I had the same conversation about teaching music in low income schools recently with two different music educators. After talking with them, I knew I needed to write a blog post (and share in podcast episode 149) about this topic. You see, no two schools are the same. The way you teach at one school won’t be the same as the way you present the same exact lesson at another school. I student taught at a school with lots of funding and a demographic of mostly white students. Then, I taught at a low income school with a demographic of mostly black students. What I was taught to do in college, then what I did as an intern, just weren’t effective while I taught music at this low income school.
Funding is WAY different
I’ll never forget walking into my music classroom right out of college (in the middle of the school year) and seeing only one broken hand drum. There were no chairs, bulletin board supplies, teaching resources, computers, or any other teaching materials for me to use. I asked my principal about getting what I needed and she simply said, “we don’t have money for that”…then pretty much dropped the mic and walked away. There was no budget, there were no PTA funds, and I was pretty much on my own. I had just come from a student teaching experience where I literally witnessed my cooperating teacher ask for and get pretty much whatever she needed (within reason).
Of course there are exceptions to everything and some low income schools will have funding set aside for teachers, but others not so much. It takes creativity on where to find funding. Fundraisers, continuing to ask PTA and give them specific details for what you’re needing, applying for grants, and borrowing what you need from other teachers are all great ways to get what you need. But, also realize you’ll probably be spending a lot of your own money too.
Relationship building is important
When giving advice to music educators teaching in low income schools, I always bring it back to relationship building. Building relationships with your students is probably the most important thing, in my opinion, that you can focus on that will quickly steer the ship in the right direction. Maybe building relationships is a struggle for you or you’re just not sure where to start. Begin by learning your students names and how to pronounce them correctly. Putting in the effort to really know them and build relationships with them will truly pay off for you in the long run. These kiddos NEED to know that you care about them and not just about helping them to develop a love for music.
You’ll need to adjust and adapt what you do a lot
With any music teaching position, trial and error and knowing when to pivot are crucial. When you teach music in a low income school, there will be a lot more adjusting and adapting happening. There will be a lot of times where you won’t teach music and will instead have class discussions around something going on in the world or life instead. Leaving wiggle room in your lesson plans to allow for natural conversations that come up to happen matters.
Some songs will just not spark an interest in your students the way you thought it would, so be okay trying something else. It’s important not to take things personally or feel like your students don’t like music class, but it’s really about putting the puzzle pieces together until they match. There are going to be days it feels like no matter what you try or how much effort went into planning a lesson, your students are just not responding the way you thought they would. They seem bored or uninterested, but in reality, they need you to just not give up and to continue trying.
Music teaching isn’t a one sized fits all approach
When I taught music in my low income school, I realized quickly that it was so important to know my students and to really understand the culture that my students were a part of. So, although folk songs may work at another school, your students at a low income school might give you a deer in the headlights look the day you decide to try “Alabama Gal” with them. When you find out what music your students enjoy listening to and what genres and styles of music are a part of their world, don’t be afraid to create lessons around these songs. There isn’t a one sized fits all approach to teaching music and I feel like that needs to be stressed more. When it comes to teaching music in low income schools, students need you to find ways of teaching music that they can relate to.
Some students are dealing with a lot
Getting to know your students and the reason behind the behavior matters more than you can imagine. Knowing your students, what they may be dealing with in their home life, if a child is having to help get their sibling ready for school, if there was a drive by shooting the night before, or if a child’s parent is in jail. As a white teacher working in a predominately black school, I knew I needed to do better for my students. Instead of trying to shove a square peg into a round hole by doing the music and activities I thought they SHOULD learn (because of what I learned to do in college), I decided to really focus on relationship building and loving on these students.
A lot of my students needed a role model, a mentor, and an adult to care for them. Many students had teachers who only saw a “bad kid”, but didn’t take the time to understand why they might be struggling. If you’re teaching music in a low income school, don’t give up. Just like you’re taking the time to get to know your students and learn about how to best teach them, they’re learning about you as well. Trust goes a long way with these students, especially when there may be a high turnover of teachers.
Teaching music in low income schools and using what you have
You may not have many teaching resources, you probably have materials from college or old textbooks sitting around you can start with. There may not be many instruments around, but your students can do body percussion and movement activities. All of the chairs may already be in the other classrooms, but you can get free carpet samples or sit spots for your students to use. As you see other music classrooms around you with smart boards or Chromebooks and you have nothing, it can leave you feeling discouraged. But, do you have at least one computer floating around the building that isn’t being used?
It’s not about what you don’t have, but what you do have. First of all, your students have you. You’re there, not giving up, and being consistent with them. They see that music teacher friend. Would all of the “stuff” be nice? Of course it would. But, is it something that causes someone to be a better music teacher than another one? No way. Teach with what you have and don’t let it hold you back from creating music with your students. Then, slowly over time, you can slowly add to your classroom.
Do you teach in a low income school? Tell me about it in the comments below or share your thoughts on social media as you share this post. 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 too.
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.
