Our music teacher just doesn’t get it. She says things IN FRONT OF THE KIDS like “their heads just seem empty.”
The kids are terrified of her becuase if they don’t know the answer to one of her questions, she belittles them.
I have several 4th grade students with LD in her class. She doesn’t differentiate her expectations of them. For example she has them learning the fractional values of notes, with fraction trees! One little girl who doesn’t even have a grasp of fractions in the math classroom but the music teacher expects her to add up a number sentence made of notes by converting them to their fractional values and then adding and subtracting them. This is beyond her scope of ability. I have taught this little girl for 3 years now and we have been working on self-esteem and her ability to just “do her best” and not worry so much if her work is right or wrong. The intereaction style of this teacher is totally undermining all of this work. The mother of the student went to the teacher and tried to explain the struggles the girl faces, and the teahcer even cried when the mother told her that she hoped that her new baby doesn’t grow up to face these same hurdles. But yet, this had no effect on her expectations.
The kids only have her one day a week and she complains that they don’t remember anything. Well, during that week, they are being bombarded with classroom expectations and reading and writing interventions. I am not saying that music is less important than becoming proficient readers or writers (actually, maybe I am.) In mu humble opinion, she is actually turning students against music or wanting to become musicians by making them hate going to that class.
I know that differentiation and accomodations are something that all teachers should be doing and providing for students, including special area. The music teacher has requested help with these students and I want to offer her some real solutions. I don’t think I can change her interaction style, but I’d like to help her. Any suggestions?
Thanks so much!
Ms. M
[Modified by: MsM on February 01, 2007 09:29 AM]
If you can get your hands on a copy of the Fat City video (it is sold on this website), watching that may help the music teacher begin to understand what the LD students are experiencing.
Nancy