Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Mariah Sands
October 2016
Part 1: Why do you want to teach? What evidence do you have that you will be an
I feel most alive when I teach. By teaching, I am making an impact on the lives of
children, which energizes and excites me. The first time that I glimpsed the impact that a teacher
can have on the lives their students was during my participation in the Wisconsin School Music
Association Treble Choir. The conductor the year that I participated was Sigrid Johnson, a
member of the music faculty at St. Olaf University. She genuinely cared about every student and
spent time getting to know us as individuals. Because of this, we respected her and strove to do
our best for her. This culminated in one of the best performances I have ever participated in.
Ever since, I have returned to these memories to draw inspiration and motivation from them.
To develop my skills as a future educator I have been employed by Luther Park Bible
Camp as a counselor the last two summers. While there, I worked with children from the ages of
six to fifteen and collaborated with other counselors to create a curriculum for Bible study that is
adaptable to any age-group that we may encounter. The Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction (DPI) requires that teachers know about child growth and development, as stated in
Teacher Standard number two. Working with this wide range of ages over the course of two
summers has reinforced the fact that every year a child changes and their ability to learn expands.
My first week as a counselor was extremely difficult because I did not know how to
establish expectations and boundaries for the group. By the end of the summer, I had not only
Philosophy of Education Mariah Sands
learned how to do this, but also I learned how to be adaptable, think on my feet, work as a team,
and behave professionally, especially when introducing myself to parents. The most important
knowledge I gained is that I truly enjoy working with children and aspire to pursue it as a career.
I grew in areas I had not anticipated while teaching music to adults during my position as
the choir director at the English Lutheran Church of Bateman the past year. I learned the
importance of clear and concise communication and planning, which relates to the Wisconsin
DPI Teacher Standard number six: teachers communicate well. With this position came a large
amount of responsibility: I created the rehearsal schedule, selected the repertoire, and represented
Although handling this amount of responsibility as the youngest member of the choir was
overwhelming at first, I learned to find balance and utilize my time efficiently. The choir
successfully performed one or twice each month and transfer learned skills between pieces. This
demonstrated my effectiveness in teaching and conducting, and the aptitude of the singers I was
fortunate to work with. Through my work with this group, I realized that the more I learn about
music its interpretation, creation, and analysis the more I love it and want to expand my
knowledge. It is my desire to spark and foster curiosity in students that they may also explore and
The third group that I have worked with was through my Educational Studies (ES) 212
placement at Altoona Middle School. Much like my first week of camp, the first day that I
introduced myself to the students set the tone for the rest of the semester. Once again, the
importance of professionalism was emphasized, especially during our concert and weekly
meetings with other specialist teachers. During my placement, I primarily worked with the
seventh-grade choir. I lead warm ups at the beginning of rehearsals, taught multiple lessons, and
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conducted a piece at the end of the semester for their spring concert. This placement reinforced
the importance of the Wisconsin DPI Teacher Standard number ten: Teachers are connected with
other teachers and the community. Through my involvement in meetings and the concert, I made
connections with fellow teachers and parents of my students. These relationships helped me
understand the students themselves and how the entire school functions as an inter-related
community.
Lastly, I worked with a choir at a local school called Rietenbosch in Stellebosch, South
Africa. This schools population is comprised mostly of coloured children a term commonly
used in South Africa to determine the color of ones skin. I worked with the choir to prepare two
pieces for the eBosch School Choir Festival. Since I had sung the piece in English for multiple
occasions, I had a strong emotional connection to it. On the contrary, I was unable to initially
connect to the piece in Afrikaans. This proved to be a fantastic teaching moment: I shared my
experiences with the children with the English piece, and they explained what the piece in
Afrikaans meant to them. It has been proven to me, through this experience, that making music
In addition to conducting the choir, I am also worked on a project that aligns with
Wisconsin DPI Teaching Standard number nine: Teachers are able to evaluate themselves. For
production. In order to change their habits, I worked vowel exercises into our warm-ups and
applied these concepts to the two pieces that we performed at the eBosch School Choir Festival
recorded each lesson and listened to it at a later time and made notes on their vowel
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Philosophy of Education Mariah Sands
When I began working with the Rietenbosch choir, it was difficult to assimilate what they
had been taught into the new material I was presenting. With persistent repetition, I was use a
single word or gesture to help the children remember to lengthen their vowels. This project and
the resulting paper showed me the importance of reflecting on and analyzing the effectiveness of
my own teaching. It has also provided insight into the power that music can have, despite the
Through my multiple experiences working with children and adults, I have learned how
to wield the energy and excitement that I gain through teaching. I have acquired many of the
basic skills necessary to be an effective teacher; however, I know that I have much left to learn.
