As a music teacher, my goal is to create an encouraging classroom environment where students learn about the foundations of music and develop the skills necessary to explore what music can allow them to communicate. 

Music is embedded into our daily lives and cultures; therefore, students should have the opportunity to learn about a subject that they interact with constantly.

Music is an expression of the ineffable. It allows human beings to express their emotions, ideas, and beliefs and is deeply embedded into our cultures. Because music is an expression of self, the music classroom should be a welcoming environment where students feel comfortable exploring their creativity and expressing themselves through music. Therefore, in my classroom, I strive to foster a community environment by building relationships with my students and getting to understand their musical cultures. I have had the privilege of teaching students who come from varied cultural backgrounds, and I strive to learn about their unique musical heritage and integrate their cultures as so that they can experience mirrors, windows, and doors into music in my classroom.

In my current position, my Orff and Kodaly training and experiences have created an active music making classroom environment where students can explore musical concepts. My Kodaly training has given me the tools to sequence student learning in a way that is developmentally appropriate and meaningful for students, while my Orff training has given me the tools to create lessons that encourage students to challenge themselves. Inspired by these teaching methods, my classes bring together exploration, inquiry, identification, and creation to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation for music. As a result, I have seen my students get excited about learning new rhythmic values, try new and challenging activities without hesitation, and learn from their mistakes.

 All students are inherently musical and can cultivate the ability to create the music of our future.