The word inclusive means, “aiming to provide equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those having physical or mental disabilities or belonging to other minority groups.” Every student can and should have the opportunity to receive a quality music education. There are not ifs, ands, or buts about it. Unfortunately, some kids aren’t getting the same opportunities to learn music for a variety of reasons. In this blog post, (and in this podcast episode 148) we’re going to explore why making music education inclusive for all students is so important and how you can go about doing that.
Remember the diversity of your students
Think about the diversity of the students you teach. Diversity is about the different skin colors and cultures of your students. It’s also about their gender, age, socioeconomic status, identity, and so much more. Making music education inclusive for all students means to know and respect the diversity of every student, class, grade level, and school you teach at. The diversity of your students won’t look the same as any other teacher, so that’s why it’s important to truly know the students you work with. Look at the music you’re teaching, what’s on your wall, the books you’re reading, and the activities you choose to do.
Focus on each child’s different abilities
I want you to notice that I didn’t say to focus on your students disabilities. There will be students who you teach music to who do learn differently than their peers, but they can still learn music. There will be students on IEP’s, 504 plans, behavior plans, and any other type of plan, but they can still learn music. There are students who have a physical impairment, but they can still learn music. Every single child that you get the opportunity to teach music to needs to feel valued, loved, and included in the music room. If you need help in how to accommodate, modify, or adapt a lesson for a certain student, don’t feel embarrassed by asking for help from their classroom teacher or another trusted colleague or mentor.
Know the community you teach in
Have you taken the time to get to know the community you teach in? Without really knowing where your students live, what their environment is like, what kind of music they enjoy listening to, what the neighborhoods are like around you, or if the community values the arts, you won’t really know how to go about making music education inclusive for all students in your music classroom.
When I taught in Tulsa, OK, I remember learning about the rich history of jazz, how my students loved “church music”, and about hip hop being a huge musical genre that was a part of my students lives. If I hadn’t taken the time to really get to know about this, I would have never known.
Words matter in the music room
A big part of making music education inclusive for all students is to make sure the words you speak, how you speak them, and the language you choose to use makes your students feel seen, valued, and loved. How do you do this? There are a lot of ways to go about it. The first thing is to consider your tone of voice. Are you yelling or talking with calm words? Are you getting angry when a hard to reach student is being disrespectful or working on strategies in how to reach this student? Are you making sure all students feel included regardless of their race, identity, religious beliefs, or diagnosis? A big part of teaching music is of course the teaching music part, but so is building relationships with your students. To do this effectively, a good first step is to focus on the words you speak.
No teacher is perfect
There are no perfect teachers. If you find one, please send them my way so I can meet them. You will make mistakes when it comes to making music education inclusive for your students, but the main goal is for you to try. If you leave school knowing you tried your best and aren’t giving up, then you’re doing amazing. You know your students better than anyone and are the exact teacher your students need. Continue reading, learning, listening, and asking questions and have a growth mindset like you encourage your students to have as well.
How do you make sure music education is inclusive for your students? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below or share your thoughts on social media as you share this post.
Also, I’d love for you to share this post or any of the resources on my website with a friend or colleague who you know NEEDS to see it.
P.S. Are you feeling frustrated or stuck as an elementary music teacher? Check out these free resources to help you teach elementary music with confidence!
Also…I wrote a book called “Make A Note: What You Really Need To Know About Teaching Elementary Music” to help music teachers move forward in your teaching career. You can get your copy here.
