nafmeadmin.
nafmeadminHey all! I have an after school choir of 4th-8th grade students (I’m at a K-8 school). We perform throughout the community, and we had a performances this past Saturday at a small amusement park. The students were able to get into this park for free, but the parents had to pay a discounted fee. I included this fact on our calendar and talked about it at our parent meeting. About an hour and a half before our performance, a mom emailed me and said she did not buy her daughter our uniform (we provide a polo shirt, and the families are responsible for buying the pants). She also asked if she had to pay the fee. I responded to her email and asked some further questions, but did not receive a response from her. The student and parent did not show up to the performance. When I talked to the student today, she said she was busy (at a friend’s house?), she didn’t have the uniform, and her mom thought it was wasteful to pay the fee. I sent the mom an email, but have not received a response. I doubt I ever will. Should I call her? How should I handle this? I am giving the student an unexcused absence from this performance. Again, I made sure to inform the parents of this fee at the beginning of the school year. I really tried to cover my bases. Please help! Thanks!!
nafmeadminThat’s a tough one. I think you have to take it on a case by case basis. It sounds like they didn’t plan ahead very well and got themselves in a pinch at the last minute. There are so many things that factor into this decision, is the child or the parent responsible? is it an economic hardship for the family? and so on. I’ve been in similar situations before and I empathize with you as the teacher. You also have to be careful not to set a precedent of it being acceptable to miss an event that the group has committed to.
Jeff
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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