Description
Journeys of Becoming and Being Music Teachers by Kristen Pellegrino, Erik Johnson and Cynthia Wagoner is designed to assist undergraduate and graduate music education students in understanding life as a music teacher during the first five years of their careers. Our goal is to highlight factors that students may not have considered, especially those that contribute to a long, resilient music teaching career.
In Section One, Journeys, we begin with an Introduction Chapter, followed by four chapters featuring real music teachers’ stories, along with a link to a podcast with two early career choral teachers.
- Chapter 2: Krystal’s Story as an Orchestra Teacher
- Chapter 3: Oscar’s Story as a Band Teacher
- Chapter 4: Olivia’s Story as a General Music Teacher
- Chapter 5: Xavier’s Story as an Orchestra Teacher
Link to a Podcast with Two Choral Teachers’ Journeys
The stories are written in a first-person, conversational style to reflect the participants’ voices. Each chapter in Section One is divided into two parts: (a) Becoming Music Teachers, and (b) Being Music Teachers.
In Section Two, we delve into four key themes: People Matter, Place Matters, Time Matters, and Musical Experiences Matter.
- Chapter 6: People Matter: The Impact of Others and Self (Relationships)
- Chapter 7: Place Matters: Moving through the Landscapes of Becoming and Being a Music Teachers
- Chapter 8: Time Matters: The Impact of Teaching Across Time and Societal and Cultural Experiences
- Chapter 9: Music Matters: Meanings of Music and Musical Experiences
The final section, Pedagogy, includes three chapters:
- Chapter 10: Understanding How Orientation Matters (Implications)
- Chapter 11: Philosophy Statements
- Chapter 12: Reflective Practice and Your Identity as a Music Teacher
In Chapter 11, Philosophy Statements, we guide readers through rooting their philosophies in personal journeys, clarifying values and beliefs (pillars and anchors), and developing a personal music teaching philosophy statement. We emphasize the importance of continually revisiting and refining these statements throughout one’s career, and we provide suggestions for making practical teaching decisions based on personal philosophies.
We encourage readers to engage with at least one music teacher story in Section One, explore all chapters in Section Two for insights on orientation impacts (people, place, time, musical experiences), and utilize the pedagogical tools in Section Three to refine and evolve their identity as music teachers.
