News Releases
May Employee of the Month: Lauren Klein
Music Therapist, Conyers Learning Academy
 May 1, 2008
As the only music therapist in District 15, Lauren Klein works with special needs students in low incidence programs at Conyers Learning Academy (CLA) as well as four other district schools (Marion Jordan and Gray M. Sanborn elementary schools, and Walter R. Sundling and Plum Grove junior high schools).
Lauren points out that music therapy is not about teaching music, but instead about using music as a tool to teach various types of functional learning—communication, academics and literacy, cooperation and social skills, self-esteem and self-confidence, and even motor skills and agility. She creates lesson plans based on state standards, curriculum used in the classroom, and goals and objectives from each child’s IEP (Individualized Education Plan) to focus on developing the specific skills that students need. “It’s all rooted in behavior management and behavior modification,” she explains.
With her guitar close at hand, Lauren addresses a wide range of her students’ cognitive, emotional, and physical abilities by engaging them in creating, singing, moving, and listening to music. “I use music to make it motivating for them,” she says. “Music helps me be creative in finding ways to teach them other things.”
“Lauren is a wonderful educator. She is dedicated and passionate,” her nominator said. “She teaches students at varying levels of development and ages. She has a deep understanding of students with special needs. She implements a wide variety of strategies and interventions to elicit student participation in her lessons. She motivates the students to use their language and express themselves through music.”
Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Lauren attended the University of Iowa, earning a bachelor of music degree in music therapy. An oboe player, she was interested in special education as well as music. Music therapy seemed “a perfect match.” After an internship in Tallahassee, Fla., she came to CLA and District 15. She’s now in her fourth year with the district. Along with her teaching responsibilities, she serves on the district Special Education Reading Committee.
Lauren is currently working on a masters’ degree in special education at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. In her leisure time, she teaches private music lessons on guitar and oboe, is a runner who has completed local races and triathalons, enjoys dancing, and likes to travel to visit relatives and friends. Last summer she and a friend went to Croatia, and this summer she hopes to visit Panama.
“Her love of students and her work shines through every day,” her nominator said. “It is a joy to watch her work with our students and amazing what the students can do through music.” Lauren says she, too, is continually amazed at how much her students can do and how much personality they express.
Lauren will be recognized at the May 14, 2008, Board of Education meeting, to be held at Walter R. Sundling Junior High School at 7 p.m.
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