Music, Teaching, Learning, and Life

Every time I take another class (well, almost every time), I come away with my mind whirling with possibilities for my music classroom.  Even though I’m in my 16th year of teaching in the public schools, I’ve also concluded that my need for improvement will be never-ending!  I’m taking another class this weekend at VanderCook College of Music called “Creative Solutions for the General Music Classroom.”  It’s a single weekend class in the college’s continuing education program called MECA.  I consider myself very fortunate to live close enough to downtown Chicago to regularly take advantage of VC’s classes!

This particular class is being taught in three sessions by three different teachers.  This morning’s focus was including special needs students in creative ways.  Susan Vaughan, one of five choral teachers at New Trier High School (in Chicago’s northern suburbs), presented ideas from a new course offering at her HS that combines special needs students with a student facilitator/helper.  They call it “High Five Choir.”  Materials I received state:

The High Five Choir provides a safe learning environment in which students of all abilities come together to create and experience music, and build friendships while raising awareness against stereotypes of individuals with physical and mental disabilities.  The High Five Choir provides all students with the opportunity to interact with one another as peers.  Each student facilitator collaborates with the music director in developing specific and general goals while leading a rehearsal through singing, playing instruments, and movement.” (IMEA All-State Conference, Friday, January 30, 2009, 12:30 pm concert program)

As soon as Susan began to speak, I was extremely impressed with her obvious compassion and student-centered philosophies.  The focus of her program obviously includes all students, facilitators and buddies (special needs students) alike.  Facilitators are given responsibilites to pursue training in some of the disabilities represented in the choir, write reflections papers about experiences, and I believe participate in planning and teaching as well.  Each pair of students share a binder including individualized materials needed to help the buddies succeed as well as to aide the facilitator in helping.  Students give each other lots of high fives to celebrate success (thus the name of the program).

Another key idea in teaching special needs students successfully was the need to seek help from the school’s special education teachers and staff.  So often I forget that most basic step!  While talking about the issue, I thought of two fifth grade students who would be better served in my classes if I asked some basic “How do I approach…” questions of the professionals who know those students best!

I have a small amount of experience with these ideas from my last job at Jackson Middle School in Villa Park.  I was asked to teach an 8th grade “Peer Buddy Music” class last year.  The class was comprised of eight special needs students in a single self-contained class along with twelve 8th grade peers.  It was an official class offering that those twelve students elected to take in place of other offerings.  The class lasted twelve weeks at the end of my final year at Jackson.  I responded quite emotionally to Susan’s presentation because of the amazing experience I had from teaching that particular class last year!  The following paragraphs were written in my private blog during those weeks.  (Student names have been changed.)

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Peer Buddy Music

As a part of our school’s 8th grade fine arts electives this year, a new class was offered. Peer Buddy Music is a class for the two multi-needs classes (8 students?) and about ten 8th grade peer buddies. I wish I could take credit for the idea, but I was approached by the school counselor and the two multi-needs teachers about teaching the class last year. The class started this week.

Planning for the class was at the back of my mind for most of the year, but I didn’t put any concrete ideas down on paper until about two weeks before the class started. I was uncertain how to proceed and a little nervous. I was procrastinating! How was I going to put together a music class that would be engaging for both groups of students? Would the eighth graders rise to the occasion, or would they be too “cool” (or self-conscious) to model participation at a very elementary level? Did any sign-up for the class just to be with their friends? Would they comprehend that the class is about more than just them? After three days of class, both groups of students have far exceeded my expectations.

Yesterday was our best class yet. As I’ve been laboring over this entry, I’ve realized one reason that is true. As I facilitated the class yesterday, I focused my teaching, attention, eye-contact, etc. on the multi-needs students much more than previous days. Also, the eighth graders are truly rising to the occasion and are becoming individual teachers to their buddies. I sensed that the class could be a learning experience for the eighth graders. However, this is one of those times in my life when I’m discovering that the experience for all of us is so much better than I imagined it could be.

At the end of class yesterday, the fire alarm went off. We were marching around the room to “Shake Your Groove Thing” (of all things) and having a blast! When we heard the alarm, everyone froze at first. One of the hazards of being a traveling teacher is that I have to remember emergency procedures for each room. In this particular situation, I didn’t review those procedures with the students on Monday–our first day. I was too excited and nervous about getting the class going and just forgot. We have three adult teacher’s aides in the room with us. They helped tremendously with the autistic student who almost immediately started screaming at the high-pitched siren. As they started walking him out, I said to the rest of the class several times, “Stay with your buddy.” John, an eighth grader, kept everyone on track to go out the correct entrance. He took the initiative! One special needs student in particular, a big 13-year old boy who looks normal, walked out with the aides and got away from his buddy, Matt. Matt walked out beside me, and said to me several times, “I can’t find my buddy.” I tried to reassure him that Chad had walked out with the aides, but he was truly concerned for him. There were tears in his eyes!

