MENC: The National Association for Music Education

Who Is "At Risk" in the Music Classroom? Author(s): Nicole R. Robinson Reviewed work(s): Source: Music Educators Journal, Vol. 90, No. 4 (Mar., 2004), pp. 38-43 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. on behalf of MENC: The National Association for Music Education Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3399997 . Accessed: 20/02/2012 09:18
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Who

Is

"At

Risk"
By

in

the

Music
R.

Classroom?
Robinson

Nicole

Masterteachersin a variety classroom of settingssharetheir to approaches teachingat-risk students.

eaching at-risk students can be one of the "most stressful, complex and difficult challenges facing public education 1 today and perhaps one of our greatestfailures." What further complicates this challenge is that there is no commonly accepted definition of the term at risk, and it is difficult to determine which students this label should identify. Generally,the term has negative implications, leading many educators and school officials to inappropriatelydiscount these troubling students. For the purpose of this article, seven master teachers were interviewed to identify personal qualities and teaching strategies that may contribute to their success in handling at-risk students in the music classroom. These master teachers, leaders in the music education profession from urban and suburban schools, maintain excellent reputations among colleagues and have established award-winningquality ensembles and programsin extremely difficult school environments with challenging students. These interviews provide insight into the teachers' definitions of the term at risk, effective teaching strategies, and ideas about the benefits of music participation for at-risk students. In order to elicit detailed responses, master teachers were assured anonymity. For profiles of

NicoleR. Robinson coordinais tor of music education at UniVirginiaCommonwealth in She versity Richmond. canbe reached nrobinson@vcu.edu. at
studentscan experiencesuccess. The musicclassroomis a placewhere at-risk

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EDUCATORS

JOURNAL

the seven teachers, labeled A through G in this article, see the Teacher Interview Guide sidebar.

TeacherInterviewGuide
TeacherA:SuburbanHigh School BandDirector Teacher B:SuburbanHighSchool Choral Director TeacherC: Urban High School BandDirector Teacher D: Urban Elementary(Orff) MusicTeacher Teacher E:Urban MiddleSchool ChorusTeacher Teacher F:Urban High School ChorusTeacher TeacherG: SuburbanElementaryMusicTeacher

Defining At Risk
What does at risk mean? Who is at risk? Some educators suggest that at risk is the latest term for a familiar problem: children with learning and behavioral difficulties. Others, however, argue that at risk is a label that describes a new phenomenon in current society and may include children with high ability and from middleand upper-socioeconomic families. The master teachers shared their thoughts on the term. Teacher A: "At-risk students are those individuals who for whatever reason do not have an interest in school." Teacher B: "[They are] at risk of not completing their high school education in some way, shape, or form. To me, at risk means at risk of not having a satisf[ying] life, including meaningful work and meaningful relationships. In some cases, at risk simply means not living past the age of eighteen. I have some students that I consider at risk [based] solely on the fact that they are growing up in home environments that tend to produce specific problems. Often these children are not getting the necessities of life." Teacher C: "Afterteaching in a predominantly white school, [I have found that] a lot of people, for whatever reason, think that blacks or Hispanic kids have cornered the market on [being] at risk by not succeeding or [by] dropping out of schoolbut there's nothing further from the truth. I have a lot of students who drop out of school and become pregnant. I think that an at-risk student is a student who is disenfranchised-for whatever reason-from school. They don't fit in the band, and they don't fit in the chorus, and they'renot involved in any school activities. School just does not motivate them. At risk doesn't have anything to do with ethnicity. Unfortunately, a lot of people think that, but it doesn't-from my experience." Teacher D: "They have so many problems at home that the student can'tbe concerned with education. He
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or she is so concerned vvith what is happening in the home- -the lack of money to buy food or to buy clothing, lean etc. They may eventually 1 towards dropping out or giving ujp on school. At-risk students are also those with behavior problems-su ch serious behavior problems that we're concerned for their safety."

Contemporaifamily ry c trends, economic structures, and workpres sures on parentsare char gingthe pictureofthe at-risk student.

mean. It should not be a label casually applied to poor children; many poor children excel in school. It should not identify children solely on the basis of their minority or ethnic backgrounds;many minority students are academically successful. It should not be used to haphazardlypredict the success or failure of certain students based on socioeconomic or ethnic factors alone; such an approach suggests that certain children are inherentlyat risk and therefore destined for academic failure.2 At risk should refer to relationships
between cause-and-effect factors.

