Background Information Assignment 2

Student B emigrated from the Philippines and has been at their current middle school for

about a year. They previously attended a middle school that was more diverse, but their current

school is predominantly white students. Filipino is Student B’s first language and their biggest

hurdle in learning is the language barrier. Student B is very bright, but takes longer to understand

concepts and directions because of this barrier. It is easy to miss noticing any struggle because

this student is very strong musically, and those skills transcend spoken language.

Student B’s biggest strength is that they always double check concepts to ensure

understanding. They ask questions to make sure they have things right. The music classroom

seems to be a safe space to allow for that learning to occur. While their language barrier makes it

more difficult for Student B to be a leader in the classroom in a more outright way, their quiet

presence and musical skill adds to the group.

It is clear that Student B is proud of their culture. They light up when their own Filipino

culture is mentioned and they are proud to share musical and cultural practices from the

Philippines, and the cultural knowledge of the Chorus class has been elevated from having

Student B as a part of it.

An easy but very helpful modification to teaching that helps with ELL learners, as well as

any learners with learning disabilities is writing procedures on the board. That gives the student

the opportunity to look over the tasks for the day and ask for clarification if needed, which

Student B often does. Their teacher makes sure to give Student B to ask any questions they may

have. An important aspect of teaching a diverse group of students is creating opportunities to ask

them something about themselves. Student B’s teacher designs activities such as questionnaires,

small group “getting to know you” games, and “circle time” where everyone has a chance to
share thoughts on various topics such as “What’s the best way to work with someone who has a

learning style that’s different than yours?” These restorative practices help to build positive

relationships with students, making students like Student B feel welcome in the Chorus

classroom, even if their first language might not be the same as everyone else’s. Student B has

been able to build friendships in Chorus through these practices and through music.