PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING

Giovanni A. Pérez

      All students can learn. This has been my philosophy since beginning my teaching career as an applied flute instructor and elementary/secondary music educator. It is my desire to focus my work inspiring lifelong engagement in music making while fostering continuous growth in musicianship and !musical knowledge. To achieve this objective, there are two integral components an effective educator must possess: extensive knowledge of the content area and the ability to convey this information in a manner which students will comprehend. Both components are equally important. 

      In the classroom, I encourage collaboration through discussion, as students learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning process. By guiding students through in-class assignments through a student-centered learning approach, such as micro-teaching and team-teaching, I am able to help them explore their creative potential and resourcefulness. As professors in higher education, we talk about how it will be in the “real world.” Instead of “telling” students, we should allow them to experience the “real world” in a safe environment where they can make mistakes, refine their ideas, test innovations, solidify products, and hone their skills as effective communicators and expressers of thought through their musical and non-musical skill sets.

      As a teacher of future music educators-performers-industry professionals, I feel it is important to prepare my students to be highly effective polymaths in a time of increasing demands placed on musicians, and train them to become trail-blazers in an ever-expanding music industry that requires artists and communicators to engage in entrepreneurial actions. Ensuring they have a broad understanding of educational, performing, business, and communication theories and practice as well as helping them acquire the abilities to form their personal philosophies and plans of execution for their goals is very important to me. As I watch my students grow not only as artist-educators-producers-professionals but as citizens in the community, it represents a quality learning environment where each student becomes a successful learner.

      I am very dedicated to my students’ and colleagues’ research goals. I encourage students in their research through group assignments, independent studies, as well as supervise undergraduate senior projects and provide affordable high-quality recording services, which supports their creative and professional endeavors. I enjoy working one-on-one with students, guiding them through the research processes and through imagery-based instruction. In this way, students are equipped with the necessary skills required to achieve their academic goals. ! !My goal as an educator is to share my love of music with my students and help them become well-rounded, passionate music educators through a quality-learning environment. Hopefully, I will be able to pass on the lesson I have learned: dedication, persistence, and commitment to community will open the doors to a life-long career that I love: teaching, performing, producing, and arranging music.