Teacher E: "I would dlefine an atrisk student as someon.e who has many factors that woul d generally contribute to this personL's having to more than the ave struggle erageperson to succeed in a 'regular' or 'normal' environment. These factors make it a little more difficult to be s3uccessfulin the classroom." To pin down more spec :ific answers to these questions, it may 1 beneficial be to determine what at risk should not z

Such factors can be any event, condition, or characteristic that increases the probabilitythat the undesired outcome will occur. For example, reading below grade level, drug abuse, poverty, and teen pregnancymay be risk factors for academic failure. These factors do not necessarily cause the academic failure; however, they may increase the probability of failure.3 When a student is labeled at risk, the cause-and-effect factors should be addressed.4 The undesired possible outcomes (e.g., failing in school or dropping out) may have not yet occurred, and appropriate interventions are requiredimmediately to keep them from occurring. Rossi suggests that it is difficult to categorize at-risk students because there are various degrees of being at risk. The degrees are based on what bad things happen to a child, how severe these things are, how often they occur, and what other influences are in the child's immediate environment. 39

For example, "a pregnant fourteenyear-old is at risk. But a pregnant fourteen-year-old who uses drugs is even more at risk. And a pregnant fourteenyear-old who uses drugs, has been retained a grade, has missed thirty days of school, and has a low sense of self-esteem is still more seriously at risk."5 Contemporary family structures, economic trends, and work pressures on parents are changing the picture of the at-risk student. Today, any child can experience risk factors and be considered at risk regardless of gender, race, age, or socioeconomic status. For example, a six-year-old child whose parents are in the throes of a divorce and who is doing poorly in school is at risk. A seventeen-year-old whose grades are good but who is deeply depressed because she just lost her boyfriend is also at risk. A tenyear-oldwhose brother dropped out of school a year ago and whose father just lost his job is certainly at risk.6

Thus, an at-risk student may be defined as any student, regardless of gender, age, race, or socioeconomic status, who has the potential to succeed but whose success is inhibited by academic or social risk factors.

Effective Instructional Strategies

Teacher A: "In my opinion, the school curriculum must be of interest to the student. Of course, their interests are usually based on their values, and their values are usually based on, in my opinion, what they've learned from their environment such as home, friends, etc." What are effective instructional methods for at-risk students? In what ways can these students'academicsuccess in the general music or rehearsal classroom be increased? Determining effectivenessis difficultdue to the complexity of teaching. Often, teacher effectivenessis determinedby the relabehavior tionship between the teacher's (the act of teaching) and the student's response (academic achievement). Researchshows that when a teacher is identified as "effective," affective characteristics (e.g., fairness, caring, motivation, and social interactions) are emphasized more than specific teaching methodologies.8The master teachers described their strategies in the classroom. Teacher B: "Allow at-risk students to develop trust for you as a teacher. I try to develop a personal relationship with them with simple things, such as commenting on something cool they have on or picking up on something they've said. I just try to let them know that I notice them." Teacher A: "The first thing I learned very quickly was to never, ever be confrontationalwith a student in front of the class. Also, talk [to] and treat the student with respect." Teacher D: "I want my students to experience success immediately, and that's one of the reasons I like using the Orff approach in my classroom. Immediately, the student sees that they can do it ... that success gives them self-confidence." Teacher C: "[I am] hard but fair. I didn't let up on my expectations. I am very, very demanding of all of my students. However, I always make myself
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Whatare effective instructional methodsfor at-risk students?

