Traditional Vanilla Slice Recipe: An Exquisite Fusion of Crisp Pastry and Smooth Vanilla Custard Delight in the perfect balance of flaky puff pastry and luxurious vanilla bean custard with this timeless vanilla slice recipe. Ideal for a decadent treat! The Classic Vanilla Slice truly showcases the beauty of simplicity in desserts, proving that less can
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After moving into my new house recently I've been working in getting everything organized, and the kitchen was definitely a top priority! Today I'm sharing 3 of my favorite organization tools that have made a huge difference in my kitchen organization without breaking the bank (don't miss the last one, it's definitely my current favorite!). This post contains affiliate links which help support this page 3. Drawer dividers TIP: group like items together I never had wide drawers in a kitchen like I do in my new one, so this was a new problem for me that required new solutions! To take full advantage of the drawer space I quickly realized I needed a way to divide up the space to keep items from sliding around into one big jumbled mess. Yes, smaller bins can serve a similar function but I like these better for bigger drawers that need bigger sections- these ones I found are adjustable and they were super easy to install (plus they fit my tight teacher budget). 2. Spice drawer TIP: similar sized containers maximize storage space I know. I never thought I would be one of "those people" taking spices, or anything else for that matter, out of its original container just to put them in another container... but when my pantry space was at a premium and I was trying to find a way to fit everything in, I realized what a space saver this was. I wish I had the foresight to take a "before" picture but just imagine a typical collection of spice bottles of all different shapes and sizes- I was only able to fit about 2/3 of these into the drawer before I got these, just because they don't fit neatly next to each other when they're all different sizes and shapes. AND having them in a drawer like this has made it so much easier for me (and for my daughters) to find what we're looking for. Before I had some on a pantry shelf and some on a rotating spice rack I bought as a set, and the labels were all different so it took time to read and find what I wanted, especially if it wasn't something I used regularly. So much easier now, and it's a lot easier to see how much I have left of each one when they're all laid flat. For my most-used spices that I buy in bulk sizes, I filled up these smaller bottles to keep within reach and stored the extras on a top shelf so I can refill when needed. 1. Rotating utensil hangers TIP: avoid overcrowding a container to make things more accessible These are by far the best thing in my kitchen and also the cheapest and easiest to install! I can't recommend them enough. They stick to the bottom of the upper cabinets and spin around so you can see and access any of the 6 hooks. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has always had a vase sitting on the counter holding all of these spoons, spatulas, and whisks- these are always the things I reach for the most when I'm cooking and often am trying to grab quickly after realizing the food was going to burn if I didn't get it out fast! The vase made it hard to find things, especially the ones with shorter handles, and it was completely overcrowded. I had to strategically wedge things in to get them all to fit! Now I can see everything and grab exactly what I need without rearranging the entire container to get to it. I have more tools and tips to share from my kitchen but this post will get too long if I keep going! Let me know if you're interested in a "part 2" with more favorites, and let me know what other spaces in the house you'd like to see next, in the comments below.
We need to be able to enforce boundaries and standards of behavior, but it can be hard to come up with consequences that we can use as elementary music teachers when our class times are so short and there are often several days between the times we see them. But there are some common practices I hear teachers recommending to others regularly that I think do more harm than good- here are my top 3 consequences I wish elementary music teachers would stop using, and what I do instead. 1. Give a class intentionally boring worksheets as a consequence for expressing or demonstrating negative attitudes towards regular lesson activities As logical as it may sound to think that students will appreciate the fun and exciting lesson activities more if they experience what a boring lesson is like, if there is toxic, negative energy going around for whatever reason about your class, making it more boring is not going to help- it's going to make it worse. There is always a ringleader or two that is the root of the negative energy, even if it feels like the whole class is against you. Start by explaining at the end of the lesson that the negative energy is ruining the vibes and preventing the class from having fun and from learning- not every activity or class has to be their favorite, but everyone needs to do their best and have a positive attitude: "don't yuck someone else's yum". Tell them that starting next lesson, you are not going to allow anyone to ruin the positive energy. If possible, make someone- the principal, the social worker, etc- aware of the situation and that you are trying to turn around the negative energy in a class. Warn them ahead of time that you may need backup during a particular class period while you handle the situation, and work out a plan, either for someone to push in or be prepared to take students, if you need it. I know sometimes teachers don't have adequate support staff or their administrator is unsupportive- in that case I would get a colleague on board who is willing to have a student or two come in their room. But I would encourage you to try to advocate for someone to be available to come in if needed- I've found administrators and support staff appreciate when you explain all the things you've already tried and that you are wanting to do this as a short-term strategy to keep everyone in class instead of having to throw them out or stop your lessons in the long run. Once you've established that you expect everyone to keep negative energy to themselves, start the next lesson overflowing with positive energy, grinning as soon as you see them to show you're excited about having a good time that day. Don't plan anything different than what you normally would have, but be super excited about everything. Give positive reinforcement for all the students who are engaged, whether that's points or whatever other positive reward you have in place in your school or classroom (if you don't have one, start one and explain what it is to everyone!). As soon as the first person starts to make a negative comment/ face (even if it's right as they enter the room), try to quickly catch them and remind them to keep it positive. If they don't, ask them to sit away from the rest of the class and take their negative energy elsewhere and go back to having fun with the others. If they are still disrupting the lesson, offer to let them write down their negative thoughts instead of saying them out loud and spreading their negativity. If that doesn't work, put the backup plan into action: ideally I think it works best if there is someone that can be on call to come and sit with the negative student(s) while you proceed with the others, but if not, get them to leave the room, whether it's the principal's office, another classroom, or somewhere else. The goal is to turn the tide so that the majority of the class that was getting sucked into the negativity before, gets sucked into your positive energy instead. If you have to have a student (or several students) leave the room, it will be important to follow up with that student after class. Often they will be happy that they got to leave the class they were complaining about (which is why it's best to find a way for someone to come in if at all possible)! So there needs to be a consequence for that specific student, whether that's giving makeup work, calling/ writing home, or something else to make sure that student doesn't want this to keep happening. Having that positive reward for the students who were engaged will help here too, since obviously the ones who left will not get whatever the others did. It will get easier and easier to get those students to at least tone down their negativity to a manageable level once the attitude of the rest of the class is positive- it has never taken me more than 4 class periods of this to turn the class around. 2. Put away instruments and ban their use from the entire class because of chaotic behavior while using them or damaging an instrument(s) If students don't know how to use instruments properly, giving them less opportunity to learn how is not going to help long-term. It's also never helpful to punish an entire class for something that most likely wasn't something everyone did. First of all, I have a strict rule in place of, "if you play before I say you'll make the instrument go away". I tell them every single time we get out instruments, and I also remind them often that I'm not here to judge if it was intentional or accidental- if you touch/ make sound with something when you're not supposed to, you will miss a turn with that instrument. The key is to make sure the time they lose the instrument is short and then they quickly get a chance to try again and do it right. If as a group a class is too chaotic while using/ getting out instruments, slow it way down to whatever point you need to be able to monitor each student more closely. Sometimes that means only half the class plays at a time instead of everyone at once, having one student at a time go and get out their instrument while the rest of the class waits and watches and you narrate the correct way of doing it every step of the way, or having a few students designated to get out an instrument for others, etc. 3. Having a class practice coming into class silently/ calmly over and over until they are all coming in the way you expect I used to do this ALL THE TIME at the beginning of my career. Having students practice a behavior or procedure the right way when they do it wrong is obviously a good thing. But again, punishing an entire class for something that is probably not something everyone is doing is only going to make students feel frustrated and agitated, not calm and focused like you want them to be. If the vast majority of a class comes into my room too rambunctiously, I will definitely stop and have them go back and try again. But 1) I only do it one time and I make sure to give positive reinforcement to the ones that do it right, and 2) I do not have them go back in the hallway- I have them line up as close to the door as possible but still inside my room, and then walk to their spots from there. I find going back in the hallway is counterproductive because I never know who else is going to walk by making noise and/or distracting my students, and usually sound carries a lot more in the hallway so every little noise is amplified. I keep them in my controlled environment to practice instead. If it's just a few students, obviously I just ask those few students to do it again. If the class has practiced once there will only be a few students, if any, who still aren't doing it right- in that case I will have those few students try it again by themselves. But again, only once- after that it just turns into a power struggle and it's not effective. If I still have students who are running/ talking loudly etc after that, I tell them we will practice another time and move on. I talk to the homeroom teachers and/or principal and figure out a time when I can take them by themselves and practice walking appropriately (some years I've been lucky enough to be available to do it during their recess, other times I take them first thing in the morning when everyone else has circle time, or immediately after class). As a sidenote, one thing that has helped tremendously with this problem specifically is I've stopped needing my students to walk in silently. Yes, they should not be yelling, running, or touching other people or things, but the thing that has helped me get everyone focused right away without requiring them to be silent is to immediately start student-led warmups. It took away so many power struggles to start class this way! Check out this post on how I do that, and this post for a whole bunch of activity ideas for warmups. I know this may ruffle some feathers but I hope this gives teachers some new ideas to try that will help turn the tide in a positive direction! I would love to hear your thoughts on these common consequences, and any other strategies you have used effectively in these situations, in the comments below.
