Preparing to Teach

Abstract

There are varying degrees of undergraduate and graduate preparation for students with special needs. Music educators may have had a general special education class or the opportunity to study topics regarding students with special needs embedded within a music methods course. The topic of students with special needs may have been included in an educational psychology course, or a teaching music to students with special needs course that was part of the curriculum (Heller, 1994, York & Reynolds, 1996). More often than not, music educators have little or no background or instruction in this area (Wilson & McCrary, 1996). Therefore, music educators must be resourceful in gaining insight into the skills, strategies, and understandings that accompany the experience of teaching a student with special needs. Music teacher educators often have little or no preparation as to how to educate future music educators regarding the inclusion of music students with disabilities or how to plan, implement, and assess lessons in self-contained and inclusive music classrooms. Oftentimes, this lack of understanding results in either glossing over the topic or ignoring it altogether. Licensure requirements can leave little room for “special” topics in the methods classroom. Fieldwork and engagement with special education faculty and staff in a variety of environments can assist music educators in finding ways to reach students with special needs. This chapter may appear to be designed for the music teacher educator. However, practicing music educators are encouraged to utilize the observation protocols and other strategies to obtain on-the-job and authentic experience through self-imposed fieldwork, observation, and discussion within the special education framework. This may be beneficial to music educators in understanding the subculture of students, parents, educators, and administrators that surround a student with special needs. This fieldwork may need to be conducted during preparation/planning time or through permission from an administrator. For music teacher educators, this chapter is designed as a guide to develop fieldwork opportunities for pre-service music educators. Included in this chapter will be strategies for engagement in self-contained classrooms, resource rooms, inclusive settings, and summer enrichment programs.