Foster Children in Music Class

• Karen Stafford
• Posted 1/31/22
• 0 comments

Meeting Their Unique Social and Emotional Needs

When I retired, I became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer. I work with 8- and 3-year-old brothers. They have been in about five different foster homes in 10 months. Currently, they are living in different placements. The oldest boy is showing some problematic behaviors and is now facing yet another move. It breaks my heart.

In 2019, over 672,000 children were in foster care. Physical abuse and neglect are two of several highly stressful, potentially traumatic experiences known as “adverse childhood experiences,” which can result in pulling children from their homes (CASA, 2021).

These children frequently move from one foster home to another (Administration on Children, Youth, & Families, 2021). Due to these compounding adversities, children in the foster system are at a higher risk for the following set-backs (American SPCC; NCSL, 2021):

• Mental health deficiencies such as behavioral disorders and low self-esteem
• Impact of trauma due to maltreatment and removal
• Poorer physical health
• More likely to be put into a lower grade level due to low academic performance
• Less likely to graduate from high school, attend college, or complete a degree
• Difficulty establishing stable social relationships

Depressing, right?

So, if a child moves frequently, has poor attendance, or attends various schools, how can someone like a music teacher help? We’re not counselors. Scott Edgar even points this out in his well-known book Music Education and Social-Emotional Learning: The Heart of Teaching Music (Edgar, 2017).

BUT we do have the academic discipline to contribute to positive social and emotional learning, no matter how long the child remains at our school. We know that one of the essential elements of music is its ability to tap emotions and be a release.

Teachers can help students grow emotionally through the building of teacher/student relationships. Edgar calls practice facilitative teaching (as cited by Wittmer & Myrick, 1980). Facilitative teachers become guides, encourage student ownership and honest discussion, and use challenges as learning opportunities (as cited by Elam & Duckenfield, 2002, p. 8). Does any of this sound familiar?

You can be that facilitative teacher. It just takes a tiny bit of preparation on your part, and lots of patience, because foster kids don’t know who they can trust. As a teacher, you have the right to:

• Be given any information that will impact the student or your classroom environment. Ask about their history so that you don’t unintentionally trigger bad memories. Remind your colleagues about the emotional impact of music and how you would like to utilize it as a coping tool for your kids who have experienced trauma.
• Be given a copy of the IEP if the child has one (IDEA, 2013a-f).

If a child is 1-2 grades behind or has a history of poor school attendance, they might be working with an IEP. Make sure you get a copy of those documents. You are legally permitted to do so (Stafford, 2019). Use this information as another tool to get an idea of the child’s academic background. Most likely, this will be an IEP from a previous school.

Becoming a Facilitative Teacher

Once you have this information, you are ready to become a facilitative teacher. Here are some suggestions I have from experience:

• Make sure you notice new children who come into your class. It’s difficult if you have many students and might only see them every couple of weeks, but you can assign another student or two to introduce you. The foster child needs to be noticed immediately because they might be moved to another placement by the next time your class meets.
• Ask the child to share something about themselves, but do it when the other students are busy. Don’t put them on the spot. Let them choose, making it a whole class share.
• Address them by name as much as you can. Foster kids sometimes lose their sense of “identity” due to being shuffled around.
• Don’t force them to perform right away. Open it up as “Why don’t you watch and see what we do?” Often, they will jump right in. If you force an issue, they might become defiant or worse because they have little control over their lives.
• If you can afford it, buy them their recorder on the sly. Foster parents get some money from the county or state, but not enough for things like this. I used to ask parents if they would be willing to donate money for recorders to give to children in need and check with the building counselor for name suggestions. My CASA supervisor notes it’s essential for the child to take mementos of this part of their life history. It also helps them feel more included. Feeling included is CRUCIAL.
• Make sure they understand that they need to follow your classroom rules. Sometimes (not always) foster children act out believing there are no consequences because they do not have experience with stable discipline from their original home. Reassure them you like them but tell them you have rules and why.
• Check with the school social worker or IEP case manager to see if the child is on a different consequence/reward system. This additional support is necessary so the child knows that all the teachers in their life are working together.
• Find them a few buddies with whom they can work. I say “a few” because if your foster child has some problematic behavior issues, one buddy won’t be upset because they are “always stuck” with the foster child.
• If the foster child shows an aptitude for a musical concept, allow them to tutor. It’s incredible how responsibility can alter behaviors, and it does a world of good for their self-esteem.
• If done correctly, group work is fabulous for a foster child. If the kids are doing a group composition, allow the foster child to choose a job to succeed. Always have a Plan B, though, in case the child moves during the activity timeframe.
• Don’t say “Your parents.” I always say, “The people who take care of you.”
• Keep in touch with the foster family as much as possible.
• If the child has a CASA and you notice something that might be relevant to placement, let them know. One of CASA’s responsibilities is to ask educators who work with foster children if the child has given any indication of how their family situation is going, if they miss Mom/Dad/sibling, or exhibit any fears towards any adults, including biological parents. We use this to determine the line of action for future placement.
• If the child wants a part in your holiday program and can handle it, give them a small part that can be reassigned if they move. That will be a cherished memory in a life full of uncertainty and loss.
• Famous people who were in foster/kinship care: Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Maya Angelou, Anita Baker, John Lennon, Tiffany Haddish, Simone Biles, Willie Nelson, Colin Kaepernick, Louis Armstrong. Use this as a basis for a speech piece or a composition, or just for inspiration.

Despite the “strikes” they already have against them, foster kids can become some of your favorite students. As a facilitative teacher, you can provide them with an outlet for what they need: stability and a reason to feel proud.

References

Administration on Children, Youth, and Families. (2021, October 21). Foster care statistics, 2019. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubpdfs/foster.pdf.

American Society for the Positive Care of Children (2021, October 21). Impact of foster care. https://americanspcc.org/impact-of-foster-care/.

Edgar, S.N. (2017). Music education and social, emotional learning: The heart of teaching music. G.I.A. Publications.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 34 C.F.RC.F.R. §7801.11 (2003).

National CASA/GAL Association (2021, October 21). Addressing the effects of abuse, neglect, and other trauma. https://nationalcasagal.org/our-impact/the-lasting-effects-of-abuse-and-neglect/.

National Conference of State Legislatures (2021, October 21). https://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/Documents/cyf/Social_Emotional_WellBeing_Newsletter.pdf.