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.
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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.