Instrumental Teacher Training - help with research please

[jmh3412]

Hi,

As part of a review of current trends in Instrumental teaching, I am trying to assemble data relating to the percentage of Instrumental teachers who also hold a recognised Class Teaching Qualification.

Please add any extra information that you might think helpful e.g.

Relevence of Classroom skills to Instrumental Teaching

Perceived difference between Instrumental and Class teachers

Financial implications of teacher qualification if any - disparity between pay scales etc.

It would be helpful to receive details of qualifications e.g. first . higher degrees, diplomas etc.

Many Thanks

[Gorilla Tuba]

I am not sure I fully understand your question. In the USA all public school PreK-12 are supposed to get their teaching credentials through a college or university. In some states there are alternative certification processes. basically, in most fields the teacher candidates get a degree in their field (Biology, Mathematics, etc) and do some extra work in the education field to get certified. Generally this consistes of a few teaching philosophy courses, educational psychology, and some content specific techniques/methods courses. Music education is slightly different in that generally the degree is more integrated than a bachelor of arts (or science) with the teaching certification being an after thought. There is considerable variation from state to state on what the requirements for a teaching certification may be.

Now, to your question as I understand it... Who teaches these teacher candidates? Univerversity professors, not all of whom have been licensed to teach public schools themselves. Generally it is professors who have a background (and credentials) in public education who teach education classes, whereas it is the professor who has more background in applied knowledge and theory who teaches content courses. Example, an applied tuba professor is generally a performer who has jumped the hoops and gotten advanced degrees. In contrast, a music education professor (teaches teaching) is usually someone who taught for a few years (as opposed to gigging). These are huge generalizations. I teach applied tuba, but have spent a considerable amount of time teaching high school.

The other way I read your question is that you are asking about mentoring of current teachers via a "Master Teacher." Not all states have any such programs, but several do. When I first began teaching in Idaho, I was assigned a Master teacher to be my mentor. Sadly, this highly effective teacher knew nothing about music teaching, so I grew little professionally from the experience. However, I did make a good friend.

Most "Master Teacher" or what ever they are called in other states, programs involve demonstrates success in the classroom and having taught for a long time. They usually get a little extra money or lightened teaching load in exchange for sharing their wisdom.

I am confident that i just used a lot of words to say nothing that will enlighten your search.

[The Impaler]

Let's see......

Bachelor of Music (music education)
Master of Arts (instrumental conducting)
2.5 years teaching experience in Texas public schools

Question 1:
As to the relevance, I found that most, if not all, music education courses that I was required to take had very little to do with the general conditions that music teachers deal with, especially at the secondary level. Now, I'm glad I know all that stuff, but 99% of the applicable skills and knowledge that I use in my classes I learned from two people: my conducting teacher in college (who spent five years as a junior high band director before getting his DMA and then spent 39 years as the director of bands/orchestras at my college) and my supervising teacher here (a high school band director with a doctorate and 27 years of teaching experience). In my opinion, on the job training and a great mentor are by far the most important keys to success.

Question 2:
As to a perceived difference between classroom teachers and music teachers, I'm not sure if it's as big as some of us think it is. The bottom line is, we do vastly different things for the same students, both of which are absolutely necessary in a young student's development.

Question 3:
Finincial Implications - Beyond a shadow of a doubt, having a teacher's certificate makes me unbelievably more marketable in my state, and others as well. I make more money right now than some of my old professors at college do, which I find incredibly weird, especially with the vastly differing overall levels of quality between the two. I really think that the level should be more consistent - secondary teachers should be just as educated and well respected as college professors, because without one, the other wouldn't be possible.

hope that helps, email me if you want some more info. I've got to go do some score study.

