Music Educator Interview 

Person interviewed

Haley Willett

Substitute teacher/ Music educator 

Date and length of interview

Date: February 24th, 2022

Approximate length : 30 minutes

Interview Questions

• What are some of the general needs for music educators?

• Are there any barriers to teaching a classroom of diverse abilities?

• How do you think/feel about how virtual music activities could help your students?

• I am working on ways in which music educators and music therapists can better serve students with disabilities, in what ways do you think training/education can be improved?

• How has your experience been as a substitute teacher ?

• What would you need in terms of support from higher ups to music educators in the way of teaching students with disabilities?

Blog

My service learning project is centered on learning more about other`s experience teaching and working with students with disabilities. 

I went into this interview with Haley having known her previously as we were both in the clarinet studio here at the University of Kentucky. We both took different life routes of music, she chose music education and I chose music therapy. I started the interview by simply asking about her experience as a new teacher and as a current music education substitute teacher. She told me she has been enjoying teaching and learning from the students she serves. I asked her what the most challenging part about being a substitute teacher was and she laughed and said there are a few. She mentioned how students react differently when they know their usual teacher is not present. She also mentioned how it can be difficult to keep up with the usual teacher`s routine with the students. The students work best when they have their usual routine and activities. Some may become stressed or behave poorly in response to a change in routine. I also asked her what the most rewarding part of teaching is and she smiled and said mostly being able to see changes in her students and building rapport with them. I asked her to elaborate on that and she said when she gets the chance to come back to a classroom and hear that some of the students have made improvements. In one particular instance she was able to help a student reach their goal of making the all-district band. Haley`s personal enjoyment from teaching was that she genuinely enjoys teaching but specifically as a substitute teacher she gets the chance to network with other teachers as well as get more experience without the entire responsibility of full-time teaching. 

The next question I asked Haley was what she felt were the general needs for music educators are. She responded that the lack of funding was number one and that that was a sole reason she feels some schools are not able to provide the most inclusive environment for students. Most music teachers have a very tight budget to work with when it comes to instruments and other necessary materials. To better serve students with disabilities she said music teachers need more financial resources to be able to afford adapted instruments and materials. I suggested creating DIY adapted materials as a possible solution. We discussed that yes, that could be an option however teacher schedules are very tight and that this addition of adapting instructional materials could infringe on self-care and burnout. 

I then asked what she felt were some of the barriers and challenges to teaching students with learning disabilities. She first asked me to clarify this question so I said “how is it different teaching students with disabilities versus students without and why do you think that is?”. She responded by saying that it is difficult to teach varying levels of students with and without disabilities. It is hard to tailor to a student's specific needs when you're teaching a classroom of a bigger quantity. It is also difficult to find ways to allow room for growth with all students. Some students may find some concepts difficult while others may find it extremely easy to understand. 

The next question was how do you feel your students would benefit from virtual musical activities? She said that the students she has seen would have a hard time focusing virtually. She had not herself experienced virtual learning so she was skeptical about how it could function in a music education classroom setting. Her top concerns with teaching virtually were that it would be hard to control behavior, the lag on internet connection, and that it would be less of a social activity if they could not play together. She also noted that the students may be more comfortable at home. If the student is more comfortable at home they may perform better than they would having to play in front of their peers in-person.

Lastly I asked her how training could be improved for teachers as well as what she feels she would need in terms of support in this area. She said that teachers could do their own research to identify and learn more about certain disabilities. She would need support in regards to ideas of accommodations and advocating for students with disabilities. 

Some possible ideas I have for activities

• Create a handout of instrument adaptations

• A movement activity to get the students ready for class and settled

• A transition song for students to also get ready for class

This is an important need for this community because new teachers are often just thrown into full-time teaching positions without adequate support. Teachers and students would greatly benefit from support. 

Possible outcomes 

• Teacher report on ease of teaching

• Student participation 

• Signs of student enjoyment and on-task behavior

Resources to explore

• Interventions related to movement

• Age appropriate songs

• Signs of overstimulation

• Specific learning disabilities that are common at each age level