I am a firm believer that flexibility and rigor make an outstanding teacher. Rigor is absolutely necessary from a curricular standpoint. In any subject area, a teacher needs to be able to assist students in reaching the goals of the curriculum. I believe that outstanding teachers help students achieve well beyond what the community expects. As a musician, I strive to have students stretch into levels of music performance that go beyond competency into artistry. This takes rigor. It takes a keen awareness of pedagogy to move students progressively into more and more complex areas of study. However, every great teacher needs to know that flexibility is the key to mastering rigor. Every student acquires information at a different rate. A great teacher is able to work with students to assist them on the rigorous path to success. As an educator, it is also important to know that change is inevitable, and flexibility within the school community helps to develop a more agile staff when it comes to introducing new curriculum or the implementation of new ideas.

I set a rigorous path of action in the orchestra. I have a very high expectation for my students in the ability to communicate musical ideas. To be a great teacher, you must have great students and I feel that pride in overcoming adversity whether it is through group performance or individual goals helps to nurture that pride. I also know that every student enters with a different level of accomplishment and having the flexibility to work through those obstacles (or accomplishments) assists in these goals.

Contact Information:
swolf (at) bloomfield.org
violawolf (at) gmail.com