A MUM has revealed the trick to ensuring her house is always clean is her savvy ‘6/10’ cleaning method. TikTok user Organized Chaos shared the list she created, which involves six daily tasks and 1…
Xylophones and other barred percussion instruments are often a staple in elementary music classrooms, but it can be scary to put such expensive instruments in front of small children! I introduce barred instruments to my students in Kindergarten. Getting them started with the right technique and procedures is critical to being able to use them regularly as they get older! Here is my process for introducing mallet technique to ensure students have a solid foundation to get them started. It's worth mentioning first that I do not introduce any barred percussion instruments until at least January, midway through the school year, in Kindergarten. I spend the first part of the school year introducing non-pitched percussion instruments and making sure they understand the general expectations for using instruments in the classroom properly. I need to know they'll be super careful and already know not to play without permission before I get out the xylophones, and the fine motor skills needed to play with proper mallet technique takes some time to develop! Mallet Grip The first thing we practice is how to hold the mallets properly. It's important that students hold the mallets correctly so that they don't bang on the bars or hit them with the wrong part of the mallet, and can get a nice resonant tone. I use 3 words to cue the correct mallet grip: PINCHERS, FINGERS, and BICYCLE HANDLES. I use these same 3 cues even as students get older, every time they pick up their mallets. First I have them hold the mallets straight up and down in front of them at the top of the rubber handle (mine all have this- if yours don't you'll want them to aim for the lower 1/3 of the mallet) between their pointers and thumbs (pinchers). Then I tell them to wrap the rest of their fingers loosely around the handle without letting go of their pinchers (fingers), and then hold the mallets out in front of them like they're holding onto bicycle handles. I'm looking for a loose grip with a fulcrum point between their pointers and thumbs, elbows out to the side, palms facing down towards the floor. Playing Techniques Once they have their mallet grip down, I introduce 3 basic playing techniques that we then practice extensively in Kindergarten: FAIRY FEET, FROGGY HOPS, and SLIDES. For all of these techniques, I remind students to play in the center of the bars, not the edges! The first one is fairy feet: I tell students to imagine a tiny fairy tip-toeing across the bars so that they play with alternating hands. It sounds so magical when we play this way that it really does evoke the image of fairies! Once they can do fairy feet we move on to froggy hops, which is playing with both hands together. I tell them to hop around like a little frog, making sure to bounce and not to stomp like a dinosaur. This one is always harder than fairy feet but they always get it with some time to practice! Once students have the technique down, I use the book Froggy Gets Dressed (see the lesson plan in this post) to give them more practice. It may seem odd to start with the more complex playing techniques before introducing the slide, but I find that starting with those 2 forces students to play with more care and concentration from the beginning. For the slide, I have students hold only one mallet and then slide the mallet across the middle of the bars from low to high and high to low. I use a modified version of the "Mr Brown and Mr Black" story (see the lesson plan in this post) to practice differentiating upward and downward melodic motion by sliding on the instruments as the characters go up and down in the story. Logistics As with any instrument, I always repeat the refrain, "If you play before I say you'll make the instrument go away" when we're playing xylophones. If they play out of turn, even by mistake, they put the mallets down and sit out for a turn. But with xylophones in particular I'm also very strict about not touching the instrument with their hands at all- I explain that the only thing that can touch the xylophones is the mallets, because of the sensitivity of the wooden bars. I let out a dramatic gasp any time someone touches any part of the instrument, and soon I have all the students doing the same! My other general expectation with instruments it to walk around them, not over. Any time students are going to instruments set out on the floor I make sure they walk around them to get to their spot rather than stepping over them. Although I'm lucky enough to technically have enough barred instruments for everyone to play something at once, I rarely do so- most of the time I have enough for half of the class to play at a time. I find that's a more manageable number for me to keep an eye on and help quickly with technique as well as make sure students are following the expectations as they play. I pair students up and have them sit behind each other to trade places so they can take turns playing, and once I introduce the initial technique on the instrument I give the other students something else to do, like singing along etc. This is also an important step to getting students to sing and play at the same time, because they can practice playing while hearing other students sing before trying to do both at once. I love using barred instruments in my classes, and introducing them to my Kindergartners is always one of the highlights of the year! If you have any questions about teaching with xylophones, please leave a comment below. Want access to all the lessons and materials I use in my classroom? Check out my general music curriculum here. You can also read my tips and lesson ideas for teaching other classroom instruments like ukulele, recorders, keyboards, boomwhackers, and more in this post:
Teaching Recorder: Establishing Fundamentals. Organized Chaos. Detailed outline of what to teach and how in the first few lessons of a recorder unit to help establish a solid foundation of fundamental skills.
5 Ways to a More Musical Home. Organized Chaos. Simple ways to bring more music into the home. So easy to forget in the craziness of life but so important for young kids to experience the benefits of music in their daily lives!
