I need books of teaching materials, including Multicultural Perspectives in Music Education, Step it Down, and Music in Special Education to help me modify the curriculum to make it relevant to all of my students.
I am an elementary music teacher, so my days are filled with folk dancing, Hot Cross Buns on recorder, and rooms of children singing "Frere Jacques" in a round. My students live in a diverse neighborhood, and their families speak dozens of languages at home.
In my classroom, students learn to perform, read, and enjoy music from around the world.
I work to create units and lessons that will engage and inspire my students to step out of their comfort zones and explore their own abilities as musicians.
My students are excited about issues of social justice and equity, and they care deeply that everyone in the class feels included and respected.
My school also includes three Special Education classrooms, providing students with differentiated instruction and support in the general education setting. As the only music specialist in the building, it is important to me that I am able to accommodate their needs in my curriculum, and to modify instruction as necessary. I know that every student can be successful and enjoy their time in my classroom.
My Project
I am passionate about helping my students to see their own lives and experiences reflected in the music room, but the curriculum provided by our district does not supply songs and games that feel relevant to my students. The World Music Pedagogy books and the Multicultural Perspectives in Music Education series will help me learn how to incorporate songs and games from around the world into my curriculum, and give me the tools to explain to my administration and to other teachers and district officials why this needs to be a focus of music programs in our district.
Most importantly, these resources will provide materials for me to use with my students, and provide guidance as I continue to seek out authentic materials that reflect the cultures of my students and their experiences.
Step it Down is an example of a resource I would like to be able to use to supplement the district curriculum. This book provides notation and history of many songs and activities that appeal to my students. The syncopated rhythms and casual lyrics feel familiar to many of my students, either because of how those elements are used in popular music, or because many of the stylistic characteristics of African-American music come from the traditional music of African countries and cultures, including those from which my students' families emigrated.
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