Educators must reassess their thinking when dealing with at-risk students in the classroom. Consider this analogy: "Education is to school failure, as medicine is to disease."7As medical professionals seek to cure an unknown disease, initial emphasis is placed on the pattern of its symptoms and the factors that influence its occurrence. Like medical professionals, educators should initially focus on patterns of school failure and the factors-social, academic, or both-that influence its occurrence. 40

available [to] them. I come early in the morning [to] open the band room-I try to make the band room their haven. I want them to feel like it was a place they could feel comfortable." Teacher F: "In my classroom, I believe that excellence is the greatest motivator. I push to create something out of them, however, not in a stern, strict atmosphere. Once the student respects me, it becomes much easier to create a motivating atmosphere in the classroom. My students are very loyal to me. The students get really upset if they believe they'reletting me down. But then I try to stress to them that it's not me that they're letting down, it's the music." Master teachers were also asked, "Why are some teachers unsuccessful with at-risk students?" Teacher D: "I think teachers may not be viewing the student appropriately. The teacher may not take into consideration all the dynamics that influence this specific individual. I think this may be the difference between a teacher that is successful with at-risk students and one that is not. Also, I believe many teachers often misidentify at-risk students or do not identify them at all." Teacher F: "I think some teachers are too harsh with at-risk students. Don't misunderstand me; I'm a very stern teacher,but I care about my students and they know it. Some teachers show no interest in the student because they've already given up on the student." Teacher E: "I think what you expect of kids is what you get. The standards you set will be what they live up to. We as teachers can limit students' ability to be successful, just because [we] don't believe in them."

The Benefits of Education

Educators must first evaluate the value of music in human life before they can determine the benefits of music participation for students, at risk or not. Humans have long created and shared music. Music contains intellectual and emotional elements that are inseparable.9 Although cultures do not share and express the same musical understanding, music is in every culture.10 Some consider
EDUCATORS JOURNAL

music to be one of the five basic ways humans communicate with one other. It has the ability to express feelings and emotions in ways beyond verbal language.ll Ultimately, music is valued for its ability to enhance and make special the inner human experience. Reimer suggests that music places a specific experience beyond the commonplace: "Music makes or ordinaryexperiences extraordinary, insignificant experiences significant. Music creates an alternative to the reality of the everyday; an alternative to the ordinaryway of being."12 Teacher E: "One of the primary benefits [of music] is the element of human contact. I don't think they get that in a lot of their academic classes. The requirementof their participation as well as everybody else's makes them feel that they are, in some way, more important than just another seat in the class." Teacher F: "I think music builds confidence and increases public speaking ability-oh, so much! I think [music] is one of the most important subjects in the public school system. Unfortunately,the rest of the country doesn't think that, but I think it ... permeates every aspect of academic life!" Teacher C: "In many cases, music is their salvation. I hate to say it like that, but it is. You know, they like the teacher, they like the people they're around, and most of all, it's a place for them to be successful." Teacher G: "I think it is an avenue of self-expression, of being able to excel in something and enjoy it. I have some kids that say, 'I'm so stupid; I can't do this.' I say, 'Yes,you can; yes, you can. I expect you to get one inch-one little ray of doing something successful."' Teacher A: "I can tell you, with music-and you're going to be upset with me-but it's really, in my opinion, not about music education. Music education or involvement in music is not about notes, or playing an instrument, or singing, or playing the piano, or any of that. It's about life values. I believe that it's about teaching a person what it's like, for example, to be a part of a family,and how you are to be responsible. How can you relate to this in your future life and in your
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At-RiskStudents Suggestionsfor Teaching in the MusicClassroom

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Have high but fair expectations for your students. Develop trust and respect with your students. instructionas much as possible. Use individualized Never be confrontationalwith your students. Stop off-task behaviorimmediately. Teach using efficientpacing. Takea personal interest in each student. Findthe strength of each student. Become a surrogate parent for the students. Accuratelyassess each student'sability. Makemusic (or any subject) relevantto life. Create a familyatmosphere in the classroom. Accommodate various learningstyles in the classroom. Makeevery student feel importantand essential in the classroom. Have highexpectations of all students,and help them meet those standards.

job? Everything is about family, teamwork, and self-discipline along with just a sense of belonging. So many kids are lost through the cracks [of education] because they're not involved in the fine or performing arts, especially music. It'sabout teaching them to be better people. It'sabout teaching them to be more productive citizens. We rarely identify these things that music teaches, but we do it all the time. We do it every day. Every day we step into that music classroom, we teach these kids much more than notes on a scale."

