Classroom Bullying and Moral Development

This week’s learning focused on bullying and adolescent moral development, and encouraged me to think more carefully about the broader ethical and relational responsibilities of music teachers. 

The discussions around bullying were both illuminating and concerning. It seems inescapable that bullying of some form will appear both in the playground and in the classroom, and have the potential to cause students serious psychological harm. It is essential for teachers to be proactive rather than reactive in addressing instances of bullying, by understanding the social dynamics and modelling an inclusive and acceptive environment. I was reminded that bullying thrives when it goes unacknowledged, and that the music room must be a space where all students feel safe to participate. 

In examining bullying we also looked at the moral landscape adolescents navigate, both in school and in the wider world, and the influence teachers inevitably have on their developing perspectives. Looking to the NSW Department of Education, they helpfully provide a list of core values of education, including ideas such as: Integrity, Excellence, Respect, Democracy. I thought about the responsibility I will have in teaching the intangible social and ethical skills embedded in music education, and how through my teaching practice I hope to be a strong role model for all students.

Side note: this week’s learning also left me with the insatiable earworm that is Sonny Rollin’s St Thomas. That song is going to be stuck in my head for some time still!

Listen to this awesome Japanese High School jazz band’s performance below, takes me back to my time in HS jazz….