[ken k]

In PA the certification is for "Music K-12" You can't get just a classroom certificate or an instrumental certificate. usually however when you go to college you pick a "track" either vocal, instrumental or comprehensive (a little bit of both). At least this is how it was at my undergrad school. I was in the instrumental track, but I still had a few classes in general music ed methods and had voice training and had to be in choir a few semesters. But being in the instrumental track I took extra semesters on each family of instruments, instrumental methods classes and had to be in band 7 semesters and marching band 2 years. Or something like that, I can't remember the details that was about 20 years ago. Yikes!

ken k

[Captain Sousie]

I am a certified K12 Music Educator for the state fo Wyoming. I earned my Bachelors of Music in education from the University of Wyoming in May 2004. I am currently substitute teaching in Cheyenne, Wy and a waiting for the job openings to start this spring.

Disclaimer: All that follows is one person's limited but honest opinion and should be taken with a grain of salt or five.


That said, Q1, Relevence of Classroom skills to Instrumental Teaching: I feel that, after spending extended periods of time in single classrooms, music and otherwise, planning, teaching, and grading, the skills acquired in the regular classroom will transfer most of the time. Classroom management techniques and such are mostly common between music and other classrooms. Knowledge of student dynamics transfers perfectly. Other things like the structure and organization of the classroom are vastly different.



Q2, Perceived difference between Instrumental and Class teachers: There is a real percieved difference between classroom and music educators and their functions. The classroom teacher generally tends to think of the music educator's role as secondary and sometimes unnecessary. This sometimes manifests in the classroom teachers not sending their students on time if at all, and can also include unprofessional treatment of the music teacher. This can also, in extreme cases, appear in the form of attempting to remove the arts from the schools. In Albany County alone there have been many unsuccessful movements by a small group of classroom teachers to eliminate music from the elementary curriculum altogether.
The administrators tend to think of music as unnecessary to their school curriculum but they have to keep us around because of the "standards". They are also looking for any last ditch effort to improve test scores so they don't have to go on probation. This is due in part to the multitude of studies and subsequent claims on the impact of music and the arts on test scores and classroom performance. However, not all administrators are so critical of music and the arts. In fact, some are so truly convinced of the social and personal value of music and the arts in their curriculum that they will go to any length to preserve and even further the arts.
Many music educators tend to think that they have a greater and even higher calling than the classroom teachers. What person who values excellence would think otherwise of their own mission? This ideal, while noble, can be misguided. Not all music educators are so caught up. Many believe that their place, while important, is not exclusive.


Q3, Financial implications of teacher qualification if any - disparity between pay scales etc.: If this means a difference between the music teacher's pay and the classroom teachers pay, music teachers tend to make more out here because they have a lot of extra duties on them like productions, concerts and the like. If not, please clarify either privately or in this thread and I will be happy to help in any way that I can.

David Martin

[Captain Sousie]

By the way, certification in Wyoming is all encompasing. With one piece of paper you can teach band, choir, orchestra, general music, guitar, etc. In the little, back-water Wyoming schools where the music teacher does everything (band, choir, k12 general music, and strings) your focus in college means precisely diddley as long as you are certified in music.

Sousie

[jmh3412]

Thanks to all who have taken time to reply.

The UK faces interesting times with regard to IUnstrumental Teaching. On the one hand the government has committed itself to giving EVERY child the opportunity to play a musical instrument, but without investing extra money to finance the extra staffing costs.

At present there is probably a 40/60% split between teacher qualified and other staff. While many instrumental teachers have highly respected diplomas from conservertoire, in general the pay scale will not recognise these as "teaching qualifications".

Consequently there is a huge pay differential between supposed "unqualified" staff (i.e those that were talented enough to gain entrance to one of the music colleges) and those that took a more traditional route through teacher training.

In addition to this, I as Head of Brass have been told by the government that I must appoint a qualified teacher before considering an equally qualified "non teacher". So........... glad to see that the English system is as fair as ever.

[jmh3412]

The aim of this enquiry is to assess the range of expertise and training held by those of us who give instrumental lessons rather than class lessons. In the UK they tend to be two very seperate activities - may be this is not the case elsewhere.

[Captain Sousie]

In this area we only have instrumental/choir performance classes, or general music classes. We don't really have any private instrumental lessons or small, non-performance instrumental groups. Further, all instrumental music teachers must have a teaching certificate, no exceptions.

Hope that helps you some,
Sousie

[RyanSchultz]

My MM was in perf./pedagogy