Listening to Music in Class

When I first started teaching classes that were 1:1 devices, students would listen to music when they were working. 

I thought this was fine as long as they used headphones. I mean, I like listening to music when I work too.

Then I changed schools, and changed grades, and going myself in primary school. We were not 1:1, but my students frequently used computers for writing, research, or digital art projects. These students used to want to listen to music we well. Again I allowed it as long as they used headphones. 

I was then moved into a position of learning support where I could see many different classrooms and the different levels of agency teachers grant to students in classes. I was also able to observe student behavior from the sides.  It was shocking to see how much time students spent adjusting playlists instead of working. 

Time went on and I was teaching a coding course where students followed along. Students would all be at different points of the lesson and were required to again use headphones to listen to the introductions and follow along. 

The students I was teaching here ranged from grades one to six. When I'd check on on them, almost without fail, the younger students all had their volume to the max. They would argue when I'd lower it and couldn't understand why I was invading their space. 

I get it. I was being intrusive, not having played in a band, I know about hearing loss. They're too young for that. 

Those experiences changed my mind on music in the classroom. 

With these experiences in mind, I have paid more attention to it in the grade 5-8 classes I support. I see music being more distracting in grades 7-8.

The takeaway (one of the takeaways) from this article (https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/writing-for-impact/202407/music-to-write-by) is the following: 

If you want a creativity edge, listen to music before you write. Silence is then golden.

So, students work better with silence. 

How might we shift our culture to be more inclusive to students who need silence when working. When thinking? 

How can I advocate for this?