One of the most common questions I get these days is some variation on this one: "I'm starting a new job and don't know what they learned with their previous teacher- how do I assess where they are right now so I can plan my lessons?" It's a great question that puts the students front and center in the curriculum planning process- here is how I go about assessing prior knowledge when I am meeting new students. The short answer is this: I don't start off by assessing prior knowledge before deciding what to teach. Assessing student understanding is an ongoing process for me. I plan out the concepts I expect to teach in each grade level based on my research and experience of what is developmentally appropriate (and other factors such as available class time/ frequency) and then I am constantly looking at student understanding and adjusting my teaching (regardless of how long I've known them). Put differently, I don't decide what I think they can or should learn based on what they can do now. I have in mind already what they can and should learn and then use my developing understanding of their current knowledge, skills, and background to inform how I get them there. That doesn't mean I never change my mind about which concepts I should be teaching, especially when I am starting in a school environment that is completely different from my past experience (like I did in my current position). But even moving between drastically different schools, I have found my sequencing and expectations to be appropriate across the board for the most part- the difference is in how they learn most effectively and how they demonstrate their understanding as well. So here's how this approach works out in concrete practice for me. Start with a Plan, but Make No Assumptions I jump right in when I start in a new position (or meet a new student coming into our school). I have a long-range plan in mind based on allotted class time etc, and I start teaching them as if I had taught them the previous year's content as well. I'm constantly reviewing anyway, especially when it comes to those fundamental skills we're building on year after year like rhythm and pitch, so I come in with 5th grade lessons that include syncopation, for example, along with quarter and paired eighth notes. I model and practice from the ground up, and adjust how much time we spend on it based on how quickly they pick it up. Here's the thing: if your expectations are developmentally-appropriate and your curriculum is properly sequenced, older students will catch up quickly to fill in any "holes" they may have. Trying to teach dotted half notes and realize they don't know half notes yet? They can pick up both in the same lesson- you don't need to take them back to your normal sequencing of lessons to introduce half notes. Never Assign Blame I am always careful not to assign blame when I am working with new students, finding places where I need to "catch students up", and adjusting my lessons. Students pick up on my mentality pretty quickly, and if they get the sense that I'm looking down on their previous teacher, prior music education experience, or their musical experiences outside school, it will be a lot harder to develop a positive relationship with them. The reality is I have no way of knowing why they can't perform a certain task or answer a certain question. They may have actually learned it already- maybe I'm presenting it a different way than they're used to, using different vocabulary, or they're just having an off day (which I wouldn't pick up on if I don't know them well yet). This is why I don't think starting off with lessons that are below your expectations and "working up", or giving out pre-tests or otherwise assessing their understanding and then choosing your starting point is a good idea. You'll probably thinking they're further behind than they actually are because of all those other factors. Rather than "I can't believe you can't do this", it's "this is our goal, here's what we need to do to get there" Present the End Goal, Break It Down, and Get Them There Go ahead and throw it out there- if you've decided they should be able to compose melodies using pentatonic solfege, then put that out there for them. If they look at you like you've got three heads, break it down. Maybe instead of notating it by hand, they can use computer software to let them focus on creating instead of worrying about writing too. Or take them through the writing process as a class instead of working independently. Maybe they can each write an 8-beat melodic phrase instead of expecting 8 measures. Present the task, listen to their questions, break it down, and help them achieve success. Older students won't get bored with review or think it's too babyish if they see what they're working towards. In order for this approach to work, there are a few key elements that have to be in place: an understanding of what is developmentally-appropriate an ability to discern student understanding and adjust my teaching a clear sense of which concepts/ skills are most important for students to learn a willingness to constantly self-reflect and adjust my approach when students don't get it These things come with experience- the longer I teach the better I am able to think on feet and adjust my teaching in the moment. But even beginning teachers can implement this approach by arming themselves with 1) a plan and 2) an understanding of students. I recommend two resources as key starting points if you want to delve into this further- my approach to long-range planning, and resources for responding to diverse student needs. If all of this feels intimidating or overwhelming, I encourage you to spend some time exploring the resources below- it's really all about a shift in understanding in each of these areas. I still remember the first time I passed out a composition worksheet to my 5th graders when I first started in my current position. I thought I was starting with something pretty basic- just a 2-measure rhythm with a rhythm bank- and I explained everything step by step before passing out papers and sending them off. I started walking around the room and realized nobody had a clue what to do or how to start. At first I was taken aback and a little offended thinking they just hadn't paid close enough attention to my obviously-well-crafted explanation of the assignment. Then I paused. I had everyone stop working and I asked them what they were confused about. Eventually it came down to this: they had never seen a composition assignment specifically laid out in this way. We came back together, and I did one in front of them, talking through my thought process out loud. Then we did one together as a class. Once they had a chance to experience the process, suddenly the assignment became much easier and less intimidating! Maybe in the first year in a new position, your oldest grades won't get to everything you hope or expect. Developing relationships with your oldest grades is going to be tough anyway, and it takes time for you to get to know how they learn and for them to adjust to how you run your classroom. That's OK. Keep in mind which concepts are the highest priority, and give yourself permission to take a few years to learn how each student learns best. Keep putting the end goal out there, and keep trying new approaches to get them there- if your sequencing is appropriate, then it's all just a matter of figuring out how to teach the students in front of you.
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Every month I stop and look back at the highlights from the past month. This month's highlights include teaching chorus for the first time in almost a year, a little inspiration from my daughter, and some amazing content from some wonderful music educators! 1. Teaching chorus I usually try to include photos for my highlights- I don't have one but I have to mention this anyway. We decided to put together a virtual choir video with 4th-6th graders from across the district instead of our usual all-district chorus (which got cut short before the performance last March), and I've had the opportunity to lead those rehearsals the last few weeks. I knew I missed teaching choir but I didn't know how much until I got to do it again- even with everyone muted it was SUCH an amazing feeling! And the students involved have been so motivated and hard-working. Definitely one of the highlights of the entire school year! 2. A little inspiration Last month I gushed about how much I love making these family calendars together with my daughters every year. Each month the girls decorate half of the top page and add in all the important dates that affect their lives. When we put together the February calendar one of my daughters turned her page into a valentine's card, and when I read later what she had so easily come up with I was blown away! (If you can't read her handwriting clearly: "Dear Valentine, I just want to say that there is always someone who loves you. And to not give up.", and "Dear valentine, I just want to say that whatever you are doing is changing the world.") 3. Music education content I love highlighting my favorite music ed content from other teachers and creators each month- check out this month's picks by clicking the images below! March is, as usual, shaping up to be a very busy month indeed- but a fulfilling and exciting one too. March 2021 has GOT to be better than March 2020, right?!? Let's hope so.
Mind blowing ADHD Home Organizing Ideas, Tips & Life Hacks - for when you need your home to look after you, rather than the other way round
Limit everything to the essential, but do not remove the poetry. Dieter Rams
Teaching Recorder: Top Tips. Organized Chaos. Compilation of all of the best ideas and tips for teaching recorder. Tips for getting a recorder program started, which instruments to buy, organization tips, teaching strategies, lesson plans, and more.
All duties of the house should not fall on one person #cleaning #cleaningtips #mom #kids #tips #home #parentingtips #organization #marriage #roommates. Organized Chaos · Original audio
Learn how to easily become more organized. Form life changing habits to always stay organized.
I've been using student-led warmups at the beginning of my elementary general music lessons for years now and I am a big fan! I've gotten a lot of questions about the warmups I do and how I do them, so today I'm sharing my favorite warmups to practice listening to and responding to music. In this post I'm focusing on warmups that help students practice listening to and responding to music in different ways. Most of my warmups are focused on practicing/ reviewing a basic skill or concept I want my students to practice regularly. Including these warmups gives me a chance to introduce students to musical genres, artists, and styles I may not be able to incorporate into my lessons as often, and gives students a chance to practice and review music vocabulary. You can read more about why I do student-led warmups and how I manage the logistics of warmups in general in this post, but essentially I have a small group of 2-4 students who are assigned to lead the warmup / opening activity / do now at the beginning of class. The idea is to keep it quick, easy, and low-pressure so everyone can be successful right from the beginning of the lesson. 1. Pick a song I have a few slides premade with lots of tracks embedded in them, grouped in different ways- sometimes I intentionally have a wide range of all different tracks, and sometimes I have tracks that all represent one specific musical element, genre, or theme. Student leaders pick a track, we listen to a snippet of the track, and then I ask the class a question about it: identifying a musical element, asking them what characteristics of the focus genre they hear, etc. 2. Pick a question This warm-up is similar to the previous one but in reverse. I have a song (usually a video recording of a performance) picked out, and each warmup leader chooses one element that the class will identify in the song (dynamics / tempo / timbres / mood / genre / etc). 3. Be the DJ For this one, rather than the class describing the music, the class responds to the music with movement. Each warmup leader chooses a track and the class "shows the music" with movement. This is when I tend to pull out the biggest variety of tracks for leaders to choose from so that it's easier for them to differentiate their movements. 4. Pick a prompt This warmup gets students to use and think about musical vocabulary while also building conversational skills through circle discussion. I give the warmup leaders a category (instruments, musical genres, etc) and each leader chooses 2 things from that category. We go around the circle passing a talking piece (whoever is holding it is the only one that can talk) and each person chooses which one they would pick out of those two choices (like "trumpet or clarinet" or "hip-hop or K-pop"). 5. Movement mirror This warmup is similar to the steady beat warmups I shared in a previous post except the movements are slow and fluid and have no beat. I turn on some soft, ambient music (like you would hear in a spa) and have each leader take turns doing slow movements at the front of the room while the class mirrors their movements. The goal is for the leader to move slowly enough for the class to mirror their movements without having to wait to see it first. There are so many fun ways to put students in charge and practice listening and responding to music, and they are so much fun! These only take about 3 minutes at the beginning of class and they are so easy. You can find my post on warmup activities for steady beat in here, my post on activities for rhythm here, my post on activities for solfege/ pitch here, and my post on activities for pitch letter names here. If you have any questions or more ideas please leave them in the comments!
