Introduction to Basic Teaching Considerations

Every teaching situation is unique. Music education programs cannot prepare students for every specific scenario they will encounter during their careers. The time, context, environment, and students in each school can widely vary. Most professors try to communicate general principles and information that students may then apply to their own situations in the future. This application underlies the challenge and the art of teaching. Experience ideally brings insight and wisdom regarding how to apply these principles to each situation.

 

Teachers must transcend roles as information brokers and data gatherers. They must identify what their students need and figure out the best approaches to facilitate knowledge transfer and critical thinking. For pre-service teachers, techniques and methods classes should serve as laboratories to learn and practice these types of skills. Practicum experiences and student teaching bring more opportunities to work in context. And in-service teachers must of course continue to hone their abilities to reach each student. While this online resource focuses on specific knowledge, principles, and practices of brass pedagogy, basic ideas common to all music teaching situations underlie instruction in any context. Pre-service teachers need to consider these ideas throughout their curricula, including questions of management, scheduling, and lesson planning.