In General Music Class
The first years of teaching may play a very crucial role in the professional lives of teachers. This study tackles the perceptions of beginning teachers in general music class. The existing studies have identified and explored the challenges and issues beginning teachers have expressed regarding their early teaching experience. The issues vary from classroom management, discipline, problems with students, feelings of isolation and ill-fitting preservice programs. This literature review further puts into detail the concerns of beginning music teachers that have existed in various studies.
Perceived problem for beginning music teacher
Most teachers leave during the first four years of teaching (DeLorenzo, 1992). More than half of music teachers surveyed eventually intended to leave teaching because they tend to create expectations that have a stark difference from reality (Krueger, 2000). They reported that there are in fact significant discrepancies between what the teacher wanted to achieve, what they actually achieved and what they were observed achieving (Yourn, 2000). The uneasiness and the panic that they experience during the first years of teaching are often mistaken as having chosen the wrong profession (Krueger, 2000).
There are numerous reasons why beginning teachers leave the field which include isolation from experienced faculty, and lack of assistance in developing effective teaching skills. The factor isolation is common and often traumatic for new teachers. Lack of contact between other music teachers affects negatively the desire of the new teachers to continue teaching music. Inadequate administrative support is also a primary factor in the gradual reducing of beginning teachers (Krueger, 2000). The relations between the teacher and the administrators greatly affect the morale and autonomy of the teacher. But DeLorenzo (1992) found out in her study of 89 respondents that the greatest concern of first year music teachers was budget preparation followed by finding time to continue musical growth. Due to their hectic schedules and many demands and responsibilities on being a beginning teacher, they have difficulty finding time for their musical study (DeLorenzo, 1992).
A study by Yourn (2000), provided the highlighted concerns of beginning music teachers about classroom management, adequate teaching materials, the expectations of their mentors, and skills in teaching (Yourn, 2000). Mentor teachers also cited their concerns regarding their student teachers’ ability to manage the class effectively. Further, the relationship between the mentor and the teacher added more pressure and stress on the side of the teacher (Yourn, 2000).
Many mentoring programs are deemed unfit by beginning teachers. In a study by Conway (2001), because the programs often do not take into account the hectic schedule of music educators. Conway (2001) and Veenman (1984) in their studies, both had common findings regarding the concerns of beginning teachers on difficult schedules, lack of sufficient planning time, and multiple instructional responsibilities outside their main subject area (Benson, 2008).
Challenges for first year music teacher in class
Multiple challenges are faced by first year music teachers in class and classroom discipline ranked first in the problems of beginning teachers (DeLorenzo, 1992). The challenge of discipline, respect and effort raised serious concerns for some new teachers in the study by Krueger (2000) and recent study by Legette (2013). Emotionally unstable students were especially difficult to deal with. Also working with large classes with no assistance, which included emotionally unstable students or students with problems were seen as a challenge (Krueger, 2000).
New teachers often were particularly concerned about the art of classroom management (Benson, 2008). Supporting Benson’s findings were articles by Krueger (2000) that stated that new teachers were frustrated because they do not know how to discipline the students in their classroom. Krueger found that many teachers unprepared on to deal with problems regarding behavior. They were also doubtful on how to implement a discipline plan. DeLorenzo (1992) stated that if new music teachers are not assigned another music teacher as a mentor, they are not as likely to gain new knowledge on how to better control music classroom behavior.
Music education is unique to other subjects. Music classrooms vary from usual classroom settings in a sense that the set-up is not the usual rows of desks. The unusual arrangement depends on the size and type of ensemble. Also, traveling music teachers who teach at multiple schools have difficulty with feeling part of the school community because of their separate scheduling and unique subject area (Benson, 2008).
Isolation is one of the major challenges faced by new music teachers. Krueger (1999) has found different types of isolation which includes being assigned to a nonmusic mentor. Beginning music teachers found that it was particularly difficult because the mentors did not understand many of the unique dynamics of a music classroom (Benson, 2008). Another type of isolation is the lack of team teaching support. The third type is isolation from other teachers generally. The fourth type of isolation is the feeling that music as an academic subject is not given value by the faculty members and administrators. Administrators stereotype music classes as a subject that does not matter as much as the rest of the core subjects were stated in an article by Natale (1993).
Support assistance for beginning music teachers
Krueger (2001) concluded in her study on the reflections of beginning music teachers that connections with other music teachers are very essential. Since isolation is a common problem experienced by new teachers, networking with other music teachers is a big factor in breaking isolation – this solves the third type of isolation. Benson (2008) suggested that new teachers be given opportunities to teach in a team with an experienced teacher in order to receive support and feedback while teaching. The feeling of new music teachers that their subject is not given enough value by administrators could be changed by the administrators through ensuring that all of the teachers from all curriculums feel as if they belong to one autonomous educational community (Benson, 2008).
Numerous studies have showed findings that beginning teachers need assistance from administrators, and mentors with specialist expertise are highly appreciated. The transition from university to teaching in schools by new teachers is impacted by various factors and pre-service teacher education is not the only solution although they play a major role. Pre-service educators, administrators and school leaders should consider the findings of numerous researches in order to take the appropriate steps to support beginning music teachers in their career development (Roulston, Legette, & Trotman Womack, 2005). Findings in the study by Romano and Gibson (2006) implicated that teacher education and professional development programs provide valuable assistance to new teachers (Romano and Gibson, 2006). Teacher’s expressed that training for working with students with special needs might be necessary. More field experiences are important to enable preservice teachers to be prepared and apply what they have learned in their preservice years in the actual classroom setting. Most teachers in the study of Legette (2013) expressed a need for the enhancement of teacher education programs to ensure that preservice teachers possess the necessary skills for the most effective teaching practice such as more “hands-on” experiences, interaction with school music teachers in various settings and classroom management (Legette, 2013).
References
Benson, M. (2008). Effective Mentoring for New Music Teachers: An Analysis of the Mentoring Programs for New Music Teachers as Described in the Literature. Update: Applications Of Research In Music Education, 26(2), 42-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/8755123308317953
DeLorenzo, L. (1992). The Perceived Problems of Beginning Music Teachers. Bulletin Of The Council For Research In Music Education, (113), 9-25. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40318508?seq=1&cid=pdf-reference#references_tab_contents
Krueger, P. (1999). New Music Teachers Speak Out on Mentoring. Retrieved from http://jmt.sagepub.com
Krueger, P. (2000). Beginning Music teachers: Will They Leave The Profession?. Retrieved from http://upd.sagepub.com
Krueger, P. (2001). Reflections of Beginning Music Teachers. Music Educators Journal, 88(3), 51. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3399759
Legette, R. (2013). Perceptions of Early-career School Music Teachers Regarding Their Preservice Preparation. Update: Applications Of Research In Music Education, 32(1), 12-17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/8755123313502342
Romano, M. & Gibson, P. (2006). Beginning Teacher Successes and Struggles: An Elementary Teacher's Reflections on the First Year of Teaching, 2(1).
Roulston, K., Legette, R., & Trotman Womack, S. (2005). Beginning music teachers’ perceptions of the transition from university to teaching in schools. Music Education Research, 7(1), 59-82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14613800500042141
Veenman, S. (1984). Perceived Problems of Beginning Teachers. Review Of Educational Research, 54(2), 143. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1170301
Yourn, B. (2000). Learning to Teach: Perspectives from beginning music teachers. Music Education Research, 2(2), 181-192. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14613800050165631
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