 students want to grow up to become musicians.
By knowing about what some of my students want to be, (especially those who have behavioral difficulties) You can (you guessed it) use that knowledge and relate it to music to help them increase their connection to music as a subject.
I had one student who was having behavioral difficulties that told me she wanted to be a marine. I was surprised by this and asked her. “So if you don’t want to listen in music class, how are you going to make if a Drill-Sargent is yelling in your face and giving you orders? She had never considered that and got the point.
By getting to know what your students want to be you can know how learning about music fits into that story and how it can bring them joy on their way to becoming what they are aspiring to be.
Let Them Know About You
The final way to relate to your students is to let them know certain (limited) details about yourself.
Knowing things like what your primary instrument was, knowing how old you were when you started playing music or what types of music you like can peak your students interest and humanize you to them.
Also because some of your students likely look up to you, they may be inspired to try to be like you and try harder in class to do so.
Ultimately relating to the students of today can be a daunting task if approached all at once, but by taking it a little at a time, and using what you learn in your classroom, you can help your students connect to music as a subject and as an art form.
These Ideas are just a starting point in relating to your students.
What things have you done that have helped you relate better to your students?