General Educators Teaching Music:
It’s Not About Music, It’s About Pedagogical Possibilities
Cathy Benedict, Ed.D FIU
The discipline of music education is an integral part of many public schools. Indeed, most of the top-rated high schools in the US have thriving, robust music programs as part of their curriculum. Unfortunately, an education in and through music is either absent or presents itself as a lessened presence in the lives of many young students. Further, many school districts (particularly in urban centers) have eliminated requirements for music in pre-1st grade, leading to an absence of any specialized music teaching at that level.
The consequence of such political and economic decisions often means that the responsibility for the inclusion of music in early grades falls into the hands of general educators. As such many, if not most, College of Education preservice students are mandated to take a course designed to prepare them to teach and integrate music/arts in younger grades. As we know, these pre-service teachers are under tremendous accountability pressure to “teach” their students and “measure” their learning. Nothing can be left to chance: behavioral objectives are their constant companion as are detailed articulations of the expectations and goals of every single lesson (most of which is required to be stated on the board).
Regardless of the fact that nationwide thousands of preservice students per year take this course little research exists as to the ways in which they may enact learned pedagogical practices or the extent of the impact of such instruction upon preservice teachers and their perceptions and dispositions toward educating in and through music. (Campbell & Burdell, 1996; Wiggins & Wiggins, 2008). Further still, information regarding how and if preservice teachers do carry said perceptions, dispositions and practices over into their first years of teaching is lacking.
A better understanding of how and in what ways preservice teachers consider, embrace and enact pedagogical strategies that veer from the traditional norm of their education classes can generate benefits to future preservice teachers and the students with whom they will interact within schools. Further, music educators, particularly those teaching in elementary settings, have much to gain from better understanding how to mindfully integrate their work with that of the day-to-day planning and actions of general educators. This paper/presentation offers preliminary results from conversations with and observations of early career general educators who have undertaken just such a required course during which neither “teaching to” the standards, nor “students will be able to” (SWBAT) ever entered the educative discourse.
Campbell, M. & Burdell, P. ( Fall 1996). Conceptions of Knowledge and Teaching Practice among Music Education Students and Elementary Education Students. McGill Journal of Education, 31, (3) pp. 231-45.
Wiggins, J. & Wiggins, R. (2008). Primary Music Education in the Absence of Specialists. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 9, (12), pp. 1-26.
It’s Not About Music, It’s About Pedagogical Possibilities
Cathy Benedict, Ed.D FIU
The discipline of music education is an integral part of many public schools. Indeed, most of the top-rated high schools in the US have thriving, robust music programs as part of their curriculum. Unfortunately, an education in and through music is either absent or presents itself as a lessened presence in the lives of many young students. Further, many school districts (particularly in urban centers) have eliminated requirements for music in pre-1st grade, leading to an absence of any specialized music teaching at that level.
The consequence of such political and economic decisions often means that the responsibility for the inclusion of music in early grades falls into the hands of general educators. As such many, if not most, College of Education preservice students are mandated to take a course designed to prepare them to teach and integrate music/arts in younger grades. As we know, these pre-service teachers are under tremendous accountability pressure to “teach” their students and “measure” their learning. Nothing can be left to chance: behavioral objectives are their constant companion as are detailed articulations of the expectations and goals of every single lesson (most of which is required to be stated on the board).
Regardless of the fact that nationwide thousands of preservice students per year take this course little research exists as to the ways in which they may enact learned pedagogical practices or the extent of the impact of such instruction upon preservice teachers and their perceptions and dispositions toward educating in and through music. (Campbell & Burdell, 1996; Wiggins & Wiggins, 2008). Further still, information regarding how and if preservice teachers do carry said perceptions, dispositions and practices over into their first years of teaching is lacking.
A better understanding of how and in what ways preservice teachers consider, embrace and enact pedagogical strategies that veer from the traditional norm of their education classes can generate benefits to future preservice teachers and the students with whom they will interact within schools. Further, music educators, particularly those teaching in elementary settings, have much to gain from better understanding how to mindfully integrate their work with that of the day-to-day planning and actions of general educators. This paper/presentation offers preliminary results from conversations with and observations of early career general educators who have undertaken just such a required course during which neither “teaching to” the standards, nor “students will be able to” (SWBAT) ever entered the educative discourse.
Campbell, M. & Burdell, P. ( Fall 1996). Conceptions of Knowledge and Teaching Practice among Music Education Students and Elementary Education Students. McGill Journal of Education, 31, (3) pp. 231-45.
Wiggins, J. & Wiggins, R. (2008). Primary Music Education in the Absence of Specialists. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 9, (12), pp. 1-26.
