Grace Lathrop

Teaching Philosophy

Teaching, shaping, and inspiring young minds is a task that comes with great

responsibility, but it is one that I feel should be taken on with pride. The lessons taught in my

classroom will extend beyond subject knowledge to teach valuable skills that have lifelong

applications.

I believe the classroom is a place where students should have a say in their own learning

experiences. The music classroom lends itself to the presentation of various cultures, ideas, and

mindsets through exploration of different musical genres, instruments, and traditions. Randall

Everett states that ‘Teaching literacy is helping students learn to say what they want to say, the

way they want to say it. It is learning to read the world with others but differently than others.’

(Everett 47) As an educator, I believe it is my duty to allow students to share their own ideas and

stories and to help them be more open-minded and accepting of every person that they may

encounter in their lifetime. I do not have a monopoly on knowledge and experiences, and

students should be able to express when their knowledge differs or extends beyond what I have

shared with them. It is important that students are given the opportunity to share their personal

experiences and learn how to respond to classmates that are given the same opportunity. Students

should be aware of the varying perspectives they bring to the classroom and should become

comfortable interacting with and facilitating conversations around those ideas.

All students should be taught through the lens of Universal Design for Learning. As an

educator, I strive to apply various UDL principles to my lessons in order to create a more

inclusive and accessible classroom environment for all learners. ‘Making learning accessible,
however, is only the beginning. Educators must also provide options and choices so students are

engaged with content that is relevant, authentic, and meaningful.’ (Chardin and Novak 5) I

know that I cannot break down every barrier a student faces when seeking education, but it is my

duty to do everything in my power to make the classroom accessible to them. By providing

students with multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression, I am

creating lessons and content that is more meaningful and accessible to all learners in my

classroom.

I believe that every student wants to be the best version of themself, and that every

student deserves to see themself in a positive light. Educator Joe Ruhl shares in his Ted Talk that

‘(Caring) is the most effective, most powerful, most inspiring way of teaching: getting (students’)

attention, motivating them, inspiring them.’ (Ruhl 15:36) As an educator, I take the time to

understand my students before seeking to be understood. Every interaction should begin with

empathy and understanding in order to fully see and know my students. It is important to me that

my students know their value and what they can contribute to the classroom. By knowing these

things, students will be more motivated to learn and interact with their teacher and peers. This is

especially important in the choral classroom where students are taking chances and opening up to

others by sharing their voice. My students will know that they have the power to create change,

and that their actions can affect others. I believe that students should leave the classroom

knowing that they have value, that they are cared for by their teacher, that they have what it takes

to set and accomplish their goals, and that they have the skills to connect with and share

meaningful experiences with others.

Works Cited

Chardin, Mirko, and Katie R. Novak. Equity by Design : Delivering on the Power and Promise
of UDL, SAGE Publications, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/susqulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6331818.
Created from susqulibrary-ebooks on 2021-10-03 22:32:03.

Randall Everett Allsup. Remixing the Classroom : Toward an Open Philosophy of Music
Education. Indiana University Press, 2016.

Ruhl, Joe. Teaching Methods for Inspiring the Students of the Future - YouTube. 27 May 2015,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCFg9bcW7Bk.