Episode 7 – How to Use Your Spidy Senses to Help Your Exceptional Learners Feel Comfortable in Your Music Classroom

Jeanette MihalchikHappy Music Teacher

 

How to Use Your Spidy Senses to Help Your Exceptional Learners Feel Great in Your Music Classroom

Tips for Using Your Spidey Senses:

  • Always be watching your students’ expressions. Just because they can’t participate in the same way as your typical students doesn’t mean they are not attentive and enjoying themselves.
  • Know what your students ARE capable of so you know when they’re engaged and can celebrate their achievements.
  • Remember that students may not LOOK engaged or expressive but that doesn’t mean they are not.
  • Always be ready to pivot when you need to. Don’t be afraid to stop in the middle of a lesson and regroup if its not working.
  • It doesn’t matter how many times you have to do it to get it right.

Episode quotes:

[3:10] Just because they can’t express it doesn’t mean they [your exceptional learners] aren’t listening, thinking, feeling, or understanding it. You should assume that while your exceptional learners may not be as expressive as your typical learners, they can learn, they can see, they can feel, they can think, they can hear and they can understand. And your job is to help them in whatever way they can manage it. 

[9:22] One of the things that I want you to remember is that just because a student doesn’t look expressive doesn’t mean that they are not feeling and learning and just getting something out of your class. 

[13:29] When you’re using your spidey senses of observation, the next step is that you want to be flexible. You want to make sure that you are adjusting your lessons so that everyone is being successful. 

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