This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
During weekly music classes students are engaged in creating, performing, and responding to music. Activities including, singing, playing instruments, listening and moving to music. Students improvise and compose both vocal and instrumental music. My students love coming to music class!
I teach in an inner city public school in Massachusetts serving 502 students in grades PK-4.
The department of education statistics show that 82% of our population have high needs and that 77% of our families earn low income. I am proud to be a member of a staff that is kind and nurturing. We work together and it is our goal to make the kids feel as if they are part of a family. Kids like coming to school. We push them to do their best.
Our school has a special program for students with hearing loss. Currently, there are 13 students at the who receive services from the Teacher of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. Two of these students receive services from a Sign Language interpreter. All of these students are mainstreamed and come to music weekly with their classmates. I wear an FM transmitter to help these students hear me more clearly.
My Project
Orff type barred instruments are wonderful instruments for children to play. The bars are removable so it is possible to take off the notes that would create dissonance. Students can easily learn great sounding accompaniment pattens and create music of their own. In my classroom I have 25 Orff instruments...one for each student. I only see my students once a week for 50 minutes so it is important that each student have an instrument to play during class.
When a new pattern, melody or improvisational framework is introduced, the students are given time to work on their own. I listen to individual students and then students who excel help other students. At the end of class we all play together.
All of the students K-4 enjoy playing these instruments. Each student can be successful at his or her own level. Elemental patterns can be embellished or simplified depending on the age and skill of the player. By removing 3-4 bars, any student can create great sounding music.
The correct ratio for a pleasing tone in an Orff ensemble is 2 wood instruments for each metal instrument and 2 lower pitched instruments for each high pitched instrument.
The ratio in my classroom is the opposite so when all of the students are playing at once, the result is a loud din that bothers my hearing impaired students. They cover their ears and often ask me to turn off the Fm transmitter. I want to change this ratio so adding a new lower pitched wood instrument will really help.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Squeglia and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
