Goals
Goal Linked to the Strategic Plan
Promoting Cultural Diversity Within the Classroom
As part of my professional growth and contribution to a culturally responsive classroom environment, I established a SMART goal to promote cultural diversity through music education. This goal focused on expanding both my own and my students' understanding of world music traditions and encouraging musical appreciation beyond Western norms.
To achieve this, I curated a World Music Listening Log designed for students across Grades 6-8 during their semester-long course. Each week, students engaged with a different piece of music from a unique cultural context, followed by a prompt focused on a specific musical element found within the music. This consistent exposure allowed students to develop listening skills while reflecting on the stylistic and cultural features of each piece.
The listening log includes music from:
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East Asia (China) – Spring River Flower Moon Night, Jasmine Flower
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Central Asia (Mongolia) – Tuvan throat singing
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South Asia (India) – Vaishnava Jana To
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Latin America (Mexico) – La Bamba
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Caribbean (Cuba) – Chan Chan by Buena Vista Social Club
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Southern Europe (Italy) – Bella Ciao
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Australia (Aboriginal culture) – Didgeridoo music by Alan Dargin
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South Africa (Jazz) - Grazing in the Grass by Hugh Masakela
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Middle East - Misirlou (Traditional)
The log included ten entries, each offering students an opportunity to explore, analyze, and reflect on global musical traditions. This initiative has supported the IB mission of international-mindedness and aligned with the MYP's emphasis on intercultural understanding. It has also strengthened my ability to thoughtfully integrate cultural diversity into music education.
Link to New Brunswick Global Competencies
My goal of promoting cultural diversity through the integration of world music directly supports several of the New Brunswick Global Competencies, which underpin student learning and development in a holistic, globally relevant way.
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
By engaging with music from a wide range of cultures, students are encouraged to think critically about musical structure, cultural context, and artistic intention. Exploring how music reflects and responds to real-world challenges—such as political resistance (Bella Ciao) or cultural preservation (Tuvan throat singing)—deepens students’ analytical thinking in a meaningful, globally aware context.
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Self-Awareness and Self-Management
Exposure to global music traditions encourages students to reflect on their own identities and cultural backgrounds, while fostering openness and curiosity about others. This builds personal insight and promotes values like empathy and respect, which are essential for lifelong learning and responsible citizenship.
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Communication
Students practiced articulating their responses using subject-specific vocabulary while also considering broader cultural meanings. Discussing music across cultures required them to adapt their language and expression to be clear, inclusive, and culturally sensitive.
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Sustainability and Global Citizenship
Learning about the musical traditions of various regions helps students understand cultural sustainability and the importance of preserving intangible heritage. Recognizing the interdependence of people and cultures supports their development as informed, compassionate global citizens.
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Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship
Encouraging students to explore unfamiliar musical styles inspires creative thinking and widens their expressive palette. It also lays a foundation for innovation in their own compositions, where they might integrate diverse influences or address social issues through music.
By aligning music education with these competencies, I aim to create a learning experience that not only meets curricular goals, but also nurtures students as thoughtful, globally competent individuals.
Self-Directed Goal
In alignment with feedback from my 2023-2024 end-of-year portfolio meeting with MYP Principal Chris Irvin, I set a self-directed professional goal to share my classroom practices with a broader professional audience. This goal was based on our discussion around the value of contributing to the wider educational community and showcasing the innovative work happening in my music classes.
I met this goal by co-presenting a workshop at the Hong Kong International Music Educators (HKIME) Mini Conference, hosted at the Australian International School in Hong Kong. This professional development event brought together international school music teachers from across Hong Kong and Mainland China.
Our session, titled Inquiry as a Creative Catalyst: Using the Cycle to Inspire Student Composition, was presented with Ernie Boyd, the Upper MYP Coordinator. Together, we explored how the MYP Inquiry Cycle can serve as a creative framework for guiding student compositions. We unpacked each stage of the inquiry process—Inquiring, Developing, Creating, and Reflecting—through a musical lens and shared student work, classroom strategies, and assessment connections that support inquiry-based learning in music.
