A lot has been said, reported and blogged about since Pauline Hanson opened her mouth and dropped the bombshell statement, suggesting that children who have a diagnosis on the Autism Spectrum should be segregated from mainstream classrooms.
Senator Hanson has faced intense criticism from disability advocates, fellow politicians, educators and parents, and with good reason; research conclusively supports inclusive education for students with diagnosed medical conditions. Diversity in the classroom - including gender, racial and neurological diversity - is vitally important in helping ALL students become conscious learners, critical thinkers and in preparing them to be citizen in a pluralistic, diverse society. That said, I want to talk about my classroom. My REAL classroom, where real students learn real music every day. To each and every student who walks through the door to the Music room; *If you need your work blown up in size so you can see it better, or need access to noise cancelling headphones because you are sensitive to noise or need me to break down my instructions step by step, I will do that. *If you are struggling with your work, and need my help, I will help you. If you need to be comforted or challenged, I will help you. If you having a bad day I will help you. If you are excelling at your work and need extension, I will help you. (This is not diagnosis dependent. I am a teacher, it is my job to help students learn) *If I am struggling with meeting your needs in the classroom, I will take the time to educate myself, do professional reading, talk with colleagues and find a way to up skill myself. Whether you have PSTD, Diabetes, Downs Syndrome, Sensory Dis-regulation, difficulty controlling your behaviour, or glasses, I will learn how to meet your needs and put strategies in place in my classroom so you can learn to the best of your ability. *If I am struggling with the time required to meet your needs, I will ask for time and support. I will ask to be released for an hour, a day or more, so that meeting my students needs remains a task that is manageable. I will request time with visiting teachers, I will email SSEN and ask what resources are available, I will make it a part of my work day, rather than something 'extra' that needs to be done. *I will push you. Some days you will hate me, and think me unfair and demanding. Some days Music won't be your favourite class. But guess what? I will continue to push you because I know you are capable of more than you know. I know that your brain is strong and flexible and incredible. *I will respect you. You are my student, and you are someone's child. You are a friend, a cousin, an older brother or sister. In the future you will be someone's crush, someone's co-worker, someone's husband or wife, someone's Mum or Dad. You are an important part of your classroom, our school and our community. I have a problem with career politicians using their very public platform to divide students into categories, especially categories of 'us' and 'them'. I have a problem with singling out and humiliating a particular group of students, when the reality of the situation is that there are many and varying needs in every classroom. But most of all, I have a problem with Pauline Hanson speaking on behalf of students, a system and teachers she doesn't know. Students: You are welcome in my classroom. I look forward to watching you grow. Parents: Your child is welcome. I will do my best to help them learn. Pauline Hanson: You are welcome to come and spend a day in my classroom. I will be accommodating for your own set of learning needs by showing you that we don't need to approach people who are different with fear and hate, and that diverse classrooms are places of strength and understanding and growth.
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Ahhhh, reports you old hag.
I simultaneously love and hate writing reports. I love it when I can tell a parent that their child has worked really hard and as a direct result has achieved highly. I love when I can comment on how they have learned new skills, or found joy in composing or just that they are friendly and polite. I hate how long it takes and how much data I seem to be missing as soon as I start, and I hate how stressed I get every May and November. The thing is, we are always going to have to report, and it is never going to be easy to effectively communicate in one 600 character comment the learning journey that that particular child has been on for the last 15 weeks. I thought I would make it easier by posting actual comments that I have used this semester, aligned with the West Australian Curriculum. All schools are different in how they report. On top of that, the Union's stance on Specialist's reporting is that it is discretionary. At my school, we report on A, D and E grade's (anything exceptional or cause for concern) and SEN reports/children with IEP goals. We also have a 600 character limit on all comments. For me personally, I want my parents to know a couple of things: *How are they in the classroom (motivated, polite, enthusiastic, disrespectful, uninterested) *What can they do? What particular music skills can they do or not do? *What do they need to do better to be 'at level' So here are a few real comments that I have used this semester. I hope they are helpful. (I have changed all the boys to Bob and all the girls to Betty for privacy) Year 2: A student Betty is a polite student who has made excellent progress this semester. She decodes, reads and plays written notation and understands the shape of the melody in songs. Betty can stop and swap between beat and rhythm whilst playing and her musical arrangements are very creative. Betty's writing is of a very high standard, and she produces well constructed and descriptive sentences, clearly linking the elements of music to the mood created. She should be commended on an excellent semester's work. D student Bob is a friendly and polite student who has struggled with many of the concepts covered in Performing Arts. Bob is able to listen and repeat simple rhythm patterns, however he struggles to remember and keep his place in the music during longer sections. Bob is currently working on his understanding of pitch, however he finds it challenging to pitch match whilst singing. More practice singing simple songs like nursery rhymes will see him improve in this area. Bob provides simple, personal answers in his written reflection, and is beginning to include detail in his work. Year 3 A student Betty has made excellent progress this term. She has a sound understanding of rhythm and reads and plays simple combinations of notes in 4/4 time. Betty is a confident performer, and works well in groups to create original arrangements. She works well on written tasks and produced work that is detailed and neat. Betty should be commended for her positive attitude and excellent grade. A student Betty is a friendly and helpful student, who has made excellent progress in Performing Arts this semester. Betty has a very well developed sense of both pitch and rhythm, and this is reflected in the high standard of her performances. Her original compositions are creative and engaging, and she works well in groups to produce new works. Betty confidently reads and writes standard music notation, and can read and play simple compositions on multiple instruments. Betty's written work is of a very high standard, and she should be commended for her high achievement. Year 4 D student Bob is a quiet and polite student who has struggled with many of the concepts covered in Performing Arts this semester. Bob understands simple written rhythm notation, however he was unable to play this rhythm in time with the music. Bob worked in a small group to compose an original song, however the song was out of time and had no clear finish. Bob needs to listen carefully to instructions, work quickly on the task and ask for help if he doesn't understand if his grade in this area is to improve. Year 5 A student Bob has made exceptional progress this semester. Bob worked productively on the guitar in Term One, moving quickly through the repertoire, as well as making time to help other students who were struggling. His original hip hop composition was technically sound, creative and engaging and he was a collaborative and helpful group member. Bob's written work is always detailed and well presented, and he uses details and examples to support his observations. Bob is a hard working student with a positive attitude and he should be commended on this pleasing grade. Year 6 A student Betty is polite and friendly student with a natural flair for performance. Her original Reggae and Celtic compositions had clear structure and were well rehearsed, resulting in very polished performances. In her written tasks she gives detail answers that demonstrate she understands how the music is constructed and how different elements of music communicate mood and meaning. Betty should be commended for her hard work, positive attitude and high achievement this semester. D student Betty is a polite and friendly student who has struggled with some of the concepts covered in Performing Arts this semester. Betty worked with a small group on an original composition for our Wakakirri, however the composition was incomplete. Betty provided simple answers when asked about the process of creating her original composition, however she could not identify or describe any elements used and how they created mood and meaning. Betty needs to listen carefully during direct instruction and ask for help if she doesn't understand the work if her grade is to improve in this subject area. Student with poor attendance Betty is a very friendly and capable student who always participates fully in all activities in Performing Arts. Betty has missed many lessons and assessments and as a result, her grade does not reflect her true ability in this subject area. Student who arrived late in the reportable period Bob has made a positive start to his Performing Arts lessons here at (name) Primary School. Due to his recent arrival, he has not been assessed in this subject area. Not long until the holidays everyone! xx |