Music can be the catalyst for students to develop healthy self-concepts and establish positive relationships throughout their time in public school. These concepts and relationships continue with students (with and without differences and disabilities) as they leave public school settings and continue their lives as adults.

This type of data collection is sometimes referred to as a functional behavioral analysis and the three steps may be called “ABC,” or antecedent, behavior, and consequence (Barnhill, 2005).

. Music educators should treat paraprofessionals as team members in classrooms and provide them with information prior to class time to allow them to learn the lesson and prepare to participate in instruction. This allows paraprofessionals the opportunity to share any additional information that may assist in the teaching and learning process and shows them that their participation in the process is valued.

s, he gets a chance to play a short improvisation on the piano for his classmates, and during class, he gets to be a volunteer for each of our activities if he follows the directions of sitting in a circle with us and keeping his motions and sounds to a minimum. 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.

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.