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Marsha Juday Posts: 1
3/16/2019
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I have taught several students with autism during regular music classes. I taught one student, who was on the high-functioning end of the spectrum, from his 3rd to 5th grade years. For the first two years, he came with a one-on-one aide. During his fifth grade year, he did not. When his class arrived, I greeted them with slow tempo, softer music than I did with other classes, as he was sensitive to sudden, loud sounds. He matched pitches in assessed singing ranges, from C to C, and readily sang solo echos. He did not participate in choral singing often, and group recorder playing was quite difficult for him. I showed him a quiet(er) spot away from the group, and he often opted to go there when we played recorder or Orff instruments. He would take his recorder or a glockenspiel with him. By fifth grade, he self-regulated very well, and had minimal meltdowns. He also spoke and responded more often. The other students were quite supportive, giving him verbal affirmations when he sang and played recorder well. It was gratifying to watch him became more comfortable and independent over the three years.
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Laura Cabrera Posts: 5
3/17/2019
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Several years ago I taught a student who was missing a finger. I altered the recorder fingerings to accommodate him and also created a separate finger chart as a visual aid to help him remember which fingers to use for each note.
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Laura Cabrera Posts: 5
3/17/2019
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Karen Gentry wrote:
I work in a private school and teach elementary music classes. There are a number of children in our school with ADD and ADHD. To accomodate these students, I interact with them more frequently and have them sit close to the front of the class. If I need help passing out materials or collecting instruments, I usually select these students. Activities that require movement also help to keep them focused on the lesson.
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Laura Cabrera Posts: 5
3/17/2019
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Karen Gentry wrote:
I work in a private school and teach elementary music classes. There are a number of children in our school with ADD and ADHD. To accomodate these students, I interact with them more frequently and have them sit close to the front of the class. If I need help passing out materials or collecting instruments, I usually select these students. Activities that require movement also help to keep them focused on the lesson.[/quote)
I also do the same with my ADD students with regards to movement and jobs. Proximity helps as well.
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Denise Jenkin Posts: 4
3/19/2019
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I have a student who is on the autism spectrum, who I have been teaching for a few years now. Loud noises can agitate him, so I have learned to be mindful of how loud listen examples are, who now loud the class level can be. He is very intelligent and loves to answer questions. I have discovered if I allow him to answer the questions he gets very engaged in the lesson and often will initiate the next part of the lesson. If we are doing drums or an instrument that can get loud, if he is the child to demonstrate for the class, he will be more apt to be comfortable with the sounds, and monitor them if they get too loud.
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Michelle Taylor Posts: 3
3/25/2019
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At my school I mostly deal with students who are EBD. for them love and respect is the best strategy i have found especially for the younger ones. I also try to give them positions of responsibility - ways that they can help me or the class - They are proud of their responcibility and are motivated to do well. I do have a story of a 1st grader (I'll call him Bobby) who was pushed passed his limits by another student and exploded only 5 min into class (I discovered later that a student next to him was whispering to him negative comments and it set him off.) He ran across the room and then locked eyes with the offending student screamed and charged. I stepped in front of the other student and bobby jumped at me jumping into my arms. I held onto him while I walked to a chair to sit down. The whole time he growling - and I am quietly asking "why are you so angry bud?" I sit and relax my arms and he holds me tighter. He is no longer growling but he is not talking yet either, but he is hugging me with all his might. My heart broke for him. He just wanted someone to love him - even when he was angry. He came back the next week and I stopped him at the door and whispered 'How are you feeling today? Feeling better?" He gave me a big smile and a bigger hug. Sometimes I think my students just want to be heard, and feel loved and understood.
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Chad Heyer Posts: 3
3/26/2019
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I had a student in my music classroom who had an OI. She was born with one arm underdeveloped. Accommodating her impairment was always a moment included in my lesson plan. If we were playing melody on xylophone I would make sure the tempo would allow for the melody to be executed with one mallet. With hand drums I would ensure that she had access to a drum that could be played and secured by her.