I've been using student-led warmups at the beginning of my elementary general music lessons for years now and I am a big fan! I've gotten a lot of questions about the warmups I do and how I do them, so today I'm sharing my favorite warmups to practice solfege and pitch concepts. In this post I'm focusing on general pitch concepts and solfege practice, not note letter names. If you want ideas for practicing treble and bass clef (or any clef, really) letter names, I've already written a post on that here! Most of my warmups are focused on practicing/ reviewing a basic skill or concept I want my students to practice regularly. Solfege has always been one of the areas my students have struggled with the most, so it's an important one for them to review often. You can read more about why I do student-led warmups and how I manage the logistics of warmups in general in this post, but essentially I have a small group of 2-4 students who are assigned to lead the warmup / opening activity / do now at the beginning of class. The idea is to keep it quick, easy, and low-pressure so everyone can be successful right from the beginning of the lesson. 1. Draw the line There are several easy ways to get students to do some quick vocal exploration- for this one, I have the warmup leaders each take a turn drawing a line on a whiteboard, and then the class sings the line as I (or the student leader) point. It's a great way to get kids connecting abstract visuals with music, and picturing melodic lines in a way that eventually can translate to the staff. 2. Show the line The second vocal exploration warmup is similar to the first but instead of actually drawing a line with a marker, the leader "draws" the line in the air with their finger for the class to follow. 3. Solfege pointer I've experimented with lots of different ways to make it easy for students to lead solfege warmups and this one is by far the most successful: I have noteheads showing each of the solfege notes they know on the staff (color coded like our classroom instruments to help differentiate) on the board. The leader points to different notes and the class sings the note while doing the hand sign. 4. Solfege pattern selection For this warmup, I put several short solfege patterns on the board and number them. Each warmup leader chooses a pattern for the class to sing on solfege with hand signs. Sometimes I write the names of the notes (like "mi sol la"), sometimes I draw noteheads on the staff, and sometimes I just draw noteheads with the color coding and note names underneath, depending on what they've been doing in class. It's a great way to get the class sight-reading at a basic level without being too intimidating. 5. Solfege composition I only use this one with my older students, 4th-6th grade, because it puts a lot more pressure on the warmup leaders: I have a "bank" of solfege notes at the bottom of the screen, showing where they go on the staff, and each leader takes turns notating a short pattern using those notes for the class to sing. There are so many fun ways to put students in charge and practice solfege and pitch! These only take about 3 minutes at the beginning of class and they really help keep a skill that really needs to be "drilled" regularly feel less like a chore. You can find my post on warmup activities for steady beat in here, my post on activities for rhythm here, and my post on activities for pitch letter names here. I'll share more warmups for other skills and concepts in a future post- if you have any questions or more ideas please leave them in the comments!
After working on triple meter with a few different grades recently I was reminded of how much fun it is to teach! If you're looking for some new, fun, engaging ways to teach triple meter, here are some of my favorite lessons. 1. Tinikling I do a unit on music from the Philippines with my 3rd graders every year, and one of the reasons I do it is so they can review triple meter with Tinikling! If you haven't heard of it, Tinikling is a traditional dance from the Philippines that looks like this: Obviously it's a great way to reinforce downbeat in triple meter and get that 3-beat feeling through movement for both the dancers and the people moving the poles! I do this with 3rd grade but it's a great way to review triple meter with older grades as well. You can read more about the unit I teach on the Philippines, including Tinikling, in this post. 2. Tititorea I also do a unit on Maori music with my 2nd graders, and my students learn Tititorea, a traditional Maori musical stick game. This is another one that's great for feeling the downbeat in triple meter, and it's much easier than Tinikling for younger students. I love having students work with a partner to come up with their own stick pattern as well, to get them practicing creating in triple meter! And they are singing while moving the sticks so they're getting practice singing in triple meter too. You can read more about my unit on Maori music in this post. 3. Sing Your Way Home This song was a new discovery for me this year, actually, and I fell in love! Here's a recording, and here's the notation. It's just a lovely song that feels good to sing, and it's a great one for practicing things like phrasing, dynamics, and other expressive elements. I have students first sway with the downbeat while singing, then add a simple clapping pattern, then add some instrumental ostinati to further reinforce the meter. I used it with 2nd grade this year but it would work well with a broad range of ages. Of course there are so many more great lessons for teaching triple meter but since we're talking triple I'm going to stop at three for now! If you have more favorite lessons for triple meter please share them in the comments below. And maybe we'll have to do a part 2!
