Rather than displaying a ten page manifesto on educational theory and my views on how a classroom should be ran, I will briefly discuss my views a few areas of education including:
The Teacher-Student Relationship and Community
I have taught a variety of facets of music education including jazz, marching, symphonic, and pep bands, to small choral programs, and most recently I’ve added orchestra to my list of experience. I have taught in varying types of communities too including a very rural district, a small college town, an extremely affluent community, and also the inner city. What I have found is that building quality relationships with students is one of the most important factors of our everyday profession. Students work harder, learn deeper, and care more about their progress when they are in a safe and accepting community with high standards for growth. Brené Brown sums it up perfectly in her book “Daring Greatly” where she states: “What we know matters but who we are matters more.” Simply put, students must know we care and that we are invested in their success. When educators focus on relationships and community early on in the school year, everything is easier throughout the year from classroom management, to grades and even parent involvement.
Restorative Justice
Our students are people first. They are human and will inherently make mistakes, disrupt learning, and damage relationships. The manner in which we deal with these disturbances determines how we repair the environment and as a result, how successful the environment will be. I believe it is crucial for us to coach young people in how to repair relationships. The International Institute for Restorative Practices suggests that when an event occurs, we discuss what happened first, but then, rather than figuring out who is to blame and what punishment they should have, we discuss what harm has been done and how we can repair it.
I have had my fair share of difficult moments in East Palo Alto and because of these experiences, I swear by Restorative Justice. Kids need an opportunity to learn from their mistakes. When Restorative Practices are used with fidelity, it can have a huge impact on a school campus. I believe teaching these concepts at a young age can help to strength our learning environment and greater community at large.
Growth Mindset
Teaching students to have a Growth Mindset is crucial to producing resilient, driven, and successful young adults. The word "can't" is not allowed in my classroom; students are coached early to say “I can’t yet” as opposed to “I can’t.” On day one in my class you will hear me say something along the lines of “I’ll never ask you to do anything that you are not capable of doing. Try your best and the worst case scenario is that you have an opportunity to learn!” We must coach our students to feel comfortable asking questions and taking risks. Our students will never accomplish what they are capable of if they are not taught to have a mindset of growth and improvement. I believe this is important in all educational settings, but it is an even more important concept in music and other skills based environments where students have to produce a product on a daily basis.