Tammy Axt Communication with Parents and Guardians, Special Education

Setting up Successful Transition Meetings

I am really excited to be starting a brand-new job in September! I am leaving the world of music behind and entering the amazing world of Special Education. This has been a long time passion of mine and when the wonderful opportunity came up to open a class for students with a Developmental Disability, I jumped at the opportunity.

In preparation for my new role, I have had the pleasure of sitting through transition meetings for all of my new students which have been immensely beneficial. This was my first time sitting in on transition meetings and I am so pumped for the new school year now that I have heard all the amazing things about my wonderful new students.

Listening through the presentations, as the sending schools were sharing information with us, the ultimate goal was to make all our families feel comfortable about this big transition their child was facing.  Below are a few ways that we tried very hard to make all our families feel welcome!

  1. All families were invited to the transition and welcomed into the meeting with smiles. Food was ready and water was available in the 30+ degree heat for all families.
  2. At the beginning of every meeting, parents were told explicitly that the goal of the meeting was for them to leave smiling. This reassured them that they were an important part of this process and that their voice was valued. Some parents took this opportunity to share their thoughts about the child’s needs and their anxieties about the transition. It was a great opportunity to begin to build trust between the new school and the parents.
  3. We had a flyer ready for every meeting inviting all of our parents to an “Ice Cream Party” in late August right before school begins. All families and students were really excited about the ice cream party idea and it was such a positive way to end every meeting. Everyone knew that they were invited to see the school, see the classroom and meet their whole teaching team.
  4. One of the most exciting aspects of our transition meetings for students and families was receiving some swag from the new school. A brand new Mustangs t-shirt and water bottle were a big hit with all of the families and made them feel welcome as a member of their new community. There were lots of smiles and excitement at the thought of their child wearing them.

The transition meetings were also an important forum for sharing information. If you are doing the transition meeting for the first time this year or next year, after listening to some very talented teachers present their students, this is what I saw this week that was very helpful.

  1. Bring pictures of the child and important items in the room. One of the teachers gave me a copy of a poem that really helps alleviate anxiety about making mistakes that she uses with one of my students. I will use this familiar item to help my student transition from one school to the next as it will be so familiar to her. Also, the pictures of my students doing his or her favourite things also started to give me an idea of my student’s interests and likes. It was great to put a picture to a name from the beginning. Families smiled when they saw their child doing all these wonderful things and it set a really positive tone for the meeting.
  2. Be specific and detailed about needs in the area of toileting and eating. Some forms do not have a specific section for both of these items so it is important that you are clear and detailed. It is important for the incoming school to fully know the routine so that we can replicate it on the first day of school.
  3. Be detailed about strategies that work to aid in positive behaviour. It might feel a little bit obvious but it is important information to share.
  4. Be sure to bring a copy of the IEP, transition form and behaviour plans. All of this information is highly beneficial in purchasing items needed and preparing a beneficial program for students.

 

Hope these ideas help you set up amazing transition meetings at your schools!

Tammy Axt Diverse Learning Needs, General

IEPs for Music

This week I am faced with the task of completing my term two IEPs for the subject area of music. Below is my process in determining the need for a student to be placed on an IEP for music and some of the past comments that I have used for my students.

Determining the need

Every year in term one and term two, I receive a list from the special education support team of students that are on an IEP. Attached to this list is the question of whether or not I feel that any of the students currently on an IEP require specialized goals for music.

The first question that I ask myself when determining whether or not a student requires an IEP comment for music is “Does the student’s exceptionality impair their ability to be academically successful in music?” In order to determine the answer to this question, I gather some assessment data on the student. This can be challenging at the beginning of the school year when the IEP needs to be completed in a very tight time frame. To help speed up the process, I recommend reading the student’s IPRC’s statement of decision or previous IEPs as they can direct you to analyze the student’s specific exceptionality in the context of your class. Afterwards, I watch my students for impairments in things like receptive language, language processing, expressive language, cognitive abilities, sensory engagement, visual spatial processing and both fine and gross motor skills. In a nutshell, after I have read the decision about the student’s needs in their OSR, I watch closely to see how that impacts their learning in music.

Once I have evidence to support my decision, I go about setting the direction for the music section of the IEP. After analyzing the data, I must decide whether to modify the number of expectations or modify the grade level expectations that I am using to assess the student. In addition, if the student is on an alternative IEP, I must create a measurable goal for them. I do my best to create a goal that will both challenge the student and ensure success for them.

After I have decided on the goal for the term, I compile the accommodations, assessment methods and annual program goals for the students. I then pass all of the information over to the teacher in charge of the IEP. See below for some examples.

Comments for Alternative IEPS

will demonstrate a response to a variety of songs once in a music period.

will physically respond to music (e.g., claps hands, whole body movements).

will participate in music 30% of the time

will participate in music class by singing and playing the xylophone, drums and unpitched instruments for 30 minutes every class

will create and perform a simple composition with some support

will perform a musical piece in front of a large audience

will participate and explore on the xylophone, drums and unpitched instruments

will ask music teacher or peers for help

Comments for IEPs

will apply the creative process to create and perform simple music compositions from modified musical notation.

will sing unison songs in tune and play simple accompaniments.

will perform simple music compositions from modified musical notation.

will communicate his feelings and ideas in response to a piece of music.

will respond to a piece of music through movement and using a light show.

will sing unison songs in tune and/or play simple melodies and accompaniments for music from a wide variety of cultures, styles and historical periods.

will create and perform music in unison on the xylophone and unpitched percussion instruments.

