Tell us about your course.
I teach a 400-level course comprised of music education majors (typically seniors). The course is a mix of peer microteaching lessons (creating lesson plans and teaching those lessons to those peers), in-class discussions based on reading assignments, and small group exploration of music education resources.
What specific practices do you use to ensure student’s feel a sense of belonging in your classes?
I firmly believe that teaching is based on relationships and truly knowing your students. To that end, on the first day of class, every student shares their name, pronouns (if they wish), their instrument/voice, their home school district, and why they want to be a music educator. Over the course of the semester, as we discover more about each other, I make a point to remember these personal details and connect them to course content to make students’ learning especially meaningful. During our discussions, I do my best to be fully present, listen carefully to students’ responses in a discussion, clarify and challenge their points, and connect those points to those previously made in the discussion. Additionally, peers provide each other with feedback immediately following their microteaching lessons. Finally, I always greet each student individually and chat with groups of students before class. To summarize, through our interactions, I strive to help our class become a community.
How do you know when your practices are working?
The CTL’s Midterm Assessment Process has always given me great feedback as to what is going well in the course and what could be improved. I’ve always been so pleased to read students’ comments describing how welcome they feel as individuals and how motivated they are to come to class to participate, and we start at 8:00am! Additionally, as the semester progresses, I notice that students are comfortable enough learning with each other that, during class, they challenge a point made or provide critical feedback on one’s teaching and specific suggestions on how to improve. It’s very much an organic experience that takes shape over the semester. This is all done in a respectful and professional manner and with the intent of heightening the learning experience for all.
What do you love most about teaching?
I learn so much every day from our students! They have always been, and will be, my best teachers. Through our time together, they articulate brilliant ideas that I never would have thought of, and that shared connection we have during a musical moment is priceless. Every iteration of the course is different in some way based on what I learned from previous students. It’s especially rewarding to see the students with whom I worked graduate and become music educators in our public schools. They do such amazing things with their students!
