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Proactive Scholar - Practitioner Philosophy

The teacher is able to articulate a personal philosophy of teaching and exhibits dispositions consistent with the Proactive Scholar-Practitioner model.

Music Teachers should develop a personal philosophy of teaching, exhibit sound moral character and recognize their position as a life-long scholar.

“Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens. If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.”-Shinichi Suzuki

Standard: 1. Case Teacher Licensure Mission: The mission of the Case educator preparation unit is to prepare Proactive Scholar-Practitioners who demonstrate thorough content and pedagogical knowledge; skill in instructional planning, delivery, and assessment; and dispositions consistent with the principles of commitment, collaboration, and creativity. We define Proactive Scholar-Practitioners as educators who, upon entering the teaching profession, demonstrate through their performance in instructional contexts:

Indicator: the values, commitments, and personal ethics necessary to be an effective educator in twenty-first century schools (Proactive)

Indicator: thorough understanding of content in their field, of child and adolescent development and diversity, of principles of learning and teaching, and of evidence-based teaching practices specific to their field (Scholar)

Indicator: superior skill in creating optimal learning environments, in assessing and monitoring individual student performance and instructional effectiveness, in adapting instruction to accommodate changing student performance including effective application of technology, and in communicating effectively and working collaboratively with students, families, and co-workers (Practitioner)

Standard: 2. Case Teacher Licensure Vision: We envision the preparation of Proactive Scholar-Practitioners characterized not only by superior content and pedagogical knowledge, superior performance as practitioners of their respective disciplines and in the instructional application of that discipline, but also by dispositions consistent with the shared mission of Case and the educator preparation unit. These dispositions include:

Indicator: belief that all children and youth can learn, in the creative potential of all children and youth, and in the power of effective instruction to engage and foster that potential

Indicator: valuing diversity and respecting and appreciating the different perspectives and talents of all people

Indicator: a caring and respectful demeanor toward students and their families, peers, co-workers, and professors

Indicator: fairness in relationships with others and personal ethics, that is, doing the right thing for not just themselves but for the world

Indicator: reflection on their own teaching practice, recognizing areas of personal strength and weakness, while demonstrating high efficacy

Indicator: commitment to the education profession and the pursuit of lifelong learning and excellence in their own performance and to fostering the positive development of their students

Standard: 3. Case Teacher Licensure Philosophy and Belief System: Case prepares educators to be Proactive Scholar-Practitioners. A shared set of core beliefs about teachers, learners, and the learning process unifies the educator preparation programs at Case, and can be summarized as follows:

Indicator: Effective teaching is evidenced by the ability to create engaging, responsive, and collaborative learning environments.

Indicator: Effective teaching is evidenced by the appropriate and creative use of technology in identifying and responding to individual and collective learning needs of students and in communicating effectively with students.

Indicator: Effective teaching is communicating, along with knowledge and skill, a sense of wonder and excitement in discovery and creativity.

Indicator: Effective learning is characterized by understanding and is evidenced by the learner's ability to apply knowledge and skills in novel situations (Gardner, 1991).

Indicator: Effective learning does not merely add to previous knowledge, but transforms the learner.

Indicator: Effective educators manifest care and respect for students, families, and co-workers.

Indicator: Effective educators demonstrate fairness and personal ethics.

Indicator: Effective educators are reflective in monitoring their own teaching.

Indicator: Effective educators are lifetime learners who are actively engaged with their discipline and with their students, and thus continuously developing as professionals.

Indicator: Effective educators value and respond positively to diversity among their students.

Indicator: Effective educators believe that all students can learn and realize their creative potential.

Indicator: Effective educators are, above all, models for their students.

Standard: 4. Case Western Reserve University Mission and Values: Case Western Reserve University strives to be the most powerful learning environment in the world. We constantly challenge ourselves to create a culture of transformation so engaging that students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and even visitors to campus become passionate about moving beyond themselves to express creativity, to pursue innovation and discovery, and to serve humanity.