Assessment Methods

Observation of student playing an instrument

Checklist

music performance

self-reflection after singing a song

demonstration of moving to music

Accomadations

Colour cues

Large size font

Use of headphones

Visual cueing

Extra time for processing

Scribing

 

 

Resources – Here are a few resources to give some guidance when writing IEPs.

PRS Matters has written a great bulletin called “The Individual Education Plan (IEP)-What You Need To Know http://www.etfo.ca/AdviceForMembers/PRSMattersBulletins/Pages/Individual%20Education%20Plan%20Advice%20to%20Members.aspx

A great resource for writing IEPS is located on the Ministry website “The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide (2004)”

 

 

 

 

 

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Tammy Axt Building Inclusion, Differentiated Instruction, Diverse Learning Needs, Equity, General, Planning

Teaching Students who are Hard of Hearing

This is the second year that I have had a couple of students who are hard of hearing in my music classroom. How do you teach someone to sing or play instruments when they can’t hear the sound they are producing? This is the question that I was faced with last year. After some trial and error and a brand new book “Music for Children with Hearing Loss” by Lyn Schraer-Joiner, I am by no means an expert, but I have learned a few things.
First and foremost, the students that I have act just like any other student in my class and want to be treated as such. They do not like to be singled out or have any attention brought to them, so when I make modifications to the program for them I try to be subtle about my changes.

When the two classes come to see me for music, I am very aware of a few things:
1) I only speak when I am facing the students. I do not speak when I am facing down to play an instrument or when my body is turned to the blackboard.
2) I ensure that the students who are hard of hearing are beside a good model for singing songs. This can be a skilled student or myself.
3) When I am speaking one on one with the students who are hard of hearing I lean down to their level. I speak normally and do not overemphasize any words.
4) In all of my other classes, I do not repeat the answers that have been given by students during class discussions as I feel that it diminishes their voice. The exception to this rule is in my classes with my students who are hard of hearing.
5) I bring manipulatives beside my mouth so that the students can focus on my mouth and the manipulative at the same time.
6) Brand new learning for me this year was to place the soprano glockenspiel, xylophone or metallophone on a raised music stand or table as this will make it closer to the chest cavity, which will help the student hear the instrument more clearly.
7) When I do activities where the students have to match the feeling of the music on the piano, I arrange it so my students who are hard of hearing are closer to the piano as the notes get higher.
In a nutshell, after working with my students who are hard of hearing, their singing and instrument playing have really improved over the course of the year or so during which I have taught them. Singing and instrument playing is a skill that all can achieve given the right instructional practices.

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Tammy Axt General

Teaching music to students with autism

I teach music to a contained class of students with autism once a week. On a mission to program effectively for these students, I have been consulting with our team of experts and reading some new resources. Two months into school, this is what my period with them looks like:
An important part of helping students with autism is providing structure to their program. There are no surprises in my class. The order of the day is visually presented on the black board. To prepare the schedule, I bought frame holders that were two for a dollar at the dollar store. Next, with the help of an amazing TA at our school who is a Board Maker whiz, I chose some visuals that will indicate what kind of activities we will be completing in class. The schedule is taken down as we go through each activity.

Next, a challenge for some people with autism is sensory experiences. My class starts with the instrument of the day to allow students the chance to hear, feel and touch a new instrument. So far this year, each student has had the chance to experience and explore with a saxophone, baritone and a snare drum in the “musician’s chair”. Students can feel, hear and see the instrument that they are playing and what kind of sound they can create with the instrument. There have been some minor hesitations on the part of a few students, but with some encouragement and support, all of the students have participated.

Next, we do some songs and instruments playing together as a group. My goal for the beginning part of the year has been to find songs that the students will engage in. Some songs that have been successful are “animal actions”, “jumping in the puddles” and “play and stop” with instruments. Trying to play melodies or specific rhythmic patterns hasn’t happened yet, but we will work towards that. I try to listen really closely to the students during this section of the class and follow their interests and skills. For example, when we were playing instruments recently, one student asked if we could make our playing into a parade. “Yes we can,” was my answer.
Then, to build a reward into the structure of the class, the students have a choice activity at the end of the period. They can choose something arts-related. I usually have drama (costumes), art (drawing or 3D building) or music materials (instruments) for the students to access in their own way. It is a great time to interact with the students while they are taking the lead and showing me their interests. (It has been helpful for gathering ideas for our next class.)

Challenges that I have witnessed include that I have an open classroom with no structural space in it. Whereas in their classroom, there are designated areas for certain tasks, my classroom is very open with few distinctive spaces. Also, transitions can be really difficult for some students with autism, and movement between rooms can be stressful. I have tried to pick an activity that is highly engaging to start every class in order to ease the stress of the transition.

Building relationships with parents is important to every student’s success. I have chosen to build the relationship with parents by sending home a book that we have been creating throughout the term. The book contains a section for each instrument we have played and interacted with. In each section it has a picture of the student playing the instrument, the name of the instrument and a listening response completed by the student. Whether it is high, low, loud or quiet. When the book is sent home right before the break, I will include a note explaining my goals for our music program this year.
Finally, I would recommend two resources to help you understand your students with autism. The first place to go to is the Ministry of Ontario’s resource called “Effective Educational Practices for Students with Autism”. This is a great introduction. Also, an amazing new book “Teaching Music to Students with Autism” by Alice M. Hammel has been very helpful in my experience.

Overheard in my Ontario classroom:
Outside my classroom right now there is a large sign that is a countdown to the arrival of the Canadian Opera Company. The first day my students saw the sign there was a lot of excitement as they came into the room. I was so impressed at how culturally mature they were. We started our class and as they were speaking to each other excitedly, I realized something: they didn’t understand that the opera was coming – they thought that Oprah was coming.