One of the biggest challenges with this whole stay at home situation is all the cooking! And as we try to avoid going out in public where we can, planning ahead to avoid frequent grocery store trips has become a necessity. This is also the perfect time to get the whole family more involved in the kitchen since everyone is at home! Here are my tips for planning out meals and minimizing shopping trips, and getting children- no matter their age- more involved in cooking. 1. Meal Planning If you weren't a meal planner before I'm betting you are now! I've been meal planning for years now and it truly does not have to be complicated. The key is to have some reliable recipes on hand, know how to be realistic when you are choosing your meals, and getting organized before you go to the store (or order your groceries). Here are some specific tips for simplifying the meal planning process so you don't have to stress so much over what to cook or what to buy. 2. Family Cooking There is no reason for one person to be shouldering all the cooking responsibility for the whole family when everyone is home, and this time while they're not at school is perfect for introducing some kitchen skills to kids! My daughters have been helping with cooking in some form or fashion since they were very young, and now they are each in charge of one dinner per week, from planning to cooking. Here are my tips for getting kids involved in the kitchen: I also highly recommend getting everyone involved in the planning process for other meals, even if they aren't cooking. I don't have my daughters cook more than one meal a week, but I do have them pick out one breakfast each week as well. Half the battle for me is just coming up with ideas for what to eat- meal planning systems help a lot with that but having others share in the decision making is so helpful. 3. Use What You Have One of the biggest epiphanies for me during this time at home has been the realization of how much food I have laying around. It's a little like looking at a full closet and lamenting having "nothing to wear"- I have all these staples that I keep on hand that I don't really count when I'm looking at what I have available for next week's meals. I've been trying to start limiting my grocery store trips to every 2 weeks instead of weekly, and it has been a lot easier than I thought! Here's what has worked for us to make this happen: I still only plan 1 week's meals at a time. My brain can't handle that much decision-making at once right now to plan out 2 weeks of meals. So before my grocery store trip, I plan out the week's meals with my daughters and make a list of what I need for those meals like I normally would. When I go to the store, I pick up a couple of extra fruits and vegetables that will last longer, like sugar snap peas, potatoes, melons, etc. If we're getting close, I might grab an extra milk or carton of eggs. But otherwise I just buy for the 1 week we've planned. For the 2nd week my daughters and I come up with meals using what we have left. It has been amazing to me to see how much we can make with the random stuff we have left in the pantry and fridge! The first time we did this I truly thought we would be eating scrambled eggs and mac and cheese all week, but actually we ate different meals every day and it wasn't that difficult to come up with ideas. I normally save leftovers from dinner to take as lunches to work. Now I freeze the leftovers instead. That gives me another dinner I can pull out in a couple weeks! I'm compiling all of my posts related to school closures/ stay at home social distancing for school and home in one place to make it easier to find. Be sure to head over there for more: I hope these ideas make quarantine cooking a little less stressful! Stay safe and happy cooking :)
It's no secret we're dealing with more disruptive behaviors in the classroom than ever before. It can be tough to navigate as a teacher, and it can often feel like we're fighting a losing battle. Today I have a simple strategy to share that I've found myself using more and more frequently in the last couple of years that I've found to be very effective. Dealing with escalated students who are being disruptive and disrespectful can be very difficult, especially when you teach elementary music, because -class time is so short that one incident can derail the entire lesson, and there isn't enough time to properly address issues to prevent them from happening again, -behaviors that would not be as problematic for the class as a whole in other subjects, like refusing to participate, are much more problematic in music where students rely on each other for success, and -with hundreds of students to teach it's difficult to build enough trust with each student or learn how to most effectively respond to each individual student when they are having a hard time. One thing I learned fairly early in my teaching career is to avoid public power struggles as much as possible. The problem with that is if you don't hold students accountable in the moment when they do or say something disruptive or disrespectful, other students may not get the message that the behavior is unacceptable, and more importantly, if one student is being disrespectful towards another student, the student who was treated badly won't feel protected or vindicated, and the problem festers rather than the relationship being mended (side note: there are far too many times when we are asking students to "just ignore" things that they find offensive or hurtful because it's easier not to have to get the other student to make amends- telling students "it's not a big deal" is not a solution either). Having a private conversation when the student is calm is definitely the most effective way to truly address a problem and work on finding solutions to prevent it from happening again. The key, though, is to make it very clear in the moment to everyone that you are going to do that (and then actually do it). Making a mental note to myself to talk to them later isn't enough if the other students who saw it happen, or most importantly if other students were hurt, don't know that it is being addressed and not just ignored to avoid a bigger blowup. There are a few ways I do this, depending on the situation: -Say to the specific student out loud, "we will talk later", have them go sit away from the group, and write a note on my seating chart -Say to the class, "I'm going to start keeping a tally of how many times people are calling out" and add a tally next to their name on my seating chart -Say "I'm going to write this down so we can talk later" and write down the exact words a student said Obviously writing things down is important for me to be able to remember what happened and who I said I wanted to talk to, especially if I'm in the middle of back-to-back classes and I know I won't be following up until later, but I've found it's really helpful for making students more aware of what they are doing and realizing that they are indeed being held accountable (it's not just an empty threat), and also for the other students to realize when I say I will deal with it later, I really will. It's also important to note that I'm writing these down to myself privately, not up on the board publicly- the writing itself is not an embarrassment tactic or a punishment in and of itself, it's genuinely a strategy for accountability. And once I do this a few times in class, I don't even have to say the words- students know exactly what I'm doing and what it's for when I go write something down. So it quickly becomes a silent way of holding students accountable, removing even more of the power struggle element in the moment. Sometimes these strategies alone aren't enough to get the lesson back on track or handle the problem- in that case I may end up needing to have the student go to the office, or with a support staff, instead of staying in the room. Even in that situation, these strategies help communicate to the students that I am the one handling the situation rather than passing it off, because I will be circling back with them, and that having them leave the classroom is not the "punishment" in itself but a way of deescalating. I'm sure this is something many of us already know and do, but with behaviors escalating, more people getting sick, and patience running thin, I thought this was an important reminder for everyone. Is this something you do a lot in your teaching? How do you stay on top of everything with so many students and so little time? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Teaching Improvisation. Organized Chaos. Lesson ideas and strategies for elementary general music teachers to teach improv and meet the creating standard.
I introduce solfege notes sequentially over the course of 4 years to really make sure students are comfortable working with the pitches before adding more to the mix. The very last note that I introduce in the middle of 4th grade is fa, and today I'm sharing some of my favorite lessons for introducing and practicing reading, writing, hearing, and singing fa along with the full diatonic scale. My favorite song to use to introduce fa is "One Bottle of Pop". I'm also introducing partner singing in 4th grade, so this song is the perfect way to practice partner singing and also introduce the last solfege note in the same song! I'm sure most people have heard the song but for those who may not know, the song has 3 short verses that can be sung at the same time as a partner song- this video shows the melodies so you can hear how they go together. I actually lived in Edinburgh, Scotland for a year in elementary school and learned this song there so I teach the lyrics I learned there, which are slightly different than the ones I see U.S. Americans using online: After learning each of the 3 verses separately with motions, I ask students to aurally identify the solfege of the first verse, which is incredibly easy with just do and sol. Then I tell them I want to figure out the solfege of the very end of the last verse and work backwards, so we start with the last note do and I ask them to aurally and visually identify the solfege from do back to the 2 eighth note "fa"s, which comes naturally since it is just a scale. There's fa! I like using this phrase to introduce the note because the phrase starts on fa and makes it easy to hear the tonality of the note and how it leans into mi. Once we've figured that phrase out and officially added the final note fa to our diatonic scale, I ask them to visually identify the solfege of the beginning of the second verse to see fa in a scale passage going from do to sol. Then we practice singing the entire song in solfege with hand signs, reading from the notation. Students are usually pretty surprised to find that they're able to do that pretty easily! By 4th grade students are already aware that the note between mi and sol is fa, so introducing the note is not a major step. But it is a big deal that they now know the full scale and will be expected to use them all going forward! We always have a "solfege celebration" afterwards with Maria Ellis' Soul-fege Slide- I like to use this to practice the hand signs and solfege notes the next few classes after that as well: Once they've gotten enough practice reading, hearing, and singing all of the solfege notes, I have them practice contextualizing the melodic and rhythmic notation concepts they've been working on by writing different rhythms on the staff with different pitches. Up until this point they have mostly either worked on writing rhythms in isolation on a 1-line staff, or writing melodies in isolation with just noteheads, so this is a big step for them. I have found that showing them on my computer how to take notes of different note values (like a set of beamed sixteenth notes or a dotted half note) and drag it onto the staff in different places helps them understand how the two concepts come together. We practice picking out different rhythms and putting them in different places on the staff on the computer together, then I have them work in groups to create a rhythm using rhythm cards, then write that rhythm on the treble clef staff to create a melody. It is so much fun to see the excitement on the students' faces when they realize they have unlocked the entire set of solfege notes after all those years of practice! And they love the partner song because we make it silly with motions to exaggerate the nonsense lyrics. I hope you enjoy using these lessons with your students! You can see all of my lesson plans for melodic concepts all the way from teaching high and low in early childhood through the full progression of solfege notes in 1st through 4th grade, and practicing note letter names in treble and bass clef, in this post.
