Promoting Student Advocacy and Individuality in my Music Classes

By Chris Cvengros, Music Teacher at James Weldon Johnson School of Excellence

There were a lot of things that my students couldn’t do in my music classes this past school year. Remote learning isn’t exactly conducive to playing instruments or singing in a choir. So, how do you teach music without being able to hear what your students are doing? You focus on what they can do rather than what they can’t. 

With my middle school students, I used an online program called Soundtrap to allow them to record themselves making their own beats and creating their own songs. These were activities that wouldn’t have been feasible in a group setting, and what I found is that they created a more inclusive classroom environment. Students who may have been self-conscious to sing or make music in front of their friends were now excelling because they could do so from the comfort of their bedrooms. 

I’ve been teaching at my elementary school—Johnson School of Excellence—for more than a decade, so I’m thrilled that students will be returning for in-person instruction next month. Still, I have a responsibility to capitalize on what I’ve learned from the past several school years to reach more students. 

I believe that increasing individuality in a classroom full of students starts with tailoring your instruction to a wider range of learning styles. One of the techniques that I consistently incorporate is tableau—allowing students to respond to music by creating frozen pictures with your body. If a student isn’t comfortable participating verbally, they likely would be more eager to express themself kinesthetically. 

Even as a veteran educator, there are still ways I want to improve, and my top goal for the upcoming year is to find ways to increase student advocacy. My students should be driving their education on a greater level with each new year. I’ve joined the Transformative Teaching Cohort (TTC) to connect with and learn from colleagues from across Chicago specifically on this topic. 

One tool I’ve learned more about is the Tripod survey, which helps measure student engagement on both an academic and personal level. I’m already contributing to a series of professional developments so that all of our teachers can utilize this survey in the fall. It will provide us with the data we need to transform our classrooms to better meet the needs of our students. 

This work also intersects with my role on our school’s social-emotional learning (SEL) committee. I try to be the one to encourage my colleagues and lead by example when it comes to engaging students. During the past school year, I took over our morning announcements and put in a lot of additional work outside of teaching to create videos that would encourage students to persevere even as they learned from home. 

By focusing on meeting my students where they are, my hope is that they are inspired to incorporate music into their lives on a daily basis. While they’re on summer break, they can create pen rhythms and body percussion or use technology like the Chrome Music Lab to make their own songs. They can also listen to music that speaks to them and helps them process their emotions, whether they are feeling happy, sad, or angry. 

I cannot wait to be reunited with my students to create music with them again. Even if they are shy or scared, I want to show them that putting themselves out there can help them express themselves in a new way beyond speaking. This would positively impact their social-emotional growth during any school year, but it will really make an impact as we all persevere through the baggage that has come with the separation of the past year-and-a-half. 

My 18-year teaching career summed up in a single thought is that music will help you be the best person that you can be. 

While most of Mr. Cvengros’ teaching career has taken place in Chicago, he also spent four years teaching music in Marion, Iowa. Make sure you are ready for the first day of school—August 30, 2021—by visiting cps.edu/b2s.