Diverse Learners

As a middle school choir teacher, I think all of my students are diverse. Some diversity traits go unnoticed while others really stick out. I feel in a classroom setting such as mine, it can be somewhat easy to accommodate my diverse learners. It is in the performance that can sometimes be tricky. Diversity in students can take on many meanings. These can be mental, emotional, behavioral, learning disabled, gifted, and cultural. As a choir director I expose my students to a variety of cultures through music. This could be through the songs I choose, or the composers I teach about or through the history of music. If I have certain cultures represented in my classroom I try and include that particular cultural in my lessons at some point during the year. When a student feels comfortable discussing their cultural it is a good learning experience to share with the class. When I taught music in elementary school we did lots of moving activities. This can prove difficult for some students with physical disabilities. I would make modifications like having someone push them in their wheelchair if we were moving in circles or freely around the room. I also let them play instruments or clap along. When it comes to teaching to diverse learners, I try to change up the way I present information. A majority of our time spent together is singing so students with difficulty reading would struggle more in my room then other types of learning disabilities. When I know this is the case I either have them share music with someone they feel comfortable with ,or I let them take the music home and practice reading it at their pace. These students usually memorize quickly as to not be noticed by their peers that they are struggling with reading. My experience with mental, emotional, and behavioral diversity tends to go one or two ways. The music helps soothe the student and they do well in my class or it agitates them and they have to leave. Earlier I mentioned the performances can be the issue. I had a student in the past that had trouble standing still or staying quiet at the appropriate times and he did well with this in class. He liked the attention of the crowd and tended to get a little out of control when it came time for a concert. After my first concert experience I was concerned for future ones. Once the two of us built a relationship we were able to get him to follow the directions during the performance. He was one of my most favorite students ever because he really was a great kid. In my school we have a couple students who are minimally verbal. This year they started using iPads to converse with people. It was so neat to see their eyes light up when they would push the button to either ask a question or give an answer. It is so cool to have access to technology that gives a voice to people who do not have it. "The National Insitutes of Health (NIH) estimate that the incidence of learning disabilities in the general population is 15 to 20 percent. Fifty-one percent of all the students enrolled in the nation's special education programs are classified as learning disabled (U.S. Deptartment of Education)." Unfortunately, this diagnosis is often viewed as a hindrance rather than an opportunity for growth and understanding. This is from an article on FamilyEducation.com We all have a learning style that works best for us. These styles are categorized as Kinesthetic, auditory, and visual. Though many of us can learn using all three styles, we typically prefer one over the other. As teachers giving instruction to a variety of students we must use a variety of strategies. When all students can find their learning style their chances of having a better education are enhanced. Students with and without labels need to find the style that helps them become better learners.