The relationships between the teacher and students in a classroom bear striking similarities to an orchestra and its director getting ready for an important performance. For me, this analogy represents my teaching philosophy. Important aspects of teaching and learning, like making music, include a clear understanding of goals and desired outcomes for the encounter, the inclusion of the voices and expertise of all individuals involved, and the characteristics of the environment in which the experience takes place.
Goals and Outcomes
The overall goal of an orchestra rehearsal is clear - to work toward a pleasing performance of some musical composition. The overall goal of any teaching/learning experience is also clear - for students to gain some basic knowledge and understanding of the subject matter covered in the course. Objectives for each of my classes move beyond the large goal of exposing students to sociology, however. One such goal is to give students the opportunity to seriously engage with the subject material, and challenge them to do so, rather than simply learning and memorizing facts that are easily forgotten. Each class that I have taught, from research methods to sex roles, can have some application to students’ daily lives and it is my goal to make those applications clear. I do this by offering activities and fostering discussions that bring the material of everyday life into the classroom to be examined sociologically. Students often comment that, because of class discussions, readings, and assignments, they are able to see things around them in new ways.
An orchestra director realizes the importance of the proper technique on the part of each musician. Similarly, I also see skills such as critical thinking and clear communication as imperative for becoming an active participant in the world, no matter what one’s major or career plans hold. My courses emphasize writing, speaking, and analyzing and evaluating the sources of information rather than fostering a sense of blind acceptance of printed or spoken word.
Different Voices and Expertise
In an orchestra hall, as in a classroom, the director/teacher is the one who may ultimately been seen as “responsible” for the success or failure of the experience. Like a director who has the authority to set tempo and dynamic levels after careful score study, it is the teacher who is responsible for knowing and understanding her material. Only after careful preparation and study can the important concepts of any subject matter be presented in such a way as to make them understood by those unfamiliar with the discipline. My job is to provide the foundation upon which further learning and discussion of the subject matter can take place. In addition to the basic concepts and perspectives, the excitement I have for sociology can only be conveyed when the material itself is understood. Therefore, my goal is to always be prepared and involved with the material when entering the classroom.
This is not to say, however, that the only voice in that classroom is or should be mine. Each musician in the orchestra is considered an “expert” on his or her own instrument - and each of these instruments is necessary in the creation of a symphony. Each instrument is different but important. Students are the same way. Each is an “expert” on his/her own life, experiences, and interests. Each individual is a total person and I strive to incorporate that individuality into the classroom experience. For some, sociology comes “naturally” and it is easy for them to see its application to their lives. For others, the sociological perspective is a challenge. I work to create opportunities in which students can take the material and make it more their own and, in return, teach me something too. Activities in my classes are varied and range from individual papers and experiential projects to collaborative learning tasks. For example, students may be asked to work together to create a budget for a family when talking about inequality, to produce “culture collages,” or to track demographic changes in some variable of interest to them. Individual assignments may involve reading and critiquing articles or books relating to course material, designing a research project, or viewing a variety of settings through a “sociological lens.” I always try to give students options and freedom in choosing their assignments - without compromising set standards for acceptable work - so that they may do assignments that are going to engage them in the parts of the material that are most interesting or useful to them.
The Classroom Environment
Individual instrumentalists in an orchestra may or may not create music simply by playing their own instruments together in a single location. Similarly, learning does not automatically take place because students are in a classroom. The environment I foster within the classroom has the potential to seriously impact the learning that can take place. Knowing this, I attempt to keep the classroom a place where ideas can be exchanged and challenged openly. This “openness” also stretches beyond the classroom as I encourage students to talk with me about any questions or concerns they have. I try to be available in any way I can, such as in office hours and by phone or email.In the classroom, I strive for dialogue rather than monologues in the presentation of information. Just like musicians who must practice their own parts outside of the orchestra rehearsal, students are expected to work on their own and be prepared for class so that they can take part in this dialogue. I encourage participation in the form of questions, comments, or “thinking out loud.” I constantly make efforts to push the discussion out of the range of personal experience (although that does have its importance at times) and opinion in an attempt to get students to think in terms of evidence, things they have read, and trends larger than their own experiences. The environment also includes constant challenges to get all of us to think about things in ways we might not have before. Such challenges might include seeing inequality when it would be much easier to believe that it does not exist or the constant questioning of the role of social forces in our own lives.
An orchestra director is the one who is responsible for setting and working toward goals that foster the musical growth of both the orchestra and each individual musician. The director cannot, however, cause that to happen without the help of each musician. So it is with a teacher and her students.