Searching for "Stealthy Assumptions"
Or how I'm trying not to make an ass of myself
You know that famous Oscar Wilde dad joke about assumptions? "When you assume something, you might make an ass of yourself, and/ or me? And, have you ever noticed how many asses there are wandering about in the field of classroom music education? Maybe there’s a connection?
Our Inextricably Linked Thoughts and Actions
Check out this passage from DnM, page 10:
Our thoughts and actions are intimately and inextricably linked; our assumptions, beliefs, mindsets, and interpretations inform and drive our actions, and our actions feed back to and have an impact on our assumptions and beliefs. Whether teachers realize it or not, every teaching-learning decision and action we carry out before, during, and after we interact with "students" (taken in the broadest sense) is guided (consciously and non-consciously) by what we assume, believe, or think about why, what, how, where, and when we do what we do, and the people we are doing it with and for. (2015, p. 10)
This passage didn’t just change my teaching, it changed my life. Let’s dig into it and see where it takes us.
Realise it or Not?
Whether we realise it or not, every teaching-learning decision and action we carry out is guided by our assumptions and beliefs.
But wait, it gets worse.
DnM warn that:
Staying alert for assumptions is vital because they are "stealthy.” They sink into our minds subconsciously during conversations, while we're scanning blogs and Facebook, and when we read poorly researched books and articles. (2015, p.29)
It’s OK, I’ve researched the heck out of this article, just don’t scan it…
But, seriously, let’s nail this down. So, we all have beliefs and assumptions about teaching and learning, it’s likely we‘re not aware of at least some of them due to their “stealthy” nature, and we have to be continuously on guard against new assumptions sneaking their way in. And, we can’t just outsource our beliefs to the experts because, as you’ll recall from my post “Rabbit Season, Duck Season”, our whole operation rests on “essentially contested concepts”, the experts don’t necessarily agree, so it’s up to us to uncover our beliefs and assumptions about education. But before you decide to pick a side, let’s hear from the “Heaviest Cat” in music education, Thomas A. Regelski. He says:
It ultimately goes back to the question: What of all that could be taught is most worth teaching? And some of the answer is: What of all that should be taught can I teach well and effectively? When I pose that question I immediately slide into: well to answer it, you’re doing philosophy. I don’t care whether you like it or not, but you’re doing philosophy. When you’re doing philosophy then you’ve got some rules to go by. You can’t just say whatever you think you want or you believe. You’ve got some rules to go by: like, you need to know what’s already been said on a topic. (YouTube, 2020, 49:21)
Like it or Not, We’re Doing Philosophy
Whether we realise it or not, we have assumptions about teaching and whether we like it or not, we’re doing philosophy. Notice, it’s doing philosophy? This gets back to the need to stay alert, to continue to uncover and question our beliefs and assumptions because as DnM pointed out “our actions feed back to and have an impact on our assumptions and beliefs”. This suggests a continuous, ongoing, circular or recursive process. Embracing philosophy as a doing is so important because, as Regelski says, it gives us “some rules to go by”.
Gig Based Learning - Musically Informed, Philosophically Driven
We’ve already started philosophising by taking up Regelski’s advice to “know what’s already been said on a topic”. That’s why we started with our “Cats of Music Education Series”, so we could learn what “The Cats” have said on the topic of classroom music education. Plus, we’ve established that our field rests on “essentially contested concepts” and we’re inclined to think in terms of either-ors - so we know to be on the lookout. Plus, we’ve taken on Hargreave’s et al’s advice to “focus on processes of teacher inquiry”, and build a professional community of practice where teachers experience the time, [and] encouragement, [and work] together. Finally, by sharing my music education philosophy which informs my personal pedagogy, or “Bradagogy”, which is manifested through Gig Based Learning, I’m answering Paulo Freire’s call. He says:
We must have a clear and lucid grasp of our action (which implies a theory) whether we wish to or not ... There is no dichotomy between theory and practice ... practice acquires a new significance when it is illustrated by a theory. (1973, p. 112)
Let’s Get Philosophical!
Alright - Freire has set us up. Philosophising is not an either-or, which gets us to
”Gig Based Learning is action ‘illustrated’ by theory.” Thanks PF!
So, I think we’ve taken some ground in this post. Let’s look to DnM for our next steps. They say:
Thus, if we want to teach or act as well prepared, effective, educative (more on this term later), ethical, and "professional" [classroom music teachers], then we must get our heads together about the who, why, what, how, where, whether, and when of music teaching and learning, as well as how to implement these concepts in action.
That’s exactly what we’re trying to do here DnM. So, our next step is to start asking the right questions. Let’s get our heads together… Oh, and let’s try not to make an ass of ourselves…
💎 Brad’s Bookmarks:
5 things I found interesting this week:
The Psychological impact of Poverty with Dr. Katriona O Sullivan: a beautiful interview that I found equally challenging and inspirational.
Poor: Her book on Audible. I’m listening to it now if you’d like to join me.
How daily music classes transformed school into ‘happiest place on Earth’: A nice break from the pro explicit instruction articles that have been running rampant lately.
A Golden Age for A******s: Loved this.
Honest Government Ad | Canada 🇨🇦: It’s great and really sad at the same time…
💣 Brad’s Bombshell of the week:
The rationale statements at the start of virtually any current curriculum document can be used to underscore [that there is an enormous diversity of belief represented in contemporary discussions of learning and teaching]. It’s not unusual to find references to nurturing individuals toward their full potentials, guiding them to their proper places in society, instructing them in sound habits of mind, measuring educational achievement, modeling appropriate behaviors, and empowering learners—despite the incoherences that emerge when such statements are clustered together. (Davis, 2004, p. 168)
Ways to work together?
Interested in making GarageBand for iPad work for you in your classroom? Get the Make Hot Hits with GarageBand for iPad course for FREE.
Interested how we dig deeper about our ideas around music theory in the Gig Based Classroom™? Check out our FREE GBL Music Theory Course. It contains all of our YouTube music theory video’s, but in sequential order, inside a canvas course.
Want to get to know me further? I stimulate discussions (we call it “The Weekly Riff”) on music education philosophy, pedagogy, technology and content inside our FREE community. Join my colleague, Pete Orenstein, in our Community of Practice aka the GBL CoP 👮🚨🚓🚨👮
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter
I also read every comment on our YouTube. So, see you there.
Dr Brad Fuller