GWENDOLYN RYAN

Ms. Ryan's teaching philosophy includes a discussion of why she believes it is important to teach music, what skill sets she believes an effective teacher should possess, and what she thinks is most important for students to learn in their music programs.

In brief, she believes music is important for its aesthetic value as opposed to for more utilitarian purposes- she believes there is intrinsic value in music outside of students’ grades, and that it teaches skills and cultural appreciation that is irreplaceable by other programs.

In addition, since music is such a personal and emotional experience for many people, an effective teacher should be both clearly passionate and vulnerable with their students to facilitate student success. She maintains high expectations for her students because she believe that leads to higher performance; however, she will go to great lengths to help facilitate growth and meet the individual needs of students. Students should be able to look at their teacher and see a desire to continue learning, despite whatever mistakes the teacher may make. In their music programs, students should be learning a variety of skills, such as musical interpretation, creativity, and performance skills. Students will learn to take risks and gain a lifelong love of music that allows them to continue their music-making after they finish taking classes.​