In my last post, Music Sets the Tone, I described my intention of using music more in my classroom as a backdrop to all our activities. It’s been over a week that I have been faithfully soundtracking my classroom! I have committed to teaching while some sort of music is constantly playing and it is quite successful! Each section of the day has a different type of music so far to fit the needs of my classroom of learners: Morning “Homeroom” Time Each morning I have played some sort of upbeat or seasonal music. For the week leading up to Christmas, I used jazzy Christmas music. This week I started with some jazz and then switched to music recorded by Canadians (because we are studying Canada, of course!) Next week I’ll start playing some music from Mexico. The morning is a great time to play around with different genres that will welcome the students to a new day. Teaching/Learning Time The majority of the day, we listen to a slow, droning type of music. It has no lyrics, no rhythm and really no melody either. The track I prefer so far is “Study Music Alpha Waves” found on YouTube. I have it playing while I’m teaching a lesson, while I’m giving instructions and while the students work on assignments. This particular track lasts over 3 hours and has no true beginning or end, and it truly creates an atmosphere of constant peace. I especially like that when I feel my students need a brain break or a chance to take some deep breaths, the music automatically sets the tone without my asking them to quiet down. They just stand still and feel it! It’s like I have my own yoga studio in my classroom at the drop of a hat.View Full Post