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Describe your positionality AND how it influences your teaching.

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Describe your positionality AND how it influences your teaching.

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Having an immigrant father and being born in raised in the bronx has allowed me to be mindful of what I teach and to incorporate as many cultures of my students into the lessons as possible.

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Helping students to find their way in life

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Having amazing music teachers that let me “express” fuels me to do the same… Any time I think back on my path and how I ended up where I am, it was always the kindness and support and encouragement from more than 1 music teachers that put me here. Not just teaching, my entire "Music" career. I think those things more than race, etc stand out to me.

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As a classically trained violinist, I am most comfortable with performing classical music, but as a listener I find all kinds of crossover genres to be the most interesting.  As a performer, I enjoy branching out of my classical routes, but I sometimes find myself without direction since my training had little to do with self-motivated exploration.  In the classroom, I tend to emphasize Classical training because I believe it will give my students the most opportunity (scholarships, etc), but supplement with a healthy dose of non-classical styles.

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I believe all students can be musical. I teach students from many different cultures and I truly enjoy when they share things about themselves and their backgrounds. I also try very hard to teach respect for all cultures and styles of music, even if that style isn't really your thing.

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African American woman w/roots in South/North Carolina. Exposed to all music but classically trained. I  incorporate as many cultures as possible in general music including culture of current students and beyond. 

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African American woman w/roots in South/North Carolina. Exposed to all music but classically trained. I  incorporate as many cultures as possible in general music including culture of current students and beyond. 

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I am an only child raised by a single mother.
Went to 5 different elementary schools each one with a very different socioeconomic make up. I truly believe this is what drives me to work with students and meet them at their needs. Music is also what gave me the most joy as a kid and I want to be there for those who feel the same

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I come from a very soul driven musical background anchored back a respect for adapting and listening to foster learning. With a huge discipline ideal I bring that into my classroom in hopes to impact creative expression and playing enjoyment - PSW

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I’m an immigrant and a fairly creative person. I have studied many art forms and value art as culture. Art is a universal culture that unites the world.

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My positionality is similar to that of the example in the presentation, a background of white privilege that, while not perfect, is very different from that of most of my students. My perspective has been changing since I became a first-year teacher in a bilingual school on the south side of Chicago. Twenty years later, my teaching is also very much informed by my experiences as a foster/adoptive parent. Seeing the world through my daughters' eyes has informed my teaching heavily with regard to the trauma faced by children in difficult circumstances and how that affects their behavior and school performance. Behaviors are communication and we need to learn how to speak that language so we can support those who need it most.

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My positionality is inclusive and individualized. I am first generation born in US with both parents coming from the island of Haiti. My parents taught me to look at everyone's individual background and to always include everyone no matter where they came from. So with that I see: Each student has a story to tell and those stories can be told in many different forms. Each student has a voice in their own unique form of communication. Each student will connect with music class in a different way.

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I am a gay man and very active in the LGBTQIA+ community. Because of this I'm able to support students that are dealing with sexual orientation and/or gender identity issues and can make sure that they feel included in the music classroom.

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Being raised with and educated in mostly Western musical traditions has given me a solid foundation in the Western canon. But in an effort to diversify my curriculum and expose my mostly Western-cultured students, I continue to research and educate myself in musical traditions beyond my scope to create additional units of study that represent a more rounded musical education.

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Being a POC teaching black and brown children, I strive to make music accessible and welcoming.  I tend to use music that my students and myself relate to and feel comfortable listening to to teach topics of rhythm, melody, and harmony under a non-western classical music lens. Using these discussions we then produce our own music through Garageband and discuss what makes a good producer.

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My positionality is rooted in being raised as a WASP-y male military brat. My father was in the Air Force for 24 years and I moved around a fair amount. We had what we needed, but I really wanted to stop moving around be in one place and have relationships with people. I was around diversity, but there were many lots opportunities to address and learn about race. I spoke German because we lived in Germany from 5th - 8th grade, but I wish I could go back and take Spanish. I attended a private music conservatory and was able to graduate with very little tuition debt and that has put me in a good place to move forward in life and continue to maximize and take advantage of my privilege.

I have also had a keen interest in History for over 10 years now and have been educating myself as to the white-washing of American History that I was taught and see the work of Anti-Racism as very important. I work in a school with almost 99% Dominican students and have a lot of continuing work to do to make sure my teaching is culturally responsive to the students I teach. Becoming fluent in Spanish is part of that work.

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I am a Jewish Male, Husband, Father, Musician, Composer, and Music Director/Educator. I am the eldest Son and had a unique family life, My Father's family I am 2nd Generation of Jewish Immigrants form Poland/Russia in the 1920's and My Mothers family I am 6th generation of German/Austria/Hungry Jews who came to America in 1801. As for my teaching this position in life always made me expressive and enriched in culture and the arts. Which I express my passion for Music through my teaching. I am also very deep into playing and learning about music and the arts of other cultures. which I share with my students.

