To develop music teachers who are knowledgeable, caring, and qualified, and who are committed to excellence in education in P-12 and community-music educational settings.
The program seeks excellence in education by developing through courses and experiences the following habits of mind in teacher candidates:
• passion for music and for sharing it with others;
• discrimination of musical quality;
• empathic regard for students and professional colleagues;
• flexibility to embrace change;
• intentional collaboration;
• self-reflection that acknowledges areas of strength and challenge;
• ability to articulate beliefs and thoughts;
• knowledge and acceptance of differences in skills and abilities of learners;
• ability to model ethical personal and professional comportment.
These habits of mind represent the program’s vision of what professional educators should be and of the personal and professional skills the teacher candidates are expected to develop throughout the program. The program’s vision of training effective, efficient, caring, and mature teachers is that after leaving the program teacher candidates will continue their learning process by:
• conducting active research;
• refining educational, pedagogical, and musical skills that promote life-long learning;
• refining personal musicianship skills;
• designing creative pedagogical applications;
• refining professional education skills.
Excellence in Musicianship and the Pursuit of Artistry
Musicianship is the capacity to demonstrate technical skill, artistic insight, and general content knowledge (literacy) within the field of music. The program believes that in order to become an effective P-12 or community-music teacher one must be an excellent musician. Historically, the field of music—represented by NASM-- has held the expectations listed below for the preparation of musicians. The program believes that adherence to these standards will ensure that its teacher candidates are fundamentally prepared to manage any musical situation they might encounter as educators, and that teachers who demonstrate competence in these skills will be able to offer and elicit aesthetic responses to music from their students.
Teacher candidates are expected to demonstrate competence in the following areas:
• theoretical and aural skills;
• historical perspectives and contexts;
• conducting skills;
• private study on a primary instrument;
• private study on a secondary instrument;
• keyboard skills;
• ensemble performance;
• aesthetic appreciation and expression of music of diverse musical styles/traditions.
Excellence in Pedagogy and Commitment to Teaching Diverse Groups of Students
The program faculty continuously strives to develop and assess teacher candidates’ pedagogical skills and content knowledge. Pedagogy is defined as the ability to translate content knowledge into instructional experiences that meet the needs of diverse groups of students. Teacher candidates are expected to demonstrate competency in the following areas:
• integration of music and general content knowledge;
• general knowledge of child development theories and learning styles and their applications in designing lessons and teaching diverse groups of children in grades P-12 and in community music settings;
• National Standards for Arts Education music content standards (Music Educators National Conference, 1994), ETS Pathwise and INTASC assessment criteria;
• classroom/rehearsal teaching and management strategies, techniques, and materials that result in meaningful music learning for students;
• monitoring students’ understanding and adjusting the content according to their educational and musical needs;
• sequenced lesson plans for classes/rehearsals that facilitate individual and group learning;
• reflection on student learning to inform subsequent planning and teaching;
• educational experiences that encourage higher-order thinking skills, creativity, and problem-solving;
• maintaining a positive atmosphere for learning through fair and consistent behavioral standards;
• questioning techniques that facilitate musical discovery;
• rapport with students that is positive, appropriate, and ethical.
Diversity within the Music Education Division is defined as preparing P-12 and community music teachers to become effective instructors of diverse student learners and to cope with diverse music teaching environments. Diverse student populations include:
• socioeconomic status
• gender
• race
• cultural traditions
• skill
• developmental exceptionality
• age level
• learning style
• school curriculum and schedule expectations
• technological accessibility
Excellence in Scholarship and Commitment to Life-Long Learning
The program provides its candidates with the necessary skills for a lifetime of continued learning and scholarship in music and in other academic domains. Teacher candidates are expected to demonstrate competencies in the following areas:
• valuing excellence in the pursuit of knowledge;
• integration of liberal arts and musical studies into their teaching;
• systematic analysis of their teaching;
• pursuit and consultation of scholarly research and professional resources that inform their teaching and musicianship.
Commitment to Community Engagement
In its Strategic Plan (2006), Oberlin College stated that one of its goals was to “Open the world to its students and develop in them the skills and knowledge they will need to engage with and navigate in highly diverse communities and in a global society.” The conservatory and its community music school are dedicated to providing music student learners with an exceptional educational and artistic experience while fostering a lifelong appreciation of and commitment to excellence in music. Furthermore, the Conservatory of Music and the Music Education program are committed to providing supportive, creative, and adaptable musical experiences into the public schools. In its rich tradition of community outreach programs, the Music Education program seeks to nurture teacher candidates who demonstrate competencies in the following areas:
• designing, planning for, and teaching group and individual lessons and/or classes in the Oberlin Conservatory Community Music School for children, youth, and adults;
• developing collaborative endeavors, grant opportunities, financial budgets, and music advocacy materials;
• application of musical and pedagogical skills in community music settings;
• systematically tracking and analyzing student progress;
• systematically reflecting on and prescribing means for improvement of their teaching and of the lesson or class environment;
• efficient and effective communication (written and oral) with students’ parents or guardians, administration, and teaching colleagues.
