Supporting the Reluctant Participant
My students don't want to participate.
Maybe they're watching instead of joining in. Maybe singing or moving feels risky. Maybe you're getting silliness, avoidance, refusal, or students who only participate when everyone else does.
Before increasing the demand, it can help to ask what is making participation difficult—and whether there's a smaller, safer way into the experience.
by Crystal Pridmore
TEACHER GUIDE · ALL AGES
Make participation more possible by looking beyond refusal or hesitation and designing meaningful, lower-risk ways into music-making.
At a Glance
Best for
Teachers working with students who watch, hesitate, avoid, refuse, or aren't yet ready to participate as expected.
Students are
Watching · Trying · Choosing · Sharing
You'll need
No special materials required.
Connections
Inclusion · Belonging · Student choice
Need a place to start?
Choose one student and one moment when participation tends to become difficult.
Rather than redesigning the whole lesson, offer one smaller meaningful invitation: more time, an opportunity to watch first, a choice, a smaller group, or another way to participate.
Decide beforehand what you will count as success. Then notice what happens.
Before increasing the demand, it can help to ask what is making participation difficult—and whether there's a smaller, safer way into the experience.
A practical teacher guide for looking at what participation may be costing a student and designing more possible, meaningful invitations into music-making.
Ready to use this resource?
ACEMM Resource Library downloads are available to ACEMM members.
Already a member? Sign in to access your Resource Library.
Help With Movement
I want to use movement, but I’m not confident teaching it.
You know movement can be a powerful part of music learning—but “Okay, everyone move creatively!” can feel like a pretty enormous leap for both you and your students.
You don't have to start there.
Movement can be built gradually. Students can develop trust, movement vocabulary, musical awareness, and confidence before they're asked to make increasingly independent artistic choices.
Body Engagement
by Michael Vasquez
TEACHER GUIDE · ADAPTABLE ACROSS AGES
Build a classroom culture in which movement develops from purposeful participation toward increasingly independent artistic expression.
At a Glance
Best for
Teachers who want to incorporate more meaningful movement into music learning but aren't sure how to scaffold students toward independent expression.
Focus
Movement · Musical response · Creative independence
You'll need
No special materials required.
Need a place to start?
Think about where your students are right now with movement.
Are they still developing comfort and trust? Do they need more movement vocabulary? Can they respond physically to concrete musical ideas but struggle when the task becomes more abstract?
Start there.
Choose movement experiences that give students something concrete to respond to before asking them to make independent artistic choices.
Ready to use this resource?
ACEMM Resource Library downloads are available to ACEMM members.
Already a member? Sign in to access your Resource Library.
Help With Older Beginners
My students are older, but they're beginning musicians.
Maybe your students haven't had consistent music instruction. Maybe their previous experiences are all over the map. Or maybe they're capable, interesting older kids who simply haven't developed some of the foundational skills you expected them to have by now.
My students are older, but they're beginning musicians.
Starting From Zero
Crystal Pridmore
A quick-start guide for teaching older elementary beginners without infantilizing them—beginning with observation, ensemble-building, and finding students' actual musical starting points.
Maybe your students haven't had consistent music instruction. Maybe their previous experiences are all over the map. Or maybe they're capable, interesting older kids who simply haven't developed some of the foundational skills you expected them to have by now.
Beginning musicians don't need to be treated like beginning learners.
Start by finding out what your students can already do. Then give them foundational musical experiences in ways that respect their age, interests, existing musicianship, and need for independence.
Ready to use this resource?
ACEMM Resource Library downloads are available to ACEMM members.
Already a member? Sign in to access your Resource Library.