Summary
It is obvious that these master teachers are determined to make a difference, in spite of difficult situations. Many told heartwarmingand encouraging stories about purchasing refurbished band instruments at pawn shops for students who could not afford instruments, paying for school field trips, buying suits for allstate/county festivals, instilling morals

and values, and investing personal time. These stories provide several important insights into handling and teaching at-risk students in the music classroom: (1) treat each student as an individual, recognizing personal strengths and gifts, regardless of the student's music proficiency; (2) structure the curriculum to incorporate the tremendous diversity of the student population; and (3) build on successes, however small they may be. For other ideas about teaching atrisk students, see the Suggestions for Teaching At-Risk Students in the Music Classroom sidebar. Although each master teacher has an individual approach,it is important to recognize that all maintain high expectations for their students and insist that all students, including those considered at risk, strive to achieve those. All of the teachers challenge themselves to create classroom environments where students feel successful and important.
41

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Resources MENC

The followingMENCresources maybe helpfulto music educators teachat-risk students.Visit the MENCWeb site (www.menc.org) or call 800ing 828-0229 to order. Creative Solutions a National at Musicand Students Risk: Dilemma, A. Jack for and KimberlyC.Walls. 1997. Item #1635.The preface H. Barry, Taylor, Nancy to this book is available online at http://www.menc.org/information/ admin/atriskpr.html. in A Special Focus issue of MusicEducators Journal November 1991 (vol. 78, no. 3) focusingon "MusicandAt-RiskStudents"featuredthe followingarticles: Collett, Mary Jane, "Read Between the Lines: Music as a Basis for 42-45; Duerksen, George L.,and Alice-Ann Darrow,"MusicClass Learning," A for the At-Risk: MusicTherapist'sPerspective,"46-49; Hanson,J. Robert, W. F. and Silver, Richard Strong,"Square Styles of At-Risk Pegs:Learning Harvey Students," 30-35; Modungo,Anne D., "The Lost Student, Found,"50-54; Scripp, Larry,and Joan Meyaard,"EncouragingMusical Risks for Learning At-Risk Students,and the Missing Success,"36-41; Schuler,Scott C., "Music, Piece,"21-29. MusicToday(vol. 5, no. 2) featured a The Winter 1992 issue of General collection of articles on at-risk students:Acevedo, Deborah, Nelda Horton, and Suzanne Stein, "PRIDEat Joslin Elementary," 21-22; Barry,Nancy H., "ReachingAt-Risk Children Through Music and the Arts," 12-14; Green, Patricia C. D., and Norris S. Nerry, "Songs for At-Risk Students," 15-16; Hinckley, June,"Musicand the At-Risk Student,"3-4; Hughes,William,"Two Educationin Lili Students," Levinowitz, M.,"Music 20; Programsfor High-Risk Interview the PrimaryGrades'"28-29; Moore,Janet L.S.,"ProjectTEAM:An with Michael Bailey,"17-19; Shaklee, Beverly D., and Frances M. Biedler, SandraL., At-RiskSettings for At-Promise Students'"5-7; Stauffer, "Changing "The Risksof Stress,"25-27; Swain,Susan C.,"KeyboardExperiencesfor AtRiskStudents,"10-1 1. The following articles shed additional light on at-risk students in the music classroom: Abrahams,Frank."ALearning-Styles Approachfor At-RiskStudents."General MusicToday no. I (1992): 22-26. 6, Giles, MarthaMead."Musicand Stress Reduction in School ChildrenAt Risk for Conduct Disorders." UPDATE: Applicationsof Research in Music Education no. 2 (1990): 11-13. 8, Levinowitz, Lili M. "Parent Education as a BeginningSolution to Musical in Childhoodat Risk." 12, of Research MusicEducation UPDATE:Applications no. I (1993): 9-13. Education and Mentoringas Interventionfor At-Risk Shields,Christina."Music Urban Adolescents: Their Self-Perceptions,Opinions, and Attitudes." in Journal Research MusicEducation no. 3 (2001): 273-86. 49, of

