Happy New Year from your Special Needs Co-Chairs! As we look ahead to wrapping up the second half of the school year we are excited for the clinic offerings at the KMEA ISW this February.

Overall, there were many great clinic ideas submitted by a lot of our own talented Kansas teachers. I encourage everyone to submit a clinic idea at some point in your career. You do not have to be working on a master's degree or doing a big research project. Just come and share the things that work for you in your classroom. I have gained many ideas over the years that I have adapted for my classes by attending clinics presented by people just like you.

Here are a few sessions at this year's ISW that we hope you will take the time to attend. The first session is the Special Needs Roundtable. Last year was the first time we offered this and we had a pretty good turnout and some great discussions. Bring your ideas, bring your questions, bring your frustrations, we are here to help! The next session you should try to attend is "Fitting a Square Peg in a Round Hole: Creating Inclusive Classroom Activities for All." As we see more and more students with exceptionalities in our classrooms the number one question we hear is "What am I supposed to do with them?" This group of graduate students from Wichita State University will have plenty of ideas to share.

Terecia Miller, from Wichita, will be presenting "Adapting to Correct Behavior in the Music Classroom." Research suggests that participating in music is the only way to correct severe behavior problems as a result of trauma and development issues. This session will cover recent brain development research and provide strategies for classroom management and adapted activities for therapeutic enrichment.

The last session I would like to highlight is not geared towards special needs students but rather when the teacher becomes the one with special needs. Laura Holliday will be presenting "Do You Hear What I Hear? Protect Your Hearing Now Before It Is Too Late!" This session focuses on the dangers that band directors (and all music teachers) are exposed to daily that could possibly contribute to hearing loss. As musicians, our hearing is our greatest asset and we need to take proper steps to protect it.

There are so many great sessions this year. We are sure you will be able to find tons of new or refresher information to use in your classroom. See you at KMEA ISW 2016!