Indicator: As a university guided in all of its labors by values defined and sustained by constant moral discourse, we hold ourselves accountable at every level of the institution for practicing our values of integrity and respect, excellence and innovation, mentorship and diversity, academic freedom and entrepreneurship, partnership and social responsibility, efficiency and effectiveness, and continuous personal and institutional improvement.

Indicator: As an educational institution dedicated to leadership in teaching and learning, we seek to transform all learners - faculty and staff as well as students - and support their personal growth and mentorship throughout their lives. We seek to lead the nation as the research university where the challenges of creating new knowledge support the values of a liberal education, where rigorous theory and practical, real-world experiences come together.

Indicator: As a research institution dedicated to leadership in scholarly investigation, we seek to transform knowledge itself, focusing resources into those areas of research and scholarship where we can have the greatest national and global impact. In addition to research targeted to specific ends, we also accept our responsibility - unique to research universities - to create and disseminate knowledge for its own sake, and we promote a culture of inquiry marked by rigor, creativity, curiosity, innovation, respect, sensitivity, open communication of ideas, and lifelong learning.

Indicator: As a service-oriented institution dedicated to civic leadership, we seek individually and collectively to transform society by preparing our students to improve the human condition and by directing the benefits of discovery toward a better society. Our uniquely transforming environment is not limited to the university's own classrooms, laboratories, libraries, residence halls, and athletic fields, but includes partnerships with many other great institutions, including those concentrated in University Circle, Greater Cleveland, and Northeast Ohio, and beyond. To "think globally, act locally," we build these partnerships in the service of national and international leadership, believing that our ability to improve the human condition throughout the world should begin within our own community.

Indicator: Case Western Reserve University strives to create a unique synergy among our education, research, and service missions, which we view as inseparable. Organizationally, this means that we eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, striving to be the most efficiently run research university in the world in order to keep our focus on productivity and maximize opportunities for inter-departmental, inter- school, and inter-institutional collaboration. Educationally, this means that student experiences in cultural institutions, clinics, social service agencies, or industry are not viewed as "extra- curricular," but combine with the demands and rigors of academic theory to create the transforming learning experience that is a Case Western Reserve education.

OH- Ohio Fine Arts Academic Content Standards Philosophy and Guiding Assumptions

Introduction: Philosophy and Guiding Assumptions: Ohio's fine arts academic content standards serve as a basis for what all students should know and be able to do in the arts. These standards, benchmarks and grade-level indicators are intended to provide Ohio's educators with a set of common expectations on which to base arts education curricula and instructional programs.

Area: Philosophy of Ohio's Fine Arts Academic Content Standards: The fine arts, dance, drama/theatre, music and visual art, are essential to the basic education of all students.

Strand: The arts:

Standard: Represent the most telling imprint of any civilization and serve as records of history, expressions and beliefs;

Standard: Are basic symbol systems which people use to create, communicate, express and acquire understanding.

Standard: Represent forms of thinking and ways of knowing by participation in the world through cognitive and sensory experiences;

Standard: Embody the deepest expression of humanity;

Standard: Permeate all facets of daily life, education, community and work.

Strand: Therefore, a comprehensive and sequential arts education means that students will:

Standard: Understand the role of the arts in people's lives and appreciate the artistic achievements of various cultures and societies, past and present.

Standard: Communicate through the arts and develop capacity to perceive, think creatively and critically, and problem solve.

Standard: Respond to the aesthetic, expressive and emotional qualities of the arts;

Standard: Understand why people value the arts and formulate their arts philosophy;

Standard: Understand the connections among the arts, other academic disciplines and life experiences.

Area: Assumptions for the Fine Arts Academic Content Standards: Ohio's fine arts academic content standards:

Standard: Set high expectations and provide strong support for achievement in the arts by all students;

Standard: Respresent strands of knowledge and skills, unique to the arts, that enable students to make successful transitions to post-secondary education, the work place and everyday life;

Standard: Reflect the sound application of research in arts education;

Standard: Reflect national arts standards documents;

Standard: Balance knowledge, creative thinking, conceptual understanding and skill development;

Standard: Focus on important arts education goals, themes and topics that are clearly articulated through benchmarks and grade-level indicators;

Standard: Represent the rigorous progression of learning across grades and in-depth study in each grade;

Standard: Incorporate the use of technology in artistic study and production;

Standard: Serve as a basis for classroom and district-wide assessments;

Standard: Guide the development of local arts education curricula and instructional programs.

