Jennifer | Teacher #3235

Teaching Philosophy

Music is an essential part of life. It can help students of different ages to build discipline. Music learning requires regular practice, and having a goal motivates students to do just that. I always ask my students what they hope to achieve when they learn flute. Most of them have goals like taking music exams, getting prizes in competitions, learning the pieces they love or just purely being passionate about the instrument. I would like to design a teaching plan to lead them to their goals, so that it motivates them to practice every week and reinforce their discipline. Developing students' confidence is another benefit from learning music. I encourage students to participate in exams, competitions and performances, to enhance their mental capabilities to deal with challenging situations. Students are most likely to feel afraid when they are on stage and is the focus of everyone in the audience. While performing, they have to be able to control their fears , to continue even a note is missed, to focus even when all eyes are on them. In conclusion, music contributes majorly in helping a student become confident. In addition, joy is an important element in learning music. I think of ways to help students to enjoy music such as arranging flute ensembles and duets, and accompanying them on the piano to keep learning more interesting. As a music educator, I highly prefer a rewards system accompanied with encouragement instead of punishment. I believe that a positive learning environment can positively affect one’s learning experience. Sometimes students face challenges while learning an instrument. In such cases, I would guide them to first identify their strengths to build-up their confidence. Then I would invite them to brainstorm what they could improve on and then to do so to become the best musician they can be.