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I grew up with a Japanese mother and grandmother who immigrated to California in the 1960's. At 5, we moved to Japan and I went to an elementary school on base in Tokyo, where everyone was mixed like me--typically half Japanese and half black or white. I also grew up with an alcoholic and abusive father. This became very apparent when we moved to Texas (another eye-opening experience). My parents divorced and we moved back to California. Since then I have lived in several states and have travelled to many countries. I can say that I have an understanding of some of the issues that my students experience (divorce, abuse, racism, immigration, language barriers) and I try to be mindful of these things when students share or act out.

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My upbringing as an immigrant (w/English as second language), and as a person whose varied musical background (e.g., traditional Middle Eastern and Western classical music, jazz, and pop) keeps me mindful of my students’ varied backgrounds and musical tastes, and directly influences an adaptive curriculum.

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One aspect of my positionality is that being Caucasian and English-speaking, I have always tried to sensitively but enthusiastically ask the students about their language and musical traditions from their country. I think sometimes my being considered an "outsider" of sorts can be helpful in encouraging the transfer of power to the students, who share with and teach me all the time.

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I am sooo white! I grew up in a white community, went to college in Lawrence, Kansas - white. Still live in a predominately white community. I never realized my biases or that I had a life different from anyone else.
I have had to relearn and change my understanding of myself and the world around me. As a teacher, I cannot live in a bubble. It is a good change of understanding.

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I'm a white male from a fairly conservative and white suburb of California. I don't have first hand experience with poverty, racism, or gender discrimination, so I take many privileges for granted. I have to consciously decide to imagine how these things effect other people, which is a luxury. I feel my positionally is something I need to work against, and can be a barrier to connecting with all of my students.

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Growing up on Long Island and being exposed to different cultures through music and sports, has allowed me to have a mixed view to some extent. I try to express that view with my students through the music I select and share with them.

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Growing up on Long Island and being exposed to different cultures through music and sports, has allowed me to have a mixed view to some extent. I try to express that view with my students through the music I select and share with them.

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Being a musician and father influences my role as a K-5 music teacher. The music background brings interest and passion to the classroom, while parenthood brings the father 'figure' and care factor.

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My 15+ years in the DOE have really changed my thinking about my job. I have learned to meet the students where they are as opposed to trying to create the music class as I think it should exist. In other words, I have learned to put my own identity on the back burner and focus on what my students want and need. The results have been more a more peaceful classroom and more success with students.

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I grew up learning about Greek traditions, music and dances from my family. Using culture and world music can give my students and I something we can connect to. They are very open to learning about other student's cultures, as well as sharing information to the class as well.

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As an immigrant I am extremely mindful of students who come from different countries and do not speak the language. Especially with those who come from Spanish speaking countries as this was my first language.

I also started learning music in my late teens because I went through the NYC public schools system without ever having a music class until my junior year in high school. This is why I always try teach my students the things that I would have like to have learned at their age

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I identify as an African American woman born and raised in NYC (except Staten Island). I am a 4th generation New Yorker who attended public schools. I grew up in a 2 parent home with an extended local village to raise. Most of my family members are college educated and musicians; although many in the world treat my family as if we are a threat or ignorant by mere appearance. This has informed my teaching by sharing my experiences and knowledge with my students. Therefore, I bring an understanding and safe environment to share their thoughts, feelings, culture, life skills and musical experiences.

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I’m a mixed (Spanish Greek Chinese) Puerto Rican male now living in NYC. Grew up in the theater. First as a ballet dancer then as an opera singer. Very shy and awkward in social settings. A big nerd with a big heart to whom students usually relate (something I learned from my teachers). Usually inform my teaching as an exploration of a theme. Students usually sense the passion behind that exploration and find themselves drawn to find out why I’m so passionate about whatever I teach.

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I am the product of immigrants who had to shed their cultural identities to assimilate and avoid persecution. I am aware that my students come from varied backgrounds and should not have to do the same.

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As someone who grew up with one gay parent and one straight parent, at a time there was considerably less visibility for such families and less legal protection, I maintain an awareness that students may have many aspects of their family lives that they may feel they cannot share with those in their school community. As a teacher, I try to make an explicitly supportive and gentle space without pressuring students to "out" any parts of themselves or their families (whether it is concerning LGBTQ identity, immigration status, ability, and more). I acknowledge that there is much students may not yet even know about themselves and to preemptively support even what is not known to be important to those in the room. 

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As someone who grew up with one gay parent and one straight parent, at a time there was considerably less visibility for such families and less legal protection, I maintain an awareness that students may have many aspects of their family lives that they may feel they cannot share with those in their school community. As a teacher, I try to make an explicitly supportive and gentle space without pressuring students to "out" any parts of themselves or their families (whether it is concerning LGBTQ identity, immigration status, ability, and more). I acknowledge that there is much students may not yet even know about themselves and to preemptively support even what is not known to be important to those in the room. 

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My parents are immigrants from Trinidad and I'm the youngest of 4 children. Being a first generation American and a person of African descent helps me to relate to many of my students who are immigrants, the children of immigrants, or POC. There's an immersion of culture that takes place when people immigrate. I'm open to teaching different genres of music and I give my students opportunities to share the artists or songs that they enjoy. It's important for all students to feel seen and appreciated.