USA- Praxis II

Test Names: Test Names

Licensure Area: Music K-12

Test 0113: Music: Content Knowledge (contains listening section)

Content Category V: Professional Practices

USA- Praxis II Principles of Learning

Test: Principles of Learning & Teaching: Grades 7-12

Category: IV. Profession and Community

Topic: A. The Reflective Practitioner

Detail: 3. Ongoing personal refl ection on teaching and learning practices as a basis for making professional decisions

USA-Praxis III/Pathwise Teacher Performance Criteria
Copyright ©2003 Educational Testing Service. Used with permission of ETS. Also see Danielson, Charlotte (1996) "Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching" Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Domain: Domain A - Organizing Content Knowledge for Student Learning

Criterion A3: Demonstrating an understanding of the connections between the content that was learned previously, the current content, and content that remains to be learned in the future

Domain: Domain C- Teaching for Student Learning

Criterion C1: Making learning goals and instructional procedures clear to students

Criterion C2: Making content comprehensible to students

Criterion C3: Encouraging students to extend their thinking

Criterion C4: monitoring students' understanding of content through a variety of means, providing feedback to students to assist learning, and adjusting learning activities as the situation demands

Criterion C5: Using instructional time effectively

Domain: Domain D- Teacher Professionalism

Criterion D1: Reflecting on the extent to which the learning goals were met

Criterion D2: Demonstrating a sense of efficacy

Reflection on the Learning Outcome
Case Western Reserve University's Proactive Scholar Practitioner Program outlines goals which are used to prepare future educators. The first of these Program Outcomes is the Proactive Scholar Practitioner Philosophy, which states that future educators develop their own personal philosophy of teaching and exhibit the moral and social dispositions consistent with that of the Case Proactive Scholar Practitioner Program. In other words, future educators must be upright, responsible individuals with a desire to serve humanity through education. They must also recognize their position as a life-long learner and pursue professional growth through research. Finally, they must understand how to help students reach their full potential through their skills as a practitioner.

Music educators are no exception. They must develop a teaching philosophy which explains why they believe music holds an important place in academia and what they hope to accomplish as a music teacher. It is of utmost importance that future music educators be of good moral character and have the appropriate attitude, perhaps even more so than other teachers because of the uniquely intimate relationship between student and teacher; many music students, myself included, have felt that their music teacher was a third parent, a mentor, if you will, rather than simply an instructor. Thus, it is extremely important that they be of the highest moral and social dispositions. Furthermore, they must recognize themselves as life long learners and constantly be improving their teaching and performing skills by attending conferences, researching, and giving concerts.

Outside of school, there are endless opportunities to develop one's personal philosophy and professional growth. Independent study through reading and research is one way. Future music educators should also strive to attend numerous concerts, recitals, master classes, and lectures in or related to their field. Giving private lessons, working as a teacher's aide, and shadowing teachers are some excellent ways to improve as an educator. As a performer, future music teachers should be constantly practicing, performing in concerts, and evaluating their progress. Finally, future music teachers should put aside time for personal reflection so that they can set goals for themselves concerning their improvement as a teacher and musician.

Artifacts that could demonstrate one's proficiency at the first Proactive Scholar Practitioner are limitless. One example is a paper articulating one's personal teaching philosophy, such as the one we completed for MUED240. Other examples could be proof of the future educator attending conferences, lectures, master classes, and such which would demonstrate his or her pursuit of development as a teacher. The student could also list some short and long term professional goals as an educator and performer. Any items which proves that the future teacher has a set philosophy and a mindset directed towards self-improvement would be acceptable as an artifact for the first standard.

File Attachments:

Personal Teaching Philosophy
Natasha's personal teaching philosophy as articulated in an essay for MUED240.

Author: Natasha Marsalli
Last modified: 4/28/2009 8:30 PM (EST)

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PSP Philosophy