Sigma Alpha Iota

Fall 2018 18 PAN PIPES MUSIC EDUCATION T he fruity smell of markers, black and white composition notebooks, and sharpened pencils to a crisp point are some of my favorite memories of a new school year. ere are also some things that I am not so fond of, such as the same old broken computer, worn and out of date textbooks, and some educators unwilling to change their ineffective teaching strategies. ere are typically three types of music teachers with whom we work with: the one teacher who has stayed in that position for 20 years and they plan on retiring from that position with no desire to move up or change; the music teacher that is willing to change, but it takes years to warm up to the idea; and the music teacher who walks in every new school year coming from some fantastic summer training and is ready to switch everything to a new curriculum and has a Pinterest-perfect classroom. e three mind- sets of music educators: (1) Life-cycle mindset, (2) Evolutionary mindset, and (3) Revolutionary mindset. THE LIFE-CYCLE MINDSET In W. Burke's, 2018 book Organizational Change: eory & Practice, the life-cycle theory rests on the metaphor of organic growth and compares an organization to a living organism (Burke, 2018). It can feel at times that we as music educators have an expiration date or lifespan on our careers. Music educators spend 25 years perfecting the art of pedagogy, only to be put out to pasture, being traded-in for technology or younger teachers with fresher ideas. Schools may change as they pass through phases, perhaps in both form and function, but it "maintains its identity throughout the phases" (Burke, 2018, p. 173). e integral parts of the music profession can be maintained as the life- cycle progresses. Advantages of a Life-Cycle Mindset: • Stays steady and reliable • Knows tried and true teaching methods • A great human resource for new music teachers Disadvantages of a Life-Cycle Mindset: • Unwilling to change or fix what is perceived as broken by others • Not a good team player • Viewed as a complainer by peers and administration THE EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE MINDSET Organization change is an evolving process, and the organization is never static (Burke, 2018). As in biological entities, evolution is constant and "in a living organism, evolution is the primary metaphor for understanding an organization according to this theoretical perspective about process" (Burke, 2018, p.175). e most difficult part is convincing colleagues of the evolutionary change mindset. One or more "change agents" see an opportunity for the organization to improve, "and they pursue it by talking with other people and building a proposal/prototype that is iteratively shopped around" (Borwick, 2013). Advantages of the Evolutionary Change Mindset: • Change becomes part of the school culture • More employees are involved in the design • Likely that the change fits the school, understanding the current situation Disadvantages of the Evolutionary Change Mindset: • Difficult for others to buy in to the change • Difficult to build momentum • Loss of central direction REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE MINDSET Revolutionary change is the change- by-mandate. One will oen see this type of change in reaction to a leadership change or a crisis (Borwick, 2013). Currently, in my organization, a K-12 Christian Private school, we are undergoing a revolutionary change. Our population of students has changed from Pastor's kids and staff kids, to School Choice vouchers and income sensitive families through Florida's Step Up for Students scholarship program. As a professional learning community, we have had to remain flexible and competitive; change is necessary for our survival. As a music teacher, the consistency of my student population is no longer stable. ere has been a steady sequence of events that have brought on permanent changes. Advantages of the Revolutionary Change Mindset: • Low risk of the change failing to take effect • Change occurs quickly • A change will have any resources needed Disadvantages of the Revolutionary Change Mindset: • Change does not become part of the culture • Job security for the leader but not employees • Oen treats employees as expendable is article is not to convince or persuade anyone about the topic. It is, however, a thoughtful roadmap to the precarious state we now find ourselves in, as schools undergoing an organizational change that has been strenuous. However different in the approach, each mindset—Life-cycle, Evolutionary, or Revolutionary—potentially leads schools and individuals to follow a sequence of events that eventually lead to permanent change. Which mindset do you hold in your educational practice? How does it affect your classroom and school cultures? Once you know who you are, you can learn how others operate around you. Change is coming, and you can make it positive or negative. As you go back to school this year, and pack your supplies and prepare your lesson plans, take a moment to reflect on your mindset. It can make all the difference. REFERENCES Burke, W. (2018). Organizational Change: eory & Practice. ousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Borwick, J. (2013, June 5). Revolutionary vs. Evolutionary Organizational Change. Retrieved August 12, 2018, from http://www. heitmanagement.com/blog/2013/06/ revolutionary-vs-evolutionary-organizational- change/ Scholarships for Florida Schoolchildren. (2018). Retrieved August 12, 2018, from https://www. stepupforstudents.org/ Jayne Marie Flores, is a 1993 initiate of Epsilon Chapter at Ithaca College, in Ithaca, NY. She is a career music educator, founder of the Christian Art and Music Educators Association, Doctoral candidate in Education at Southeastern University of Florida, and proud mom of two wonderful kids. Back-To-School Readiness: Three Mindsets for Change

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