Everybody's somebody in my class: A case study of an exemplary middle school choir teacher.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this study was to explore, investigate, and describe the teaching and the characteristics of a middle school choir teacher who builds and nurtures a musical learning community in her classroom. This ethnographic case study was emergent; however the creation of a safe learning environment, development of musicianship, and empowerment of students remained central lenses throughout the project.
This research began under the assumption that the teacher's (Deb) classroom was democratic, in the sense that students contributed to discussions of subject matter and classroom policy. However, once immersed in the environment and culture of the Kinawa Middle School choir program, it became obvious that, although students accomplished several democratic goals, Deb did not share classroom power with her students. Although Deb's classroom functions as an autocracy, it is also extremely "student-focused.".
Stories of Deb's life, as a developing musician and teacher, influence her choral program and work with middle school students. Values, beliefs, and morals are cornerstone to Deb's teaching philosophy and practice, as evidenced by her creation of choir as "Safe Place," endorsements of random acts of kindness, and the motto "SPAM: Singing Produces Awesome Miracles." Deb's focus on classroom community, with an emphasis on morality, is an integral part of the Kinawa Middle School choral program.
The interactions between Deb and her students influence and nurture positive and respectful relationships between all students during her choir classes. Through music, Deb works to influence and educate each student about being the best person that he or she could be, both inside and outside of the Kinawa choir classroom. Students are also taught to be strong and thoughtful musicians. Therefore, Deb's teaching practices suggest it is possible to achieve democratic musical, intellectual, emotional, and community goals through an autocratic, yet student-focused, classroom.
Conclusions from this study of Deb Borton elicited six primary ideas: (1) Democratic outcomes may be achieved in a middle school choir class through teacher-led teaching practices; (2) A safe classroom environment provides opportunities for middle school choir students to be themselves without inhibition, in a culture of acceptance; (3) Middle school choir teachers are in a position to make meaningful impressions on their students, especially with regard to morality and awareness of others; (4) A sense of humor is an important characteristic of an effective middle school choir teacher; (5) Exemplary choir teachers are valuable resources for professional development; and (6) Personal stories are important when working with people.
Implications for future research include examinations of middle school choir teachers' philosophies and their philosophical influence on democratic versus autocratic teaching methodologies, as well as examinations of classroom settings that appear or claim to be democratic and how they achieve democracy. Research on characteristics of safe classroom environments is also recommended.