After we got outside, I saw a few other heart-warming interactions. Kelly tried to reassure her buddy Elaine, who was crying, and tried to help her stay warm by rubbing her arms. Nate let Anne put her hands up his sleeves to help her get warm. John kindly but firmly told Chad that hugging wasn’t allowed, as he tried to bear hug the girls!

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is this. I’m learning that these middle school students have a reservoir of compassion and a heart of service that I’m only just beginning to see.

Posted by Music Lover at 4:51 AM

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Friends from Unlikely Places

During these last few weeks of school, I’ve seen evidence again and again that the value of the peer buddies class goes far beyond music education. In fact, I sometimes wonder how much of the music they will remember. If I taught the class again, there are things I would do differently. However, a dynamic developed over the course of the class that I had hoped for, but was unsure how to foster. Some of the pairs of students became friends.

One pair in particular, John and Jerry, have caught my attention during the last couple of weeks. We changed buddies at about the half-way point, so they’ve been getting to know each other now for about five weeks in music. Jerry is an autistic student with some overt behaviors that make his condition pretty obvious. He’s also one of the tallest boys in the school. When he rocks, screams out, or flaps his ears, it can be scary. If you’re close to him, you feel you could get hurt! I had Jerry paired with a couple of girls for the first few weeks. They tried to connect with him and were successful to a degree. Much of the time, though, they weren’t able to engage him. The adult aides were the main ones who were able to help. I decided to try John with him because John (who is also tall and lanky) is only an inch or two shorter than Jerry. John also seems to have a level of sensitivity not normally demonstrated in a 14 year old boy. Don’t get me wrong–he’s not a crier! He does quietly notice other people and situations, though.

About a month ago I had a substitute teacher covering the class for me. The students watched and sang along with a Disney sing-a-long. I found out after the fact that Jerry has a “thing” for Disney. He also is unable to handle not finishing a Disney movie. He was familiar with that particular tape and knew it wasn’t finished. The aides and John told him we would finish it the next day. The next day, though, I was on to something else. A couple of minutes into the class Jerry started getting distraught. I was clueless to what was happening. Jerry gradually started flapping his ears, rocking, and loudly screaming, “It’s o’kay! It’s o’kay! It’s o’kay!” I tried to teach the class as if nothing was going on…as the aides and John tried to reassure Jerry. The other students got more and more disturbed. The louder Jerry got, the quieter the rest of the class became. I looked at John and saw him with his head bowed seated behind Jerry, gently rubbing Jerry’s back. It was if he wanted so badly to help him, but just didn’t know how.

A little while after they realized they weren’t going to be able to calm Jerry down, the aides told me the reason for his distress. We also sent for the regular special ed teacher. If I’d had the video tape with me, I would have considered putting it in for the last few minutes. Some might call what I’m describing a “tantrum,” but I don’t think that’s what was happening. I think Jerry has a compulsive need to finish certain things, and doesn’t have the necessary tools to handle himself when he won’t be able to do so. I think that’s where the “It’s o’kay!” comes from. It’s an effort to calm himself. We ended up taking the majority of the class down to the special ed classroom to finish up the last 15 or 20 minutes while an aide and the regular teacher continued to work with Jerry. Before we left, John was able to watch the aide and special ed teacher work with Jerry for a few minutes.

John was out sick the next couple of days, but when he returned I noticed a slight difference in how he talked to Jerry. Now when Jerry demonstrates some of his odd behaviors, John just nods his head, smiles slightly, looks at Jerry and repeats after him: “Yes, Jerry, good job!” or “Yes. It’s o’kay.” I’ve also noticed that Jerry is engaging in a more personal relationship with John. There is a level of trust developing that I haven’t seen in Jerry during my limited contact with him. He listens to John. He looks at John. He responds when John shows him how to move his body…or when John stands right in front of him to try to ward off some of the extreme rocking! I think it’s the quiet way John has of looking at Jerry and treating him as an equal. Jerry’s willingness to “look” at John is a big deal because of his disability.