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Clinton Carter Posts: 3
3/27/2019
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Last year, I had a great deal of difficulty with an autistic student. He was very sensitive to loud or high pitched sounds, which presented a frequently occurring problem in my music classroom. He would react to any unpleasant sounds by yelling out during class to get my attention. In order to help him feel comfortable with these sounds, I would allow him to wear noise-cancelling headphones during instrument activities or activities that included any harsh sounds. With this modification, he was able to focus more on activities which resulted in less disruptions.
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areti c Posts: 4
3/27/2019
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- Think of a student with a disability you have now or in the past. Describe ways in which their disability affected their learning in your class. I have a student who is hard of hearing. She does well with her accommodations, however, it has effected her academically and socially. Sometimes when she is looking down, she misses out on information in the classroom. This can effect her performance if the teacher, me, misses out with communication on objectives or requirements for an assignment. It is important for me as the teacher to make sure she has the information she needs. Otherwise, she can miss steps, miss learning, miss objectives that affect her overall grade. She also has difficulties socializing because her speech is slightly blurred and sometimes it make it difficult for her to communicate with her peers. I am certain to place her with students in collaborative learning who are sensitive and positively responsive to her impairment. This allows her to be successful in the classroom. : )
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robert mccormack Posts: 1
3/28/2019
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Between the years 1979 and 1990 I taught at two ESE centers in the Volusia County School System. They both closed down as Florida followed the path of LRE. I had and have mixed feelings about that as both jobs were wonderful experiences for me and (I hope/think) for my students. I had several students with Cerebral Palsy for whom I was able to devise adaptive Orff and keyboard mechanisms with great success. We formed our own unassuming ensembles of three to twelve members whereby these students and others with behavioral/emotional challenges experienced success through cooperation and sharing of a common aesthetic goal.
When these schools closed, I transferred to regular ed. elementary school where the challenge to include the mainstreamed ESE students was difficult. While I never forgot our history together and tried to give them the same commitment as before, I always felt as though they were getting much less from me in the way of attention and focus.
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Carrie Bailey Posts: 3
3/29/2019
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Throughout my 18 years teaching music at a private school, I've had the joy of encountering many students who's positive outlook facing their challenges have inspired me. This has been particularly evident when we begin playing recorders. I have had to be creative in modifying the recorder fingerings, rewriting the music and even adapting the recorder to help these students be successful playing the songs and becoming their best musical selves! And nothing compares to seeing how proud a student is when they play their first song!
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Ian Peacock Posts: 3
3/29/2019
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In my current school last year we had a young student with severe mental impairment. She really enjoyed music but had a number of problems that made participation a challenge. Many instances and lessons called for my co-teacher and I to modify instruments for her to be successful as well as modify assessments and tests. We also spent some one on one time working with the student on her singing and working to her pitch. Up/ Down and moving around. We used many addidtional manipulatives and pictures to display melodic movement so as to help her with following along and singing close to correct pitch.
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Julie Warren Posts: 2
4/3/2019
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My first year of teaching, I had a student in 6th grade chorus with a visual impairment. She loved singing and was excited to be in chorus, but was worried about being able to see the music. It was suggested by her ESE teacher to enlarge her music, which I tried and luckily helped her to see the music notes and words. I also highlighted using bring colors to show what line her part was on. She stayed in chorus for all three years of middle school. This student was a not only a strong contributor musically to the group, but also a role model in the importance of having a positive attitude and good work ethic. Seeing the music notes and reading the words was so much more work for her than anyone else in the chorus, yet her enthusiasm for singing and commitment to the group never wavered.
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Debbie Lohmeyer Posts: 2
4/4/2019
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I have a student with Down's Syndrome in one of the General Ed. Second grade classrooms. Peer partnering works very well for her and the other students are very eager to assist her and help. Her motor skills are limited, so during movement activities, her para-professional assists her by doing the movement with her and moving her arms if needed. Because of her limited verbal skills, the movement activities and instrument playing that her peers and/or para help her with provide her with the opportunitites to participate and be successful in the music classroom.
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LaShaun Tribble Posts: 6
4/8/2019
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Prompt: Think of a student with a disability you have now or in the past. Describe ways in which their disability affected their learning in your class.
