“Keeping My Head Above Water”: The Influence of Context on the Concerns of a Novice Urban Music Teacher

Although researchers have identified challenges of beginning music teachers, scholars have rarely considered the impact of the teaching context (e.g., suburban, rural, or urban) on the particular challenges and focus of attention of beginning music teachers. The purpose of this instrumental case study was to describe the challenges and concerns of a first-year general music teacher in an urban elementary school. While I identified some common beginning music teacher concerns, I found unique aspects of the mesosystem and exosystem. These included school structures such as diverse student needs, performance pressure, and district expectations for student growth expectations, which informed the teacher’s concerns and instructional focus