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Music Appreciation

Wendy Whitford ('99M) is the Shenandoah County Music Teacher of the Year

By Erin Pettit ('05)

While some teachers may be content teaching a humdrum lesson plan and then heading home, Wendy Whitford ('99M) clearly is not a fan of this instruction method. As Shenandoah County Public Schools 2005 Teacher of the Year, Whitford has demonstrated a great amount of enthusiasm and passion for helping her students learn to love and appreciate music as much as she does.

Wendy Whitford

Wendy Whitford

Looking back on the day she found out about her award, she says it is "comical now because it was one of those days where everything was going wrong. One child lost her music, another had damaged her instrument. You name it."

"I feel especially motivated because of where I teach," adds Whitford. "Southern Shenandoah County is primarily rural and there are no local music stores that offer lessons on band and orchestra instruments. While my school is only 30 minutes from Harrisonburg, it is another world for many of my students.

"Each year we have more requests for after-school music lessons. What started as a few students has now grown to dozens. Recently we've been hiring JMU music education majors to help teach after school. The result has been a wonderful collaboration: my students get to hear exceptionally talented musicians, and JMU students get more experience coaching young people."

Though some people may wonder how Whitford has the patience to work with so many young students, she says her challenges don't stem from the teaching aspect of her job. "As for temperament, I'm always a bit surprised when people say, 'Oh, you teach middle school. You must be very patient.' Spending time with the kids is the least stressful aspect of my job. Students are fun and spirited and full of hope and opportunity. I love spending time with them."

Whitford adds, "I think the most challenging aspect for me is all of the things that do not involve teaching. There are many hours each week where I'm an accountant, fundraiser, repair technician, publicity agent and bookkeeper. While those roles ultimately benefit my students, I'd prefer to spend those hours working directly with kids."

"I think teachers should strive to reach the many layers of humanity," she adds. "Our first responsibility is teaching our assigned subject and making sure students learn their SOL material. It's what I'd call the 'outer layer' because you can see it. I also believe there's a second duty. More important than any single subject area is to ensure that we are creating lifelong learners. Are we helping children to become inquisitive and creative? Have they had a positive educational experience so that they will want to continue learning throughout their lives? That's where the duty of teachers becomes more complex ... Nonetheless, I think it's a goal that most educators and parents believe is important."

For Whitford, it is about "teaching the total human being. You are helping someone become a better person," she explains. "Maybe you're being a role model and demonstrating how to live positively. Perhaps you're inspiring a child to make achievements that he thought were impossible. You might even be helping someone become happier and more confident.

"Can we test these most important accomplishments? Perhaps. Can we require this deeper level in contracts and evaluations? I think not because you never know when you'll make that special connection with a child. Nonetheless, this is the layer to which most educators aspire. I know it is my greatest reward: watching my students grow not just as musicians, but as human beings."

About the Author

Erin Pettit graduates in December 2005 and is an intern with Madison magazine and assistant adviser for the Centennial Dukes club.