Last Thursday was the annual 8th grade Great America trip. On Wednesday, the 8th grade peer buddies signed up for time slots to walk around with the multi-needs students. Most signed up for the first time slot. John was one of two who signed up for the second time slot. The special ed teacher commented that there was room for them to go during the first scheduled time. John immediately said, “I’m afraid if we do that, they won’t have anyone to be with for the rest of the day.” As far as I know, he stuck to that schedule.

On Friday, I went into the classroom early to set up. One 8th grade boy in particular was still packing up from homeroom before he was off to his next class. He’s one of those students who has the persona of being “too cool” for just about anything but the “coolest.” John was also there along with a few other students. When I cued up our first song on the CD player, the boy said, “What’s that for? That’s not music!” I answered that it was a song we were using in my next music class. He asked “Why?” I explained that it was a class with the two multi-needs classes and that we have a lot of fun. I wondered at the time if he was posturing for John’s benefit, since John was the only other boy in the room? (On second thought, maybe it was for the girls!) John spoke up then and said, “Yes, we have a lot of fun. There are a lot of cool people in that class.” The way he said it didn’t come off as defensive at all. It was obvious to me, and I think the other boy, that John REALLY meant it!

My hope has been that the eighth grade students would learn that life isn’t always “all about them.” I think they are learning that lesson. As for me, I’m learning that I can’t always control the direction that learning goes on any given day. I’ve had to be more flexible in that classroom setting than any other I’ve ever had. And as usual, I’ve learned that I still have a LOT to learn as I go through this life!

Posted by Music Lover at 5:15 PM

Sunday, June 8, 2008

A Few More Thoughts About Peer Buddies

As I’ve thought more about the last few days of peer buddies, there have been many other situations that have come to mind that demonstrate its value. I don’t know that I’ll remember them all, but I’ll try.

I discussed John and Jerry in one of my earlier entries. I failed to mention that I moved Matt to work with Jerry as well. Matt is the typical “spaz” eighth grade boy, one of the shortest boys in his age-group, and very personable and friendly. He is one of the most outgoing students in his class and well liked by students and teachers both (even though he sometimes drives us crazy because of his more immature characteristics). Did I mention that he’s a “spaz?”

During one of the first music classes that Matt worked with Jerry, he seemed a little nervous about getting too near him. Because of Jerry’s towering height (compared to Matt), Matt probably just wanted to be careful not to get in the way. After several weeks of getting comfortable with each other, though, I noticed last week that Matt didn’t move away or seem phased at all when Jerry started rocking and flapping his ears. Matt just continued as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. He trusted Jerry at that point not to hurt him!

Three of the four multi-needs eighth-graders came to

the end-of-the-year eighth grade dance. Jeff came with his parents and spent most of the evening with his mom. His music buddy, Kathy, managed to convince him to dance once with her and her friends. Would that have happened if they hadn’t gotten to know each other in music class? Maybe, but I doubt it.

Kevin and I also chaperoned Kari’s 8th grade dance Friday night. Kari was THRILLED about that!!! (not!) I saw one eighth grade multi-needs girl. Students greeted her as a friend, and several danced with her also. I wonder how that school facilitates those kinds of interactions?

I had all four of the eighth grade multi-needs students in my music class last year. They always came with an aide who helped them, and I seated them on the end of a row to make getting to them easier. However, they were isolated from the rest of the class. I called on them occasionally, but other students acted as if they weren’t in the room….for the most part. That method of seating and interacting with them wasn’t true inclusion. Students were always surprised when Jeff knew an answer, acted wary of Jerry, and basically ignored Steve who is very low. Chad and Jeff were usually the most “included” because they are most like the “normal” students.

Tim was a multi-needs student who moved away half-way through our peer buddy music class. He was one of the lowest functioning and hardly talked. However, he was always smiling and very sweet. One girl in particular worked well with him. She took the initiative to encourage his participation and participated at his level right along with him. The interesting thing is that Macy is a student who has also had struggles in school. In my class, though, working with Tim, then later Joe, she demonstrated a level of matureness and responsibility many older students might not.

All of the eighth graders received a framed photo of themselves with one of their buddies as a goodbye gift. Macy received a picture of herself with Tim. She sat at the table and cried! They weren’t the “high-drama” tears of an eighth grade girl, but the tears of someone who seemed to realize that she had shared something special with Tim.

As I’ve said before, I don’t know how much of the music the students will remember from this particular class. I do hope that they never forget the special relationships they formed and the larger life lessons they learned.

Posted by Music Lover at 12:51 PM