I'm focusing on high and low pitches with kindergarten this week, so today I thought I would share some of my favorite ways to explore and understand high and low sounds with young students. If you missed it, make sure you check out my earlier post on using the book "Mortimer" in music class- that is one of my favorite ways to reinforce and assess my students' understanding of high and low, and we will be leading into that book very soon with my kindergarten classes! 1. There's Someone Standing on a Big High Hill This song is great for all kinds of concept practice- instrument playing, solfege, rhythm, pitch matching... First we all sing the song together, then I do something (sing, play an instrument, clap a rhythm, dance etc) for 4 beats and students copy. Of course eventually I have students lead while everyone copies as well. But this the melodic contour of the song is also perfect for teaching high and low: Last week I had students review instrument playing technique by having them echo different patterns on instruments. This week we will be thinking about the high and low notes in the song by moving up and down with the melody- first showing the melodic contour with our fingers (drawing it in the air), and then with our whole bodies (crouching down for low and stretching up tall for high). The students always notice on their own that the melody makes the shape of a "big high hill"! 2. Mr. Brown and Mr. Black I found this story on Beth's Notes last year, although I can't seem to find the direct link anymore (if you are not familiar with this site, run over there now! It is a treasure trove!). It is a fun way to practice high and low and also ties in nicely with the "Someone Standing" song because it is about another hill. The first time I tell the story, I split the class in half and have one side act out Mr. Brown and the other side act out Mr. Black with motions. They pretend to walk up and down the hill by getting shorter and taller while walking in place. The second time I have them sing notes going up and down while drawing the shape with their finger in the air. The third time we do the story, I have them gliss on the xylophones and glockenspiels. This is the first time I introduce barred instruments in kindergarten, and they love it! It is a great way to get them to transfer their understanding of high and low to pitched instruments, and it leads nicely into the Mortimer book as well. What are your favorite lesson ideas for teaching high and low? I'd love to hear them in the comments!
DIY Composition Manipulatives. Organized Chaos. easy rhythm cards made from foam sheets. great way to get students composing because each card matches the length of the note or rest and each note is a different color.
As the month of September comes to a close (boy, was that fast!), I'm sharing some of my highlights and favorite finds from the past month. These were some of my favorite lessons to teach, moments at home, and new ideas and resources I found- I hope you find some inspiration here yourself! 1. First grade compositions I always love doing this lesson with my first graders- it's the first time I have them notate a song with a paper and pencil, so I make a big deal about writing "a real song" and they love it! I have them choose 4 beats using a rhythm bank and write it in the boxes, then the next class they practice saying and clapping it and choose an unpitched percussion instrument to use, and then the following class is their "concert"- I put a music stand at the front of the room, and each student brings their paper to the front of the room to place on the stand, picks up the instrument they chose, and plays their rhythm. We clap for each student and they each take a bow. They're so proud of themselves and it's a simple way to introduce so many important concepts to my first graders!! Here are all my composition worksheets if you want to see how I set them up. 2. Changing weather I have never been a huge warm-weather person, so fall is always a welcome relief from the summer heat! And the best part this year has been a decent amount of sunshine. I'm getting outside as much as I can and soaking it up before the dark and cold of winter sets in! 3. My daughters' growth I get so much joy from watching my daughters grow and being surprised by the stuff they come up with! Both girls still love cooking, and they've been insisting lately on kicking me out of the kitchen completely and coming up with their own menus without using cookbooks etc- my daughter's recent breakfast idea to fill banana peels with fruit was mind-blowing! And I'm always amazed at how perceptive they are- my other daughter came home with a book from the library called "My Mom is a Foreigner, But Not to Me" (which, if you know anything about me, is truly perceptive). 4. Music Education Blog Posts I always love finding the best music education resources from other blogs- if you aren't already following my Facebook page I'd encourage you to do so just to see the articles I share on Fridays! You can catch up on the ones I shared there below- they're all worth a read: Ye Toop Doram Turkey in the Straw from Decolonizing the Music Room The REAL Origin of the Song "Funga Alafia" by Pancocojams Instrument Exploration Day by The Yellow Brick Road I hope you are all having a wonderful school year and have exciting plans for the month ahead. Got some highlights of your own to share from September? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!
I love using Boomwhackers in my elementary music classes! Not only are they fun and accessible for even the youngest students to play, but they are a really helpful tool for exploring some key musical concepts that make them useful well into the upper grades. You can see some of my favorite ways to use them in class in this post, but today I'm kicking things off by addressing the most common setback for teachers: organizing and storing them so they're not a pile of plastic hot mess! If you don't have a good way of organizing Boomwhackers, they can quickly become a major problem. They're too large to fit into nice neat bins, especially the longer ones, and they topple over easily. If you search the internet for Boomwhacker storage ideas you'll come up with some great ideas: some of my favorites include this idea to use plastic shoe organizers, this idea using plastic bag storage containers, and this idea using cardboard magazine holders. But for me, I have found hanging them on the wall with this type of strong velcro very effective (and fun to look at)! I always get questions about my wall-hanging Boomwhackers when I share pictures of my classroom, so let me start by answering those frequently asked questions: Yes, they have held up well. I've had mine up for 6 years and have never replaced any velcro. No, the velcro does not affect the sound of the instrument. I tell students to hold the velcro side in their hand and strike the other side on the floor/hand/whatever they're using. The only time we can't do this is when we're using octavator caps, which don't fit over the velcro- then I just have them tap the velcro side and it still sounds fine. You want to make sure to put the soft side on the instruments and the scratchy side on the wall so that they can hold the velcro without getting scratched. Besides being aesthetically pleasing and keeping the instruments from being a hot mess, I like having them on the wall this way because I often use them with small groups and I like having each octave set separated so I can tell each group to get the ones they need from one row, and they can clearly see the notes next to each other in order when they refer to them for musical concepts like solfege, chord functionality, etc. I've seen many other teachers hang them on the wall with all the same notes next to each other, but I think having one of each note together makes it easier for the ways I use them most. It also makes it easier to get out one set to use in a center etc by taking all of the ones in one row rather than having to go through and collect one of each note. If I had all the chromatics and extended octaves (bass / treble) and such (which I don't), I would not keep them together with the others because I wouldn't want to confuse my students when they're using as a tool to understand a concept- I would store them in one of the other methods I mentioned above off to the side, and pull them out when we needed them for a specific activity. I hope this helps you get your Boomwhackers in order so that they can be more of an asset and less of a headache for your classroom! Next week I'll be sharing tons of ways I like to use them to meaningfully and effectively teach specific musical concepts, so stay tuned, and if you have your own favorite ways to use them in your lessons I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!
Sometimes lessons get off on the wrong foot. One (or more) student is dysregulated and gets into a power struggle with you. They just came from PE and the half of the class that lost the dodgeball game is mad about losing, and the other half is mad that the other half is mad. Whatever the reason, it can be hard to save a lesson once it has gone south, but I have found there are ways to "reset" a lesson to get things back on track that have worked well for me on many occasions. The goal when things take a bad turn is always to reset, to get everyone to feel positive and motivated to try again. I remember when I was a new teacher, I would try so hard to encourage a class that had started off on the wrong foot to turn things around by verbally telling them they could do it, and most of the time that did NOT work when things were truly bad! When you and/or your students are stuck in a mindset that "today is a bad day", it's almost impossible to pull yourself out just by telling yourself to. These tricks help get everyone out of that rut and get the class moving in a positive direction so you can build momentum. 1. Simple Compliance Tasks This is particularly helpful when there has been a power struggle, or the whole class is in a funk and does not want to do anything you are asking them to do. Pick a very basic simple task that everyone can do: for me, I use my established hand signals to get the whole class to stand up, sit down, and sit up (yet another reason you should really do these hand signals with your classes if you aren't already!). If there is one student who is in a particular funk and can't even manage to stand up with everyone when you give the signal, ask them to sit out and take some space to gather their thoughts. Then get everyone standing up and sitting together on cue, pointing out the people who do it the fastest and the quietest. Suddenly everyone is doing a thing together, and focused on it! I reinforce once everyone is doing it together, then quickly move to some other simple musical task, like echoing my 4-beat body percussion rhythms or moving with the steady beat of some music I turn on, and give them a letter in our whole class behavior management system to reinforce it some more. I gush over how awesome that was and remind myself to smile and be truly excited about getting everyone on board, and that's usually all the push we need to get us back on track. The trick is we all need to prove to ourselves that we can do something positive and productive, and then we can do more! 2. Magic Count This is really more for younger grades but I've used modified versions with older students too: I tell them they are being weird and this isn't going to work so we need to start over, then I tell them I'm doing a magic count to make them go back to normal, turn away from the class, cover my eyes, and count down from 5. For K-2 this usually does the trick and it's an easy way to let them know it's OK, they can start over. 3. Write it Down If there are specific students who are clearly upset, either at another student, about a situation, or some unknown reason, I ask them to write down what they are upset about on a sticky note to give to me. This gives them a way to address the situation without taking time away from the lesson or sucking the energy out of the room, gives them an opportunity to process what they are feeling as well. The key with this is my follow-through: students are only willing to continue to use this as a communication and problem-solving tool if they believe I will act on what they tell me. You can read more about this strategy in this post. 4. Focus on the Positives You may not be able to get everyone back on track right away but there are almost always a few who are eager to get on board immediately- focus on them and teach to them! I make sure to give dojo points, our schoolwide positive reinforcement platform, to individual students who jump on board when I am trying to turn the tide of the class and make a big deal about it to everyone. I even go and stand closer to those students and look just at them to keep me focused on their energy. Students get the message pretty quickly and, most importantly, it helps ME focus on the positive energy and feed off of that instead of focusing on the negative. What do you do to turn the ship around when a lesson starts poorly or takes a negative turn? I'm not saying these strategies are a magic cure that works 100% of the time, but they have been very effective for me in many situations and in most cases, work well to turn things around.