[success] anywhere else, I will guarantee it in my classroom." Teacher E: "Do not isolate the student in any way. Find ways to make them feel just as important as any other student in the class and that their participation is crucial to the success of the entire [ensemble]. Once they feel the sense of being part of something greater than themselves, I think they really have bigger avenues to explore ... and to feel that they're going to make a difference. This will generally transfer to the rest of their lives and allow them to feel more successful, not only in a music classroom, but also in other areas. Once a student has a taste of success, [it] is contagious. As music teachers, we have a lot to offer. We sell the students and ourselves short if we don't help them reach their full potential." Teacher D: "Youmust be sensitive to the needs and the goals of the student. Look at each student individually and assess where they are, where they should be, and determine how music is going to get them there. Determine what is going to make the student successful, not only in the music classroom, but also in life." Teacher G: "Takea personal interest in the children; just notice the individual child. Find out what their strengths are, and then go on from there. For example, today a student in my class asked me if I would come to his baseball game. You have to make time to do the 'extra' things, because it's real important to the student. They must know that they're cared for and that they're loved. You must love the kid, I mean almost be a parent, because often these kids don't even have parents." Teacher F: "Lovethe students. For all their problems, love them. If you don't love them, they're not going to respond to you. At-risk students need guidance much more than any of the other kids I've seen. I think the key to my success at school [is that] my choir has become the kids' family"

Conclusion
Music teachers are fortunate to teach a subject in which there is so much intrinsic reinforcement. Although it is unlikely that self-esteem can be given directly to a student, it is
42

possible that self-esteem may come with successful musical achievements in the classroom. TeacherE said, "One can only control their own environment ... so, if a student does not get
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To reach and understand at-risk students, we must be compassionate about the students' world and their personal situations. We must have compassion and understanding when
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dealing with unfortunate family situations, mental or physical difficulties, and academic and learning deficienthat we may not be cies-problems familiar with. We must not personally generalize about at-risk students, inaccurately or inappropriately assigning labels based on preconceived perceptions and judgments. And ultimately, we must remember that at-risk students are not only those in urban or inner-city schools, of low socioeconomic status, or from minority or ethnic groups. Much work remains to be done before at-risk students become unlabeled students in our schools. This change may need to begin with our own perceptions and attitudes that stem from our limited personal experiences. As educators, we must always remember that no child is inherently at risk but is placed into at-risk situations by external disadvantages: "If these conditions were to be eliminated or their effects were to be significantly reduced, the children in question would no longer properly be termed atrisk."13 Our task as music educators, then, is to mitigate those conditions. If we support the idea that at-risk conditions are externally applied and not inherited, then there is much hope for working with these students.

Notes
1. Ellie Lago-Delello, "Classroom Dynamics and the Development of Serious Emotional Disturbance," Exceptional Children no. 4 (1998): 479. 64, 2. Robert J. Rossi, ed., Schools and Students Risk:Contextand Framework At for Positive Change (New York: Teachers College Press, 1994), 142. 3. W. Eaton, "Demographicand SocialEcologic Risk Factors for Mental Disorders,"in Risk Factors Researchin the ed. MajorMentalDisorders, DarrelA. Regier and Gordon Allen (Washington, DC: U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office), 130. 4. Beth McMahon,SusanBrowning,and Mary Rose-Colley, "A School-Community Partnership for At-Risk Students in Journalof SchoolHealth 71, Pennsylvania," no. 2 (2001): 53. 5. Jack Frymier and Bruce Gansneder, "ThePhi Delta KappaStudy of Students At Risk," Phi Delta Kappan71, no. 2 (1989): 142. 6. Ibid.
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7. Michael S. Knapp, "The Teaching Challenge in High-PovertyClassrooms,"in Teaching for Meaning in High-Poverty Classrooms, ed. Michael S. Knapp (New York:TeachersCollege Press), 1-10. 8. James H. Stronge,Qualitiesof Effective Teachers(Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervisionand CurriculumDevelopment, 2002), 13-22. 9. RobertGlidden, "WhyStudy Music?" in Vision2020: TheHousewright Symposium for the Future of Music Education, ed. Clifford K. Madsen (Reston, VA: MENC,

:L3
2000), 49-54. 10. Clifford K. Madsen and Terry L. Music Education,2nd Kuhn, Contemporary ed. (Raleigh, NC: Contemporary Publishing Company,1994). 11. Joseph A. Labuta and D. A. Smith, Music Education: Historical Context and Perspectives (Upper Saddle River, NJ: PrenticeHall, 1997), 44. 12. Bennett Reimer, "Why Do Humans ValueMusic?"in Vision2020, 43. 13. Rossi, Schools and StudentsAt Risk, xiii. 43