This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
The hallways at Calvin Coolidge Senior High School are filled with noises-- shouting, books dropping, break-ups, fights, and skidding sneakers to name a few. As a special education teacher to 10th graders, my challenge is to calm them down once they enter my classroom from the fray of the halls in our DC high school.
Music is one of the oldest art forms in the world, and it has been shown to bring people together again and again. Music lulls babies to sleep and sets toes tapping. Music makes people feel happy, peaceful, and hopeful. This is the way that I want my students to feel when they enter my classroom. Yet, most of my students come from chaotic neighborhoods into the chaotic hallways, and when they arrive in my classroom, they are not ready to learn. This is particularly a problem for my students who are emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, mentally retarded, or those who have ADHD. They become very overwhelmed by all of the commotion, and therefore, they fall farther behind their peers.
Playing jazz, classical, and world music when students enter my class everyday will set the tone for the class, create a different environment from the one in the hallways, and help students to feel calm. The music will signal to them that it is time for class to begin. Furthermore, music will be themed to fit the unit upon which we are working. Students with special needs require a multi-sensory approach, therefore, it is not sufficient to write the day's topic on the board. They need to hear something to give them extra clues. Furthermore, music is accessible to most students because it does not require reading. This allows even those with no reading skills to feel at ease with the material. Having the ability to play music in my classroom will allow me to create a welcoming environment, and it will increase my instructional opportunities. All that is needed to reach these goals is a CD/cassette player.
In a society where my students often feel that they are treated with little humanity, giving them music everyday will help them to feel more in tune with life. It will help them feel happy and ready to learn. We do not need a complex sound system-- all that we are asking for is a simple way to fill our classroom with calming sounds.
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