So I taught my first discussion section today. I should perhaps preface this post by saying that I've actually taught classes since I came to grad school. Day 1 they had me up and teaching Aural Skills to a bunch of college sophomores. Never mind the fact that I was scared to death about being in grad school, let alone teaching music majors. Day 1 of year two, I was teaching flute methods to upper-level music majors. Needless to say I felt a little more comfortable with the material I was teaching, but it still wasn't as enjoyable as I knew teaching could be (I think half of that was the job of trying to teach a bunch of music education majors everything they needed to know about the flute in order to teach it......in 6 weeks.....at least theoretically....). I have 40 people in my discussion section, and I didn't have to speak over anyone.....they answered my questions, laughed at the jokes, and asked questions. I know that I've changed as a student and where I feel I am on the continuum between student and teacher/professional, and I owe a lot to the professors at my university in helping move me towards the other end of the spectrum. Still I can't help but feel that I really do have a passion to teach THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT, a passion that was absent from the other classes I've taught, a passion to use musicology and ethnomusicology as tools to teach concepts and basic musical knowledge that transform us into musical professionals instead of just people who play instruments and sing.

This is gonna be fun.

Peace, love, and tunes,

Mac.

Labels: TA