We Teach Who We Are

Constance L. McKoy, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Vicki R. Lind, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

For better or worse, teachers’ cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and orientations

significantly impact what they learn in their teacher preparation programs and, as in-service teachers, how they react to students (Bradfield-Kreider, 2001; Feiman- Nemser & Remillard, 1996; Foster, 1995; Gay & Howard, 2000; Gollnick, 1996; Kelly, 2003; Marshall, 1999; Thorsen, 2002; Villegas & Lucas, 2002). When confronted with issues of cultural diversity, pre-service teachers often become uncomfortable and wary. They see cultural diversity as a problem to be solved, rather than an asset to be valued. In addition, they often harbor subconscious beliefs, attitudes, and misperceptions about students from cultural backgrounds that differ from their own that are based on prejudice and preconception (Spindler & Spindler, 1994). There is evidence to suggest that these attitudes and beliefs are responsible for some pre-service teachers’ lack of commitment to teach in schools with culturally diverse populations and preference for teaching in monocultural educational settings (Dieker, Voltz, & Epanchin, 2002; Nierman, Zeichner, & Hobbel, 2002).

These behavioral and attitudinal tendencies can be found among music teachers as well. Many pre-service music teachers want to teach in educational settings that mirror their own experiences. Although they say they are comfortable with the idea of teaching in ethnically and racially diverse educational settings, they are ambivalent about the actual possibility of teaching in such environments. The disparity between the cultural backgrounds of students and the teachers who instruct them is not likely to change in the foreseeable future. In fact, U.S. Department of Education projections indicate that by the year 2021, students who currently represent the racial/ethnic minority in public schools will be in the majority (Hussar & Bailey, 2013). As a result of this demographic shift, music teacher education programs are now being called upon to prepare teacher candidates to work in culturally diverse settings. Standards set forth for the teaching profession, as outlined by both The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) require programmatic components be developed to address the issues of diversity (NASM, 2012; CAEP, 2013). NASM specifically states that prospective teachers should develop the ability to maintain positive relationships with individuals of various social and ethnic groups, and be empathetic with students and colleagues of differing backgrounds.

In this presentation we will examine and discuss strategies designed to help pre- service music teachers: (1) unpack their beliefs and attitudes about working with diverse populations, (2) challenge their assumptions and stereotypes, and (3) recognize the benefits and advantages of working in diverse classrooms.

References

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Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (2013). CAEP accreditation standards.
Washington, DC: Author

Dieker, L., Voltz, D. & Epanchin, B. (2002). Report of the Wingspread Conference: Preparing teachers to work with diverse learners. Teacher Education and Special Education, 25(1), 1-10.

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Foster, M. (1995). African American teachers and culturally relevant pedagogy. In J. A. Banks & C. A. McGee-Banks (Eds.). Handbook of research on multicultural education (pp. 570-581). New York, NY: MacMillan.

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Gollnick, D. M. (1996). Can arts and sciences faculty prepare quality teachers? American Behavioral Scientist, 40, 233-241.

Hussar, W.J. & Bailey, T.M. (2013). Projections of education statistics to 2021 (NCES 2013-008). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Marshall, P. L. (1999). Teachers’ racial identity and the single course in multicultural education, Action in Teacher Education, 20(1), 56-69.

National Association of Schools of Music (2012). National Association of Schools of Music handbook 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://nasm.arts-accredit.org

Nierman, G. E., Zeichner, K. & Hobbel, N. (2002). Changing concepts of teacher education. In R. Colwell & C. Richardson (Eds.). The new handbook of research on music teaching and learning, (pp. 818-839). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

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Villegas, A. M. & Lucas, T. (2002). Preparing culturally responsive teachers: Rethinking the curriculum, Journal of Teacher Education, 53, 20-32.