Students who are not challenged with disabilities may have difficulty understanding how to engage or interact with students who are new or have challenges.
It’s important to help general education students learn and adapt to their special education peers. This is also very beneficial as they grow up in a diverse society.
Taking data is important and can be powerful when presented to colleagues. Having specific information regarding your classroom environment, what is happening, and how it is affecting the class is very useful. When case study or grade-level teams are able to read specific information, it is much easier to begin planning interventions (Horner, Strain, & Carr, 2002).
Researching has been critical in learning about how to interact with special populations. This also helps educators be prepared and have an idea of what to expect in order to be better prepared in interacting with the children.
There are times when even the most prepared music educator can face behaviors that are more difficult than expected.
I think this also shows to have grace for yourself. No one is perfect, and at the end of the day we’re all humans trying our best.
Speak with parents/guardians to discuss their goals and the goals you have for their child.
It’s always important to include parents and share progress/expectations of the child. Especially in considering how home-life can often bleed into school-life and affect the child’s behavior and results.
Assess students frequently and in a variety of environments to ensure that their learning and response modes are honored.
There are some students that learn quickly, or easily get bored. I think this point is an important reminder that while some students need routine and repetition, there are other students who need something different.
It is also important to point out that using the words “good behavior” and “bad behavior” can be problematic. If a student hears that they are exhibiting “bad” behavior often, the student can develop self-esteem issues. Even worse, the student can start to build an identity that is centered around “bad” behavior as a way of gaining the attention of the teacher. Just refer to behaviors as what they are: behaviors.
It also shows how we as educators need to retrain our way of speech and thinking, if this is something that you usually do. I think another important factor is to see how you speak to yourself. That can be a tell-tell sign of how you normally speak to others.
Effective classroom management begins long before the students enter the music room. A well-prepared environment is essential for optimal instruction and is particularly important when teaching music to students with differences and disabilities. This groundwork can be time-consuming and requires a thoughtful approach to the classroom setting; however, it is well worth the planning when the classroom becomes an inclusive and student-centered environment
This part serves as a reminder for all educators that the environmental setting, and set up of a classroom is a very critical aspect for a child’s learning experience.
His class last year was very welcoming of him and understood that he learns differently and helped him in ways that they could, whether it be directing him to the circle carpet or in line at the end of class.
Love that the classroom was inclusive and the teacher was able to help other students interact and understand. That is the ultimate goal!
incentives
I read somewhere, that there some students that work best with a reward system. Incentives is great way to demonstrate collaboration with a student.
He was upset because he was going to have the materials taken away from him, so I eased his mind by letting him borrow another piece of paper and a pencil to take home, which was the same size as the wooden dowel.
I think it’s very important to showcase that instead of removing the object forcibly, they decided to replace the item with a similar shape and feel as the original object. Also, noting how they “eased” his mind.