Response: I have had several students with disabilities since I began teaching in 2005. It is an enriching experience when I have been able to connect with those students. One instance, in particular that comes to mind is a young man in 1st grade in a motor-powered chair. He is a smart young man who is DD (Developmentally Delayed)...particularly physical: fine, gross motor movements. He paints, colors, and writes with the utensil/tool in his mouth. He also has a speech impediment. I am sure to interact with him consistently in a caring manner for when he needs help beginning an assignment as well as when he needs redirecting. You see, I have known him since he was in Kindergarten, and he will remain in his same situation permanently. And he is a child like all other students who needs attention, direction/guidance, love, care, and redirection. Sometimes, I help him to complete his lesson by giving him a chance to respond when otherwise no one would call on him. And I assure him that I heard him, and that it is great that he participates in class...I try my best to make sure he feels included.
This year, the students in his class are very caring...they do not make fun of him...it is just the opposite. They welcome him and even play tag with him at recess!
A few examples of when I have helped him to be able to participate, is (1) call on him and go over to him...listen to his mouthed response, (2) ask him to draw what he feels about a piece of music playing while the other students must use music vocabulary to tell me about their listening experience, (3) put an instrument in his hand and let him shake a maraca lightly while the other students are joined together playing their percussion instruments.
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William Jones Posts: 3
4/8/2019
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Prompt: Think of a student with a disability you have now or in the past. Describe ways in which their disability affected their learning in your class.
Response: I had a 4th grade student who was visually Impaired in my 4th grade music class. If the student did not sit in the front of the classroom, the student would not have been able to recognize the material on the white board I was writing for the class. Also, my class handouts were in a small font size, which made reading and studying the materials difficult for the student. Students in 4th grade also learned how to play scales on the Soprano Recorder. The scale sheets that I provided students were also in a small font size and somewhat dim due to mass reproduction over the years. The scale sheets were also difficult for the student to read as well. I did the following to assist the student in the classroom who was visually impaired:
1. Made sure the student sat at the front of the classroom with a friend who could assist the student with written materials on the white board that were still not clear from where the student was sitting.
2. Used dark colored markers on the white board to assist with clarity of words and music note/rest values.
3. Printed larger than normal size on the white board for clarity of words and music.
4. Allowed the student to go up to the whiteboard and draw/take notes from a closer view.
5. Created additional class handouts in a larger font and with bold print
6. Created additional Soprano Recorder scale sheets in a larger font and with bold print.
7. Provided additional personal instruction with the student to make sure fingering of scales were clearly understood on the scale sheet.
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Brenda Flach Posts: 2
4/9/2019
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Last year I had a 4th grade student that had an an orthopaedic impairment and difficulty holding mallets when we were learning how to play the xylophones. He also could not see well to hit the two notes I was asking for him to play. I was able to make some malletshave a thicker handle by wrapping them with tape and making them easier to grip. I also took off the notes of the xylophone that we were not going to play and left the two notes on the instrument that we were going to play. He was very proud to play the steady beat on those two notes while he held the mallets.
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Brenda Flach Posts: 2
4/10/2019
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I often have students with behavioral disabilities. I try to seat those students close to the sound source and close to me. When teaching a song, I may teach the words and music in lots of differentiated ways. Many times I use movement and gestures to introduce the song and I most always have visuals that help them to remember the words. I usually do the diffentiated instruction in more than one lesson I sometimes teach the song one way on the first lesson and then use a powerpoint presentation with words and visuals on the 2nd instruction of the song. On the third, I may have them practice additional movements to the song. I also find that movement with a partner helps the EBD students to learn from their partner and to practice social skills.
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Racheal Spears Posts: 3
4/10/2019
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I have a student who is deaf-she cannot hear anything. Her aid quit bringing her for a while because she didn't see the point in music for someone who can't hear. I have tried to incorporate a couple of Signing Time videos. She has also participated in using finger puppets, the hand drum, and scarves. However, I could really use some tips on how to better reach her!
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Edith Williams Posts: 4
4/12/2019
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Administrator wrote:
Think of a music student with a disability you have now, or have had in the past. Identify their disability. Describe the way in which their disability affected their music learning. Describe at least one or more ways you successfully accommodated or modified instruction for this student. Share your response in the threaded discussion.
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