Music In Our Schools Month!

I am just returning from Spring Break and I am a little behind on celebrating Music in Our Schools Month!

Over break, I created a pennant/banner to display in the hallway in honor of the month!  Tomorrow the students will start to decorate their banner!  I am so excited!

Also, I have reached 50 Likes on Facebook so until I get home, the product is free!
 It includes color options as well as black and white ink saving options!

TPT:   Music In Our Schools Banner!

Also in honor of the month, I just have to thank all of you!  When I started this year my walls were empty and my "Wall of Answers" is so helpful to the students and it looks incredible!  I got a LOT of compliments during conferences.

Here is an updated Classroom Tour:

As you might remember, my wall is wavy to help improve the acoustics.  That means I can't really use it for shelving or tables so it has become "The Wall of Answers."  Students are used to referencing the wall and the are so proud to more pieces every day!

Yes, it's a bird!  This is my entrance door!

Teaching in a school that offers Spanish Immersion and I was thrilled when Cori Bloom of Rhythm and Bloom posted this set!

Spanish and English Music Classroom Decor Set

With the big open floor plan in this room Jena Hudson of Sew Much Music's 

Folk Dance Formation Posters Polka Dot has been very handy!

With the New Standards, this set from Lindsay Jervis has been very helpful.  Plus administration loves that it is posted!  National Standards

  

In the hallway before I even met my students this fall,  they learned of my small obsession with The Wizard of Oz.  This music advocacy set from Lindsay Jervis was too good to pass up!  

There's No Place Like Music

I am so grateful every day to have such a strong online community.  As a music teacher collaboration is sometimes hard to find and I just wanted to say thank you for your resources, advice and your hard work!

HAPPY MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH!

Quarter 2 Accomplishments!

     I can't believe that the school is halfway over!  Along with grades I send home a list of our accomplishments to each family.  This year is my first year in this building and I am really working on providing a well rounded experience.  I have been very spoiled and the wonderful teacher before me has every resource your heart could desire!  It has actually been difficult figuring out what to teach!
    I was thrilled when I found this clip art!  It was perfect for my quarter 2 summaries.  I color coded them by grade level (it matches the Share the Music grade books).
Paper:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Clip-Art-Let-it-Snow-Paper-Collection-978501
Snowman:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Clip-Art-Let-it-Snowmen-980894
Border:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kelly-Benefield
Font: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fonts-Fonts-Fonts-155-Personal-and-Commercial-Use-Fonts-ALL-KB-Fonts-by-Khrys-505757


Here is a sample of what I send home to Kindergarten Families!

Here are the sources from Kindergarten:

Grinding Corn: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grinding-Corn-A-song-for-ta-and-titi-1558017

Ho Ho Watanay: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ho-Ho-Watanay-A-Native-American-Lullaby-for-practicing-loudsoft-and-tatiti-955769

Twelve Days of Christmas: Actions as listed in Kindergarten Gameplan https://www.kid-sounds.com/index.php/kindergarten

Dance of the Reed Flutes: Actions as listed in Kindergarten Gameplan

Instruments to add sounds to a story:  I read the story of The Nutcracker (I love the pictures in this version https://www.maryengelbreit.com/store/mary-engelbreits-nutcracker.html) and then we list the main characters.  We talk about the sound of each character (the Mouse King could be loud and low) and then we find an instrument in the room to represent that character (a tubano).  I divide the students into groups to "play" each character.  I read the story again and each group plays when I say their character's name.  The students love it!  It is a great beginning composing lesson.

Ha Ha This Away:  I use the version found in http://shop.musicplaytext.ihoststores.com/productinfo.aspx?productid=731 and I teach a dance that I learned while student teaching that fits with the A section.

Mr. Troll: I use the version found here http://shop.musicplaytext.ihoststores.com/images/misc/Newsletters/11-03-25_MrTrollGame.pdf and for my spanish students we sing in English but the color must be sung in Spanish.


What have you accomplished this quarter?

What do you think I should do more of with Kindergarten?

How do you communicate with parents?  Do you have a newsletter?



Thanks for reading!

TPT Store is Open!

Finally!

I have taken Thanksgiving Break to really focus on opening my TPT store!  I have been thinking a lot about what I would like to make and what was resources I really wanted that I couldn't find.

This fall in my new school, I really struggled to learn names and faces of all 600+ new students.  In my school we have a LOT of students with special needs that I NEEDED to know on day 1! We have become a hub for students with extreme allergies, severe diabetes and other special needs.  I was terrified that my first week I would not know which student had a severe allergy and I would cause an emergency simply by sharing mallets.  I sent out the following freebie to each classroom teacher as well as the special education teachers and our nurse.  I let the staff know this form was not needed for all students (ex: students with glasses) but only the students who would really need assistance to be successful.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Student-at-a-Glance-1587913

When I got the papers back, I put a sticker on my seating chart by the students' names and then I attached the forms to the back.  As I was meeting my students, I learned quickly the names of my students who had special needs.  I now feel confident that a substitute would have the basic knowledge they would need for the day, without breaking any privacy concerns or keeping full IEPs locked in my room.

What tips and trick do you use to stay organized for a substitute?

Music a la Cart!

Happy Saturday!
  
    I have been getting a lot of questions about my year teaching from a cart.  I thought this might be a great first topic for my blog.  I will share a little bit about my experience and maybe others will have great tips to add.

How did it happen?

My school reached capacity and there were literally no rooms left.  We are building a new school for the fall, but this was a year of flexibility and compromise.

How did I prepare?

Well, I knew that I wanted to do as much as a could and just make the best of it.  First, I bought a cart!

I looked all over the internet for tips on what to buy and how to use it and I was really disappointed with my options.  I decided to go big to try and cram on as many things as possible.  I opted for a giant chrome cart from Target and Wheels with brakes to add to the bottom.

                               View the shelf on Target.com        View the wheels on Target.com                               

What's on the Cart?

After purchasing the cart I realized I need to choose some basics to keep on the cart that I would use most days.

1. Keyboard and plug way up on the top shelf

2. Basic Orff

3. A bin of unpitched percussion

4. A water bottle!

5. I laminated my schedule (one for each of the six day rotations) and attached it to the shelf of my cart for quick reference

6. Small bins with file folders for each class to keep the papers under control

7. A binder with my lessons ready to go

Advice

~ I met with the teachers about where music could meet.  As a responsive classroom school each room has a "Morning Meeting" rug space.  Although small, it fit what I needed a LOT better than having them in desks

~ Decide if you feel comfortable teaching while their classroom teacher is in the room.  Discuss how this functions for you.  For me, I didn't mind it at all!  We talked to the kids about how their teacher was getting things all set for the rest of the day, and if the students needed anything they needed to ask me.

~ Do you have travel time built in to the schedule?  How does your administration want to handle this?  Be kind but ask!  Should the teachers come back early so you can leave or should they stay and wait for you to arrive.  Be clear that no matter what you do, you can't be in two places at once :)

~ Establish routines for the students begin while you traveling their way.  In my older classes, students lead body percussion, they could start a musical game we learned, or  even begin vocal warm-ups to get focused.  

Advantages of teaching from a cart:

1.  The students have desks if you are writing or composing.

2.  You don't need your own music pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, etc.

3.  You get to explore the classroom set ups throughout the school (sometimes it can tell you a lot about how the students are used to learning)

4.  It really is great exercise!

5.  You let go of a lot of clutter.

Feel free to leave any comments or questions below!