The music teacher enjoys making connections with students and helping them discover new things in music as well as life skills. They see challenges in standardized testing not measuring critical thinking and a lack of balance between academic and creative subjects. Looking to the future, the teacher supports expanding STEM to STEAM by incorporating arts to teach creative problem solving, and focusing on character development to reduce bullying and increase empathy, belonging, and good decision making. Their goal is to continue advocating for students.

1. Teri McElrath

2. ABSTRACT
• I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW A MUSIC TEACHER AT A PRIVATESCHOOL HERE IN THE
CHICAGOLAND AREA. THE FOLLOW SLIDES WILL REVIEW SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED AND THE
COMPELLING RESPONSES IN REFERENCE TO THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION ANDTHE ROLE THAT BUILDING
CHARACTER, COMMUNITY, AND ENGAGEMENT IN EDUCATION CAN PLAY IN CURTAILING GANG VIOLENCE.

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
• “I LOVE WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. I ENJOY MAKING CONNECTIONS WITH THEM AND ESTABLISHING
MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM. I LIKE HELPING STUDENTS DISCOVER NEW THINGS IN MUSIC,
SURE, BUT I ALSO LIKE HELPING THEM MAKE MEANING AND CONNECTIONSTHAT THEY CAN APPLY TO LIFE.
TEACHERS DON’T JUST TEACH THEIR SUBJECTS, THEY TEACH PEOPLE HOWTO LIVE”.

4. WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES WITHIN
EDUCATION?
• “I AM IN A SPECIAL SITUATION BECAUSE I AM IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL WHICH DOES NOT HAVE THE
CONSTRAINTS OF LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL MANDATES. I DO THINKSTANDARDIZED TESTING DOES NOT
MEASURE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS OR ABILITY IN SUBJECT AREA – IT TEACHES HOW TO TAKE A
STANDARDIZED TEST. I ALSO WORRY THAT THE PENDULUM OF EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR SWINGS SO
RAPIDLY FROM ONE EXTREME TO THE OTHER THAT THERE IS HARDLY ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL THAT IS GAINED.
I THINK THE MOST SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS ARE THE ONES WHO GET A SOLID GROUNDING IN ARTS,
HUMANITIES, SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES IN ADDITION TO MATH ANDSCIENCE. WE SHOULD BE
CREATING THE NEXT SCULPTORS, POETS, ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, SCHOLARS, THEOLOGIANS, SCIENTISTS AND
MATHEMATICIANS. STUDENTS NEED A BALANCE OF ACADEMIC CORE SUBJECTS IN ADDITION TO THE CREATIVE
ARTS”.

5. HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THE FUTURE
OF EDUCATION?
• “THE LATEST FAD IN EDUCATION IS TEACHING STEM – SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH. HOWEVER THERE HAS BEEN A REAL PUSH TO
CHANGE STEM TO STEAM – A STANDS FOR ARTS. I THINK THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL BECAUSE IT TEACHES KIDS TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX,
NOT JUST “SOLVE FOR X” THROUGH A FORMULA. MOST PROBLEMS IN LIFEARE NOT EASILY SOLVED BY FOLLOWING A FORMULA. IT TAKES CREATIVITY,
THOUGHTFULNESS, AND INGENUITY”.
• “ANOTHER ASPECT IS DEVELOPING THE STUDENTS’ CHARACTER. IF WE WANT TO ELIMINATE BULLYING, DISCRIMINATION, AND CORRUPTION, WE NEED
TO TEACH YOUNG PEOPLE HOW TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. HOW TO FEEL EMPATHY TOWARD OTHERS. HOW TO CARE ABOUT THEIR FELLOW HUMAN.
YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG IN SAFE, HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS….ALL ANYBODY WANTS IS TO BELONG SOMEWHERE. THIS IS WHY
GANGS SURVIVE…THEY ACCEPT THE DOWNTRODDEN AND REJECTED. THIS ISWHY OUR PRISONS ARE FULL BEYOND CAPACITY. THIS IS WHY
VIOLENCE IS RAMPANT. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE OBSCENE AMOUNT OF TEENPREGNANCY. PEOPLE DO NOT THINK ABOUT HOW THEIR ACTIONS WILL
AFFECT THEMSELVES OR OTHERS. THEY DON’T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS OR THINK FOR THE LONG-TERM. OUR SOCIETY IS SO
FOCUSED ON INSTANT GRATIFICATION, THAT WE DO NOT KNOW THE PAINSAND JOYS OF DELAYED GRATIFICATION. IF WE CAN HELP STUDENTS
REGISTER THEIR MINDS AND THOUGHTS TOWARDS OTHERS, IT WOULD HAVEA HUGE IMPACT ON SOCIETY. IT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE
INDIVIDUAL, TOO. BUT CHARACTER, MORALS AND ETHICS ARE NOT TAUGHT IN SCHOOL…BECAUSE TEACHERS MUST TEACH TEST-PREPARATION”.

6. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF 5 YEARS
FROM NOW?
• “WELL, I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. THEY NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES
WHO WILL BE THEIR ADVOCATE, LOVE THEM, GET TO KNOW THEM, GUIDE THEM, AND LIFT THEM UP SO
THAT THEY CAN BE THE BEST PERSON THEY CANBE”.

7. SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW
CURRENT STATE
• SCHOOLS FOCUS ON STANDARDIZATION
• HELPING STUDENTS DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW
• PUBLIC EDUCATION IS NOT STABLE
• CHILDREN FEEL NO CONNECTION TO COMMUNITY WITHIN
EDUCATION
• THERE IS NOT ENOUGH BEING DONE TO PROTECT THE
ARTS IN EDUCATION
DESIRED FUTURE
• SCHOOLS SHOULD FOCUS ON BUILDING CHARACTER
• CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS
• PUBLIC EDUCATION SHOULD PROVIDE FOUNDATION IN S.T.E.M. AND THE
ARTS
• EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS SHOULD FOCUS ON CONNECTING WITH
STUDENTS SO THAT THEY DON’T FEEL REJECTED AND TURN TO CRIME,
GANGS OR VIOLENCE
• STUDENTS NEED THE ARTS IN EDUCATION BECAUSE THE ARTS PREPARES
THEM FOR REAL LIFE SITUATIONS.