The positions I have held and my studies have proven that I can reflect on my experiences and
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Part II: Without using clichs, what is the purpose of education and how does the study of music
fit into that larger purpose? Discuss how music is similar and different from other content areas
that are being taught and who you believe benefits most from the study of music in schools.
I believe there are three primary purposes of education. First of all, education must
provide basic skills to survive in civilization such as but not limited to reading, writing,
communication, mathematics, and music. In the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for
Music (WMAS), there are five applications that, extend learning across the curriculum
(WMAS, ix). The first of these is Application of the Basics. This application is easily found in
each curriculum, but in my opinion, only applies to the first few years of a childs education
since higher level thinking is addressed in later years when the basics are mastered.
to reading, writing, and oral communication. Unfortunately, not every child can fluidly express
themselves using a written language, but educators have the ability to help them do so through
music. Especially at a younger, age, children may not know many words, but they are able to
connect with the emotions expressed in song. While the other disciplines focus on developing
the mind, music focuses on developing emotions and expression, the aesthetic sense. The
WMAS emphasize the importance developing ones aesthetic sense through the teaching of
music as it has proven to enhance the quality of life throughout ones entire life (WMAS, x).
students may not only survive in civilization, but also contribute to it in meaningful ways. The
WMAS relate to this purpose in the second application of education, the Ability to Think
(WMAS, ix), including critical, creative, and analytical thinking. I primarily think of students
using analytical skills to create solutions to problems in the sciences. This certainly also applies
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to the arts, namely, to music, when considering the theory behind compositions or pedagogical
topics. It is written in the WMAS that the study of music increases creativity and critical and
divergent thinking, and the opportunity for the brain to reach its highest potential, since music
provides the necessary rich, sensory experience for brain development, unlike any other
Another sub-point of the category of the Ability to Think is imagining places, times,
and situations different from ones own (WMAS, ix). The three disciplines that I believe apply
to this point are literature, writing, and music. While all three use words to transport the
participant, music is the only one that also incorporates another level: sound, in the sense of
melody and harmonies, and rhythm. In my experience, music has transported me to other
locations in time and place most effectively and efficiently due to the additional layer of sound
images and the fact that music is an essential part of every culture.
For generations, people have used music to express themselves and identify themselves
within a larger culture by imbuing the music with their own thoughts and the values and beliefs
of the culture of which they are a part. Imagining has the power to engender empathy in students,
is, Skill in Communication, which involves three sub-points that I will address. The first
ensemble, an a cappella group, or a band in a parents garage, creating music with others
undoubtedly develops this skill. Secondly, receiving and acting on instructions, plans, and
models is reinforced in every subject, but especially in an ensemble where everyone is working
towards a collective goal. Lastly, it is important that students are able to communicat[e] with a
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variety of tools and skills (WMAS, ix). Just as proper grammar and mathematical formulas are
tools to express oneself and his or her thoughts, so music is a means of communicating with
The third purpose of education, as I see it, relates to self-awareness. Education helps
students discover their passions and talents so they can fulfill their purpose, be conducive to
creating a brighter future, and retain cultural traditions. This is why I believe it is necessary to
provide a well-rounded education that includes music and the arts to all students. The WMAS
emphasize the importance that music has in ones self-fulfillment. Music is a representation of
the highest thoughts, achievements, and aspirations of humankind and has been confirmed by
psychologists such as Rogers and Maslow to serve as a viable avenue for self-realization due to
Even though each individual benefits immensely from studying music in the forms of
brain development and self-realization, I believe it is the global community that has the greatest
benefit from music education. Considering the aforementioned discussion concerning cultural
identity, it is apparent that individual cultures and society at large can and do benefit from
students studying music. Furthermore, smaller communities benefit from the study of music in
schools by engaging students in important and valuable events in the community. Students who
benefit from music education then become parents who encourage their children to participate in
music, thus perpetuating a cycle of generations profiting from music education. Studying abroad
in Stellenbosch, South Africa this semester has made very tangible to me the ability of music to
strengthen cultural beliefs and connect people from all walks of life.