Section E: Learning Outcome 5 (LO 5)
Know how to avoid risks and possible consequences to self when working with children and young people
Learning activity 10 – relating to Learning Outcome 5 (LO 5)
Try this exercise.
Read the following case study about a music teacher:
Mr Smith is a 24-year-old trombonist. He teaches the trombone on Saturday mornings in an independently run music school. His teaching room is on the fourth floor in an annexe at the end of the corridor. There are three teaching rooms in this part of the school – one with a man teaching the piano and another man teaching violin and then Mr Smith’s room. Mr Smith’s room is small and crowded with a drum kit and other equipment. One of his pupils is a 15-year-old girl and she has recently started attending lessons wearing tight-fitting clothes and skimpy clothes. Her tops have become very low. Mr Smith is finding it hard to know where to look when he teaches her and he feels very uncomfortable. Mr Smith is unsure what to do.
In the table below, make a note of the issues that could affect Mr Smith and his student in this environment. You should find a minimum of four.
- What are the possible outcomes of these risks? Some are potentially more serious than others and some are more likely to be a problem than others.
Now see if you can suggest ways for Mr Smith or the music school to mitigate some of these issues.
- What is achievable in this situation?
- What advice would you give to Mr Smith about the girl’s clothing?
Now try a very similar exercise with some subtle differences. Note your own reaction to the changed circumstances:
Read the following case study about a music teacher:
Ms Smith is a 24-year-old trombonist. She teaches the trombone on Saturday mornings in an independently run music school. Her teaching room is on the fourth floor in an annexe at the end of the corridor. There are three teaching rooms in this part of the school – one with a man teaching the piano and a woman teaching violin and then Ms Smith’s room. Ms Smith’s room is small and crowded with a drum kit and other equipment. One of her students is a 17-year-old boy who comes directly to the lesson from rugby practice without having time to change. The student is dressed in rugby shorts and shirt. He is over six feet tall and a powerful and commanding figure, albeit a young person. Ms Smith is finding it hard to work when she teaches him and feels very uncomfortable. Ms Smith is unsure what to do.
In the table below, make a note of the issues that could affect Ms Smith and her student in this environment. You should find a minimum of four.
- What are the possible outcomes of these risks? Some are potentially more serious than others and some are more likely to be a problem than others.
Now see if you can suggest ways for Ms Smith or the music school to mitigate some of these issues.
- What is achievable in this situation?
- What advice would you give to Ms Smith about the boy’s clothing?
Learning activity 11 – relating to Learning Outcome 5 (LO 5)
Throughout this module, the emphasis has been on knowing when to act, how to act and when not to act. We have looked at how to take preventive steps to ensure our actions cannot be misinterpreted by children and young people and others. We have also looked at the importance of knowing when to report something and the timescales for this.
Read the following true case study and then comment on why you believe the outcome for the teacher was ultimately so devastating. What single action could the teacher have taken, after the event, to have ensured he didn’t ultimately lose his job?
Mr X was an experienced, highly regarded music teacher. His work for a Music Service involved teaching large groups of children. One Friday afternoon, he was teaching in a hall. He and the children were tired and one particular boy was causing a lot of disruption. In an effort to prevent the boy, who was obviously about to do something disruptive again, Mr X stepped forward to the boy, placed his hand on top of the boy’s head and placed his foot by the boy’s foot. He said to the boy, ‘Don’t even think about it.’ This action and statement were witnessed and heard by another teacher walking through the hall at that moment.
Mr X knew after the lesson that he had overstepped the mark and he went home. On Monday morning, he was called to a disciplinary meeting over the event and Mr X was ultimately dismissed. He was not dismissed for the action of placing his hand on the boy’s head or his foot by the boy’s foot. These actions were the subject of a disciplinary process. However, Mr X was dismissed for another reason.
What do you think that was?
Finally, you have now spent some time considering safeguarding in music education which is particularly important for all music educators and especially those such as piano, or private instrumental and singing, teachers, who may work in isolation from colleagues.
