Fairfax Teacher Questions

Jihanna Charlton

“would love some ideas on inclusion and keeping those students who are included on task when we are doing theory type things and playing the recorder.” [suggestions]

Mystery Teacher #1

“Do you have any suggestions on how to teach MR/LD students the recorder? Any resources you can offer would be wonderful.”

“When working with special needs students do you have any vocal coaching ideas? [suggestions]

Mystery Teacher #2

“How do you help a third grader on recorder who has been home schooled by an 85 year old grandparent for 9 years and has no experience with holding things in her hands? We have no records with this child. This is her first school experience. We think that there are other things going on rather than motor coordination problems. But right now working with recorder, scissors, any small manipulatives are like another world to her. She is also a Vietnamese orphan. We have no idea about her experiences when she was a baby and toddler. But she is struggling. I have her working one on one with other students. I try to help her as much as possible, but she is in a class of 28 kids who also need my help.”

“In the past, we had an autistic boy who could read the notes on the staff, but could not put the fingering of the recorder and reading of the notes together. He was a mess. We tried putting hold enforcers (white round tabs) on the recorder for texture, but that did not seem to help. Plus he said the blowing of the recorder “hurts my ears” (which probably was the truth). This particular student has left the school, but we do have another one that has difficulty playing the recorder. I would be interested in her help on autistic students playing the recorder, as well as students who come from homes/places with little or no life experience.” [suggestions]

Judith Casper Humphrey

“We have a class of 6 autistic boys. None of them communicate verbally. Each is so different, it is so difficult trying to find things to do with them. They come to music together with 3 or 4 aides. One is autistic and MR, and violent. He has attacked me 3 times this year, for reasons that are still unclear. I am at my wit’s end trying to find ideas that work. Instruments either become “weapons” in their hands, or they damage/destroy the instruments that are used by everyone. A couple of them suddenly decide to take off running around the instruments and music room, like a game of chase. None of these activities are allowed in my classroom by the regular students. They seem to enjoy the sing-along videos better than anything else I’ve tried. They don’t participate much, even when we try our “sing along with Ms. Humphrey” songs. I certainly hope she has some ideas that can work for me and my little sextet.”  [suggestions]