatures. If we do not connect emotionally with the subject matter or more to the point are emotionally diverted due to an unnecessary means (such as lack of respect) then the learning is all the more less likely to take place.
In closing, the above is by no means an exhaustible list of teacher requirements but four of the ones I would consider essential to the teacher. Implementing the above within the classroom setting would certainly be of great use to anyone in our profession.
WHY STUDY MUSIC?
I created this presentation for my EMUS 300 class.
