The classes I have been lucky enough to take here at UNT have shaped my views about education in a multitude of ways. Though each professor has offered a diverse perspective, all have provided much need guidance and insight into the educational process.
In my music education classes in particular, they have brought to light the many difficulties facing new music educators today. Professors have covered the importance of recruitment and music advocacy, because music programs all over the country are in danger of being cut due to funding. Another issue that expanded my perspective was learning about strategies for inclusion in music education, particularly to those with disabilities in various forms.
So far at UNT, I have only taken two general education courses. In my “Professional Issues in Teaching” course, some of the concepts that have been covered include learning about the history of education, and the main educational theories. I had not heard this information before, and it really adds context to everything else I had learned in previous courses. In Child Development, I learned about typical mental and physical capabilities of children as they grow up, which will be invaluable knowledge towards creating realistic goals for my future students.
However, there are some things that I feel haven’t been covered quite as well from my education coursework. Classroom management, for one, has been an area in which I have received little to no instruction. There seems to be an unspoken expectation, at least in the music education circles, that one will learn such skills on the job, and as a result, will either sink or swim. I think that attitude is slightly ridiculous, as how on earth are we supposed to be successful in managing a classroom when we haven’t been taught strategies to try? This I think is a crucial given the large class sizes for instrumental music teachers.
In general, I feel my education courses and professors are doing their best to provide a solid foundation on which to build our teaching careers. Although there are areas that I think they could use more time on, both my music ed and general education classes have expanded my perspective in various ways, and gave me knowledge that will surely help me in my future classroom.
Katie's Blog 