If students have ever wanted to know what it’s like to be in a class where they are a mentor, Unified Music is perfect.
Led by second year teacher Mr. Nelson and veteran special education teacher Mrs. Priorier-Goodall have created a special location for students to learn and express themselves with music.
While Mrs. Priorier-Goodall has worked with special education for 20 years, she is also a case coordinator.
“I always put teaching first, because the kids should come first.” Doing so is very important for these students or just any students in general because the kids should always come first when you’re a teacher.
This class was created to help special ed students to enjoy playing and making music in a way that they can understand how to do it. It’s a very low-beat class, meaning that each activity has a slow step-by-step system, so they can process the information at their own pace to be able to follow along.
Mr. Nelson has strong feelings on how music is very universal and touches the hearts and minds of all people.
“We try to work on the same skills that you would in any music class, but that makes it approachable for anyone in the room,” said Nelson.
Some students in the class get stimulation overload, so observers in the classroom will see them doing some motions that other students don’t do, but that to them is how they can express themselves. Because some students in class at times experience stimulation overload, Mr. Nelson came up with what he calls “Trade-Ins” that is a small break to allow students to relax and recollect themselves.
Another way to help re-focus the students is to begin class with “Shake Your Sillies Out.” It is a little song that has movements to follow which helps the students get all their gitties out before class officially starts.
According to Mr. Adams, who is the head of the music department, this class started back in 2018, but for mentors for the class, he could not recall when they began. The mentors are mainly there to try and assist the special ed students if they need any help with the activities going on, and it helps them feel more comfortable and just interact with other students in general.
Having mentors to help with the class is perfect because it’s far better than just a lecture and gives you a better understanding of some classmates you may have.
“This year, you guys have been 100% in and every class you are more engaged.”
Mr. Nelso echoed how instrumental the mentors have been throughout the semester.
“It’s an opportunity for some students to get a very unique experience, rather than sitting in a class and having maybe a lecture or a hands-on experience, ”said Nelson.
Mrs. Goodall also had some very good advice for those who are interested in entering the field of education or advice for all people who will encounter people with various strengths and weaknesses in general.
“You’re going to always have somebody who has a disability in your class. So it’s just a really good way that you feel this is not for you, then it’s better than, like, spending all the money in college, going and teaching going, ‘yeah I can’t do this’.”
Having these classes as well really helps expose these students to peers, Mrs. Goodall had a student’s parent tell her they didn’t know that their child had friends, and that they brought them to Market Basket and many people knew their child’s name. Having these classes not only helps these students learn easier but it helps connect them with their peers.
