Jehovah's witness students
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I have a few students that are Jehovah’s witnesses, and am running into walls when I try to cover standards relating to patriotic and holiday songs. Does anyone else deal with this? I try to come at things from a very secular place, teaching holiday songs from many different religious backgrounds and omitting songs that are considered sacred, but I still seem to be running into issues. Does anybody have advice on how to keep these children involved in the music class (singing songs, moving to songs, and playing songs on recorder) without making them uncomfortable or angering their parents?
I always talk to the parents. Everyone family I have dealt with takes this area to different extremes. Some say flat out no my child cannot particiate. Some say only certain songs. Some just don’t care. Find out to what extent you can go with these children before you get too stressed. The parents I have found are more then willing to educate you on their beliefs and what they will allow their children to do.
I teach in a very religously diverse school with Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Athiest. Communication is key. If in doubt though avoid the song. Hope it helps.
In my previous school I had a couple students who were JWs. They were not allowed to participate in the songs, but they could listen to them. I would usually just give them something else to do while the class was learning patriotic or holiday songs. I hated excluding them; that’s the last thing I would ever do! But I spoke to the homeroom teacher about specifics – could / not do – for these students; that helped. I would second speaking to the parents about the extent of their beliefs and what they would / not like their child to be exposed to or participate in during Music. Keep in mind the 10 Standards and explain to the parents that you are trying to hit as many as possible with your lessons, but you do not want to make them or the student uncomfortable.
I would also suggest talking to your principal and the child’s classroom teacher, to see if they have any input. Other teachers in your district could potentially understand the issues regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses in your particular area as well. And, of course, parental contact is great, too.
Christopher Roberts
Seattle, WA
Council for General Music Member-at-Large
Christopher M. Johnson, Professor of Music Education and Music Therapy, is currently the Chair of the Music Education and Music Therapy Department and Director of the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. Johnson earned his Ph.D. from the Florida State University.
Since his arrival at The University of Kansas, Johnson has taught courses in Instrumental Conducting, Teaching Instrumental Music, Managing Behaviors in the Music Environment, Psychology and Acoustics of Music, and Research Methods in Music Education and Music Therapy. Johnson served two terms as the editor of the International Journal of Music Education: Research, the research publication of the International Society for Music Education. He is currently serving his second term on the National Association for Music Educations Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. He also served on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Music Education, and one earlier term as the Chair for the MENC Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. Johnson also served as the Chair for the Research Commission of the International Society for Music Education.
Johnson’s research interests include applied research in music education, and basic research in all aspects of the psychology of music. He has published articles in many journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education, the International Journal of Music Education, the Journal of Music Therapy, Journal of Band Research, Contributions to Music Education, and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, among others. Johnson has also been an active member and contributor to the Research Seminar of the International Society for Music Education and World Alliance for Arts Education.
Johnson received a university teaching award – the Ned N. Fleming Award for Excellence in Teaching and received the recognition for Graduate Teaching Achievement from the Center for Teaching Excellence. Johnson was also awarded a lecturing & research award as a J. William Fulbright Scholar and recently received the Ella Scoble Opperman Citation for Distinguished Achievement from the Florida State University College of Music.
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