Finding the Opportunity to Teach Music to Students who are Visually Impaired

Everyone who becomes a professional in the field of visual impairment has a story worth telling. I was introduced to the field some years ago by students with visual impairments who wanted to develop music literacy in combination with instrumental skills. Today, I work with students who are visually impaired of every age and ability in an effort to encourage literacy in all its forms. In the course of this extraordinary journey, I have learned some valuable lessons from working with these students and music in integrated school settings. The five basic principles that follow apply to everyone, but they are especially meant for teachers of students with visual impairments who are new to the teaching profession or have little experience with music education. These principles are worth reviewing often because they remind us that anything is possible, not only for students who are visually impaired but also for their specialized teachers and families. PREPARE MENTALLY FOR THE CHALLENGE Every teacher of students with visual impairments will have students who want to or should be involved with music. This is not a problem. Recognizing and embracing the opportunity that music creates will allow you to prepare in every way possible, even if you feel inadequate at first. How you respond to the challenge makes all the difference--for your students and for you. REMEMBER THAT YOUR STUDENTS AND THEIR NEEDS DEFINE YOUR ROLE AS THEIR TEACHER Success in music is not dependent on the natural abilities of students with visual impairments, but on how dedicated the students are to learning, how carefully they are nurtured and encouraged throughout the process, and how readily available their necessary materials are. You do not have to learn everything your students do to help them progress; just make sure that they have the same possibilities that are open to every other student. Help them find instruments, adaptive materials, curricular and extracurricular opportunities, and teachers who will help them to discover and build continually on their talents and interests. You will be an invaluable resource as you prepare the students' music, teach the students to advocate for themselves in class, guide their teachers to make the learning process more accessible and natural, and strengthen your own abilities to serve them more effectively. BUILD A NETWORK OF SUPPORT Start with your students and their parents-your most important resources. They are the first ones for whom you need to find information, the ones you support and encourage as they make the final decisions about what opportunities they will pursue and which they will defer. Talk with them often to understand and alleviate their concerns and help implement their ideas and suggestions. Next, build positive relationships with your students' classroom music teachers that will allow you to communicate frequently and to troubleshoot together. You and they each contribute unique talents to this experience. Some music teachers may at first be nervous about working with students who are visually impaired. Demonstrate through your confidence and your students' positive independent examples that there are no barriers to musical or any other success for students with visual impairments. Be realistic and honest, especially about how much you know about music and what help you need, but make it clear that you expect your students to achieve and that you expect you and their teachers to help them do so. Extend your network further by talking with all music teachers and staff members on your school campus and then ask them for additional contacts at other schools and universities. Learn what online and other informational resources they use and how to obtain them and then share what you find with your students who are visually impaired and their parents and teachers. Organizations for students who are visually impaired, including specialized schools that staff music professionals and house libraries with braille music performance and instructional materials, will also prove valuable as you search. …