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Sarah Fluke
Dr. Rodriguez
Music for the Exceptional Child
9 December 2020
Music for the Exceptional Child Course Reflection
Something I was often told when I first thought about going into teaching is that I would

work well with students with special needs. Before taking this course, that is the last thing I saw

myself being able to do. Other than in some of my specialized courses in elementary school such

as Art and Music, I had little exposure to students with disabilities and the type of education they

received. There were a few instances where I watched paraprofessionals get into turmoil helping

their student through a health or behavioral episode in the cafeteria or on the playground, and the

thought of being the only person there to help a student in need scared me. Students with

disabilities seemed foreign, and I did not think I had the strength to advocate for students that

need strong leaders and educators. Once I got to high school when I was strictly in Honors and

AP level courses, I drew farther from my peers in special education, and eliminated working

with special needs students from my career path. Public school Sarah would be shocked to hear

that junior in college Sarah would love to work with students with special needs in a music

setting. I see myself potentially getting a certification in Music Therapy now. Why? Because of

what I learned in this course.

This course reminded me that all students deserve to make music, and that making this

possible does not mean that I need to be a superhero. There are behaviors and foundations that I

can make happen that will open the door to not just students with special needs, but every child

that walks in my classroom. The areas we covered in this course showed me despite all of the

flaws and weaknesses, there is still a child deep down with a desire to learn. During this course, I
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learned how to make my classroom accessible at its foundation through the Universal Design for

Learning and Differentiated Instruction. I learned about some of the disabilities I may encounter,

from physical disabilities, to sensory disabilities, to intellectual disabilities, and many more. I

learned about the laws and regulations that require me and other educators to provide services for

students that need them, as we should from the start. I learned how to collaborate with other

educators to provide students with special needs well-rounded experiences. I listened to stories of

teachers and students that found the help they need to be successful in music. I listened to stories

of teachers and students whose lives were saved by the accepting music educators and

classrooms in their lives. As someone that is incredibly passionate about music, and was saved

by music myself when I was younger, I want nothing more than to help every child learn,

whether they have a disability or not.

With all of this in mind, my goals moving forward are to continue learning about

teaching students with special needs in the music classroom. I want to look more into a Music

Therapy certification and see if that path may help my teaching someday… or if I may want to

stay in Music Therapy for some time rather than teach. Seeing students make major progress in

their motor and life skills through song and movement makes my heart happy, and I would love

to get directly involved in that process for future students. Also, something I think was missed in

this course was information on music curriculum guides and other resources out there

specifically for students with special needs; when it comes time for me to get resources for my

first classroom, I would like to do a bit a research in this area. Are there specific curriculum

guides and resources for Special Education in music? Finally, while doing this resource file, I

really enjoyed looking at some vlogs of teachers that work with students with special needs. I
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may continue to watch these to stay up to date on processes and just to get a look at what

adaptive and universal education looks like for students today.

While I still feel fear when thinking about teaching students with special needs, I am not

nearly as afraid as I used to be because of this course. I know that once I begin teaching, my

passion for music will take over, and I will use the knowledge I now know to make music

accessible and nurturing for all my students.