Colleen Sears

Email: colleen.sears@tcnj.edu

Ed.D., Music Education, Teachers College, Columbia University

M.A., Music Education, Eastman School of Music

B.M., Music Education, The College of New Jersey

Dr. Colleen Sears is an Adjunct Instructor of Music Education at The College of New Jersey where she teaches:

• MUS 394: K-8 Music Practicum

Dr. Colleen Sears brings ten years of public school teaching experience and a background in educational research to the music education faculty at The College of New Jersey.  She has taught general and instrumental music at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and most recently worked as the Director of Bands at Readington Middle School in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.  Dr. Sears holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The College of New Jersey and a Master of Arts degree in music education from the Eastman School of Music.  In 2010, she earned her Doctor of Education degree in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. Sears’ research focuses primarily on gender equity issues in music education.  Her interests lie in uncovering and examining gendered stereotypes that exist inside the music classroom and within the professional community.  Her dissertation is entitled, “Paving Their Own Way: Experiences of Female High School Band Directors.”  Her research has been presented at several conferences including the 2009 Research in Music Education Conference in Exeter, England, the 2011 Conference on Equity and Social Justice at Richard Stockton College, and the 2011 Feminist Theory and Music conference in Phoenix, Arizona.  Dr. Sears’ articles entitled Stop playing like a bunch of girls: Using teachable moments to challenge gender stereotypes in the classroom and You are not alone: Understanding and coping with the challenges of being a female band director have appeared in Tempo Magazine and The Woman Conductor, respectively.