Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is “serve and help”. This may seem simple in statement but it is a hugely difficult idea to overcome. What does it mean to serve and help? Most would say that it just means to simply serve and help others. But how do you serve and help students? Children whose lives you may only play a small part in. Even if I may only see my students for an hour a
day, I will do everything in my power to give them the environment to thrive and succeed.
I know how hard it can be to have internal struggles or problems at home that no one knows about. I want to create a community where the students can feel at home, especially for those who do not have the ideal life of a student and child. I want to be the type of teacher who becomes like a figure my students can count on when needed. I was adopted and cared for and I intend to care for the students. This is a huge undertaking, but it is possible with the right mindset. I want to foster individual
relationships with each and every student, no matter how troubled they might be. I plan to do this
by always keeping an open door. This is inspired by Dr. Pope. His door is always open for you to
come in and talk, ask questions, or just vent. He is incredible at listening. One inclination that
I've always had when people come to me with problems is to try my best to fix them. In a
student-teacher relationship, this cannot always be the case. I have learned from Dr. Pope that
many times the best thing you can do is listen. This lets the student know that you care about
what they are saying. If I have the ability to help, I will always do so. When it comes to personal
problems or home issues, the best thing to do is listen and maybe give advice.
I want to positively impact my students by making sure there is a place they can always go to get lost in music. The band room is a place of creation and self discovery. You create music and you discover what it does for you. Music elicits emotions that can change the course of your day and​ possibly your life. When students learn how music affects them, they can use it to affect the community in a positive way. When people see our marching band, I want them to notice that the students are enjoying themselves, and not just there because I put it in the schedule. When people here our concerts, I want them to feel the emotional connection the students have to the music, each other, and themselves. I want to provide a way for students to succeed and release their emotions in a positive, productive, and musical way. When they see their own successes, it pushes them to work harder and go past what they every thought they could do. I will do everything in my power to serve and help each student in whichever ways they may need.