I love doing drum circles with my students in the spring. The students are so motivated by the instruments, and having a different formation (sitting in a circle) is a great way to break out of the normal routine and keep things interesting as the end of the year approaches. I am planning to share some of my favorite drum circle activities in a future post (update: see that post, with all of my favorite lesson ideas and activities for drum circles, here), but today I wanted to talk about the logistics and organizational side of things for those who would like to try a drum circle in your own elementary music classes. 1. Set up enough chairs for each student, you, and one extra in one big circle. Part of the point of a drum circle is that everyone is looking at everyone else and there is no one person leading. Having an extra chair next to you will serve 3 important purposes: it gives you a place to set down the things you might normally keep on your music stand or nearby desk (like your clipboard, keys, clock etc), it gives a little space between you and the students so they are facing you a bit more without taking you out of the circle, and it gives a nice spot for any troublesome students to move to if they need some extra reminders. 2. Have the drums already set up (bigger ones in front of the chairs, smaller instruments under the chairs) before the students come in. One of the most magical moments is when the class comes in and gasps at the sight of a drum circle set up and waiting for them. Don't waste a chance for magic like that (not to mention all the headaches you will save yourself). If you have students assigned to smaller groups in your normal setup (like the color teams I use), you may want to think about finding a way to assign spots by those smaller groups. In my case, I have djembes in each of the 6 colors I have for the groups of students in my classes, so I have students go to a chair that has their team color's djembe. That way I can plan for any assigned seats I need for specific students but also give students a sense of choice. 3. You don't have to have a class set of drums to have a drum circle! If you don't have enough drums, add small percussion to the mix. Shakers, scrapers, cowbells, and whistles are all great and still fit with the genre. Make sure you alternate instruments when you set them up around the circle, and then have students rotate through the instruments by switching chairs throughout the class period. 4. Always establish ground rules before you start Before they even go sit down in the circle, I always have the class sit off to the side while I give them the first rule: don't touch the instruments, even by mistake, until I give you permission. After we are all seated quietly, I go over the rest of my rules: Because we are in a circle, it is very important that we not only think about what we say and do but also about what we show on our faces. Your facial expressions need to communicate appreciation and respect for each other when others are playing. When you are playing yourself, your facial expressions need to communicate confidence. Knowing that every person in the circle is being held to a high standard of respect, it is important for each participant to be creative and take risks. Don't just play what you already know you can do. Try something new. If you play your instrument when it is not your turn, even if it is by mistake, you will be asked to put your instrument down for a few minutes. If it happens repeatedly, you will be asked to leave the circle. In order to be able to play together as a united group, we need to be able to listen to each other even more keenly than we usually do. 5. Don't talk too much Demonstrate and have them copy back (just point to them and they'll get it). You'll have to explain some things but most cultures that incorporate drum circles regularly practice a master-apprentice style of learning anyway. The less time they have to sit and listen to you talk without playing their instruments, the better :) I think that's it from me! I'd love to hear other tips you may have to share as well- leave a comment!
Learn how to easily become more organized. Form life changing habits to always stay organized.
Teaching Canon Singing. Organized Chaos. Strategies for introducing canons in elementary choir or general music lessons.
Organized Chaos: helping music teachers embrace the chaos of creativity through purposeful organization and simple ideas!
Composition / creating is one of those areas we tend to throw in here and there without really thinking about properly sequencing and scaffolding our instruction for our students the way we do for other skills and concepts, but it's so important to be intentional about developing students' composition skills! When we don't, elementary students can get turned off to composition so easily. Here are my top strategies for teaching composition, including how I sequence the skill through the grades as well as my favorite lesson plans for doing so. Lower elementary In the younger grades it's all about keeping it short and simple, using manipulatives more than writing, and having them create frequently! Here's how I approach composition with my K-3 students: Upper elementary / middle school For older students I find the most important factors are to limit their options, and give context and meaning to their creations. There are so many fantastic composition projects I absolutely love doing with my 4th-6th graders! Read about how I approach composition in general, and about my favorite specific projects I love to use, in this post: Using technology If there's one thing I've learned through the pandemic it's new ways to use technology in my teaching! With our students now having one-to-one devices my students have been able to use some wonderful platforms that make composition fun and engaging, and also helps many students understand concepts so much better! Here are some of my favorite platforms to use with all grade levels: Using manipulatives Just like different technology platforms can help with student comprehension and engagement, manipulatives of all kinds have the same effect, and they can be used even if you don't have any devices available! I love using different types of manipulatives for different grade levels based on the concepts they are working on- here are my favorites, how I make them or where I find them, and how I use them with my students: Creating without notating Of course creating music doesn't have to include notating it in any way shape or form- it's important for students to have the freedom to focus on creating music without worrying about, or being limited by, the process of notating. Here are my favorite lesson activities and strategies for sequencing instruction across lower and upper elementary grade levels to teach students how to create music: I hope this helps you teach composition and music creating skills more intentionally, and gives you some new lesson ideas to try! If you want to see the composition worksheet templates I use, you can find those in this set. I've found it makes composing and notating so much more accessible for students because they are intentionally created to scaffold from Kindergarten all the way through high school! If you have any other favorite ideas or questions about teaching composition I'd love to hear them in the comments below.
Class Openers for Elementary Music. Organized Chaos. Fun ways to establish a routine for the beginning of each elementary general music class as a warm-up and allow student leadership as well.
