Education Philosophy

To achieve the highest standards of music education and music performance; facilitate the musical enrichment of the student membership of South Cobb High School and its feeder schools; demonstrate a safe learning environment and the value of music in our community; promote the significant role music plays in the cultural, intellectual, global citizenship, and social lives of our members foster fellowship and goodwill among one another; provide its membership with opportunities for personal growth and leadership. 

The ultimate vision for the South Cobb High School Orchestra program is to provide as many educational opportunities through musical skill and artistic excellence. Every decision made from the director’s office is in service to the philosophy of skill development. Depth of musical skill has always been the hallmark of the Eagle music program. Musical and artistic skill is our nucleus and sustaining focal point that is addressed through instruction in class. It is important for students to understand the vision; that it lines up with the leadership of the program, the school, and the district. A Proverb states that where there is no vision, the people shall surely perish. 

As a teacher, my goal is to perpetuate knowledge and critical thinking. 

Through my experiences,  I have learned that finding different ways to present ideas is crucial for the students

success. To accomplish this, I balance the time spent lecturing and with aiding students to make

discoveries. I encourage students to find ways of learning through the exchange of ideas so they

will be equipped to teach others in the future.

My approach to assessing student progress reflects my goals to create an atmosphere for student

participation and to emphasize critical thinking and listening. In the music profession, it is of the

utmost importance for students to immerse themselves into the world of music by being familiar

with various composers, styles, terms and concepts. I implement effective practice strategies

into my teaching, but also provide office hours for students who need additional time. Providing

additional support outside of rehearsal periods has been a tremendous help to students that might

have trouble learning certain parts of the music.

Each student has a different background and set of experiences that a teacher must consider. Not

every student will learn in the same manner, so I tailor the approach for teaching music to

ameliorate the students weaknesses while further developing their strengths. I believe each

student has the capacity to improve their listening ability for a better understanding of the music

they are expected to perform. This will equip the students to expand their skills and raise

personal benchmarks. Another effective tool I use is for the students to dissect and analyze

challenging musical phrases. When a student struggles with a passage, I demonstrate effective

practice strategies. The ultimate goal is to help the student learn how to

move beyond playing the notes on the page and to actually perform the piece. 

Music is a wonderful art that people strive to completely master, as there is always something to

improve upon. I have a daily goal to learn something new each day and to constantly find better

ways to accomplish particular tasks. Learning is a two way street; the student learns from the

teacher, but oftentimes the teacher will learn something new from the student. There should

never be a time when a musician stops learning, there should always be an evolution of

musicianship.