After chatting with some fellow elementary music teachers last week about the joys and struggles of our various teaching situations, I asked each of them to share a short word of advice to others who may find themselves in the same situation, whether that's teaching fully online, live or asynchronous, on a cart, in your own music room, or some combination of the above. Here is what they had to say! If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend sitting down with a cup of something cozy and watching the video of my conversation with these wonderful women. It has been one of the most encouraging conversations I have had in a long time just to hear their hearts and feel a sense of camaraderie in the struggles and joys we are all encountering in our various situations! Watch that here. And now here is the advice each of them shared: For full virtual, live teaching: Charissa Duncanson I encourage teachers to connect with one another on social media if they have not already. We can feel very lonely in times like this, and connecting with others reminds us that we aren't alone in this new journey of teaching in a pandemic. I have also found it helpful to set clear boundaries for myself when it comes to working vs being home. I gave myself clear boundaries of when to and when not to do "school work". When I made the choice to turn off my work laptop at 4:30pm I really was able to rid myself of the burden of constantly answering and feeling like I had to immediately respond. I know that my work will be there for me the next day and I can pick up where I left off. These boundaries have helped me tremendously, and kept me sane throughout my week. Find Charissa @musiciwthmrsdunc on all social media platforms or at her website to connect and chat with her further! For full online, posting asynchronous lessons: Leah Riggs In this season of my life, where I am teaching in a way that is completely new to me, I have found a few new pieces of wisdom. Number one is being adaptable. Good teachers are good learners; we have to learn and adapt to new content and new ways of delivering content. I can’t think of another time in my career that I have learned more in such a short amount of time. I didn’t know how to make a video lesson let alone how to upload it and make it available to students! There are SO many new skills I can take into the future. Number two is safety. I am keeping my students and my family safe by working from home. I am in a district, county, city, and state that is doing it’s best to keep our community safe. That comes with a lot of restrictions that are hard to deal with. The bottom line is, we may not always understand in the moment the big picture of community safety, but I trust that my leaders do, and I am ever so grateful for that. If you ever need advice, or need to bounce off ideas about asynchronous teaching, I am all in to help! Find Leah on Facebook and Instagram @musicinthemeadowbooks, or email [email protected] to connect and chat. For in-person teaching in the music room: Aimee Curtis Pfitzner Deep breaths. Expect the unexpected. The Law of Mutability applies this year: Nothing remains the same but change. That is incredibly difficult for human beings - we crave routine and are hard-wired for habits and familiarity. Nothing about Pandemic teaching has to do with routines or familiarity. We are all first-year teachers figuring out how to work with the technology, learning platform, behavior management, student engagement, interaction, etc., etc., etc. What are the most important areas of content to teach your students this year and what kinds of lessons can be extended to multiple lessons? Consider grouping grade level lessons together and/or using the same pieces to teach from once in a while to ease up on planning. Consider reaching out to small groups of students to encourage, develop relationships, and stimulate engagement. In an age where everyone wants to create virtual classrooms and high-tech proficient lessons that are polished and professional, consider that what your students might need most is YOU. Your face, your voice, and the stability and familiarity of you teaching lessons as if all your students were in the room. Share the personal joy of music making, creation, and performance. Give them moments of joy, safety, comfort, and fun while also focusing on concepts and skills. Reach out to other music teachers- our community is AMAZING and the support, camaraderie, and sharing that is happening within music education is absolutely remarkable. Above all, know that this too shall pass. Find Aimee on Facebook @ofortunaorff and Instagram @aimee_ofortunaorff, or email [email protected] to connect with her! For hybrid teaching on a cart: Elizabeth Caldwell First a few practical tips: 1) Get a mic/ personal amplification system. Teaching with a mask on to a room full of spread-out students will do a number on your voice otherwise. 2) Write down where you are supposed to be when and have it readily visible on your cart. 3) Have a power strip and extension cord on your cart so you can plug things in. 4) Drink water. Lots of water. I have barely any time between classes but it's worth the precious 2 minutes it takes to use the bathroom to keep my energy up. 5) After each class, roll your cart to the next location, start the zoom for the next class so students can start coming into the waiting room, and get your computer set up with whatever tabs you need for the lesson. I have found little spots in the hallway outside each of the rooms I teach in to park my cart and set up my computer, then I run to the bathroom, drink water, and/or check messages etc with whatever time I have left before the next class, knowing I have everything ready to go. Besides those practical tips, I echo what the others have said: connect with other music teachers, establish routines and boundaries for your work hours, and be intentional about self-care, whatever that looks like for you. And please reach out to me on social media, in the blog comments below, or by email! You can find my contact information and social media links right here on my website. I'd love to hear from you: what advice would you give to other music teachers, and what questions do you have? Leave a comment below so we can all support each other through this crisis.
The last swap of the year is over and I have mailed out some amazing zines to 56 participants! My dining room table turns into organized chaos when I start swapping. It's super important to keep envelopes and contents very organized so I don't make any mistakes with giving someone too many or not
When it comes to European capitals, most people think of Paris, London, and Rome as the ultimate destination. Berlin, the German capital, is probably not the first one on the wish list. It is indeed utterly different. We have collected 10 sights and activities that make this city just as…
Welcome to Saturday Funny, where I bring you the funnies from across the www! Hubby and I have so many ideas for the garden come spring time and he's already started getting busy with a lot of it. It's the first time we actually have space to do things! I thought I'd share a little humor today! Creative Country Mom Heremerald Thumb Pinterest Check out my highlight sponsor this month!! XOXxx Shana Danae..
Things to Make This Summer for Your Classroom Next Year. Organized Chaos. DIY projects for elementary music teachers.
One of the songs I use to practice mi, sol, la and half notes with my 2nd graders is Bickle Bockle (also known as Ickle Ockle). My students always love it because of the game, and I love that they get a lot of practice repeating the song as they play, so they can internalize the rhythmic and pitch concepts. But this year with social distancing protocols in place at school, I realized I wouldn't be able to use it the same way. Here's my adaptation of the game so I can still use it! I'm sure there are many versions of games you can play with this song, but the one I have used for years has players stand within a defined space, then walk around within the space on the steady beat while they sing the song. At the end of the song when they sing, "Just choose me", they face one other person. Whoever does not find a partner is out, and takes one other person out with them. As the number of players decrease, I usually make the space they can use smaller and smaller so they have less and less space to move in. If they touch someone else they're out! This year with covid restrictions we can't get within 6ft of each other, and I can't have students move around the room freely. I also have students participating virtually through zoom, so they wouldn't be able to join in the original game either! So instead, I'm having the students walk in place while they sing the song. At the end of the song after they sing the last word "me", they hold up their choice of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 fingers on one hand. If at least one other person chooses the same number they did, they're in. If they are the only one with their number, they're out. It's fun because sometimes nobody gets out, and sometimes multiple people are out. And as the game goes on and there are fewer players, it becomes less and less likely that you'll choose the same number! Of course the other modification I've had to make is to do it as a chant instead of a song, since we aren't allowed to sing in person. I can still practice half notes this way, but it doesn't allow student to practice solfege. So after we've played the game a few times, I'm having them walk on the beat and clap the rhythm of the words while they listen to a recording like this one, then I ask them to listen for the notes they hear on the line, "fishes in the sea" and identify the solfege that they hear. It's not ideal but it's still fun and still gives students practice with both the rhythm and pitch concepts I want them to learn! One pro tip after playing it with my classes: it helps to tell them they have to choose a different number each time- they're not allowed to use the same number twice in a row. I found some students who matched numbers the first round quickly figured out they could keep doing the same number so they would keep matching! Making them switch prevented those silent alliances :) As we all adapt to this new way of teaching, I'm collecting my ideas related to covid teaching on this page- click the image below to see all my other lesson ideas and tips for teaching in these new conditions:
Mixed Methods Approach: how and why. Organized Chaos. Some thoughts on why the "mixed methods" approach may be right for you as an elementary general music teacher, instead of sticking strictly to Orff, Kodaly, MLT, Dalcroze, or another teaching methodology.
I’m assuming you’ve all seen my 6/10 list, right? It’s magic. If you don’t know what it is, I’ll give you a quick explanation. My 6/10 list is a simplified cleaning schedule I cre…
If your car’s current state gives you anxiety, it’s time to fix that! Here are some organization tips to help you create organized chaos.
Best Strategies for Teaching Rhythm. Organized Chaos. Tons of lesson ideas for specific rhythm concepts and general teaching strategies for elementary general music.