Wishlist Wednesday

Hello!

Today was my second day of school with students. I love the summer but after the first day of school, I always have that "Oh yeah, that's right, I love to be with these kids and I get to teach them music! How lucky I am!" feeling. Yesterday afternoon I was pretty exhausted after the first day but I'm working on getting back into a good routine. My stamina will kick in soon, I hope!

I'm linking up with Mrs. Miracle's Music Room and her Wishlist Wednesday Linky Party to tell you about three TpT products I'm excited about!

Wednesday, Aug. 20th is a big day at Teachers Pay Teachers. They are having a Back to School Boost Sale. 

Additionally, many stores, including my own, will be discounted at 20%! The big sale is only one day, so don't forget to move those wish list items into your cart to save!

Be on the lookout for these promos:

(Thanks to Jena at Sew Much Music for the cute images!)

Several music teachers are coming together to help out a fellow music teacher in need. I'll be donating a portion of my Beginning Recorder Bundle to benefit this wonderful teacher during a challenging time for her and her family. Tomorrow search for TeachersHelpingTeachers at TpT for several music items for which a percentage of sales will go to our fellow music teacher.

Wishlist Item #1
I admit to being very discriminating regarding clipart. I am attracted to cute clipart, of course, but being married to the art teacher for 11 years has had an affect on my taste in drawings. My husband is primarily a comic book artist and I've grown accustomed to illustrations that are slightly more off-beat than the round, cherub faced clipart that has become very popular on TpT. I really like the look of A Sketchy Guy's clipart. It's kind of scruffy and cute. Here's a set that will be in my cart tomorrow.

Wishlist Item #2

Tracy King (AKA The Bulletin Board Lady) has many fun products in her store. One thing I've had my eye on is her Carnival of the Animals Listening Logs. For many years I've used my old Music & You textbooks for Carnival of the Animals listening and I've been needing an upgrade. These listening logs are just what I need; it guides student listening for dynamics, tempo, and instruments. The Cukoo in the Heart of the Woods and The Aviary are two of my favorite primary beginning-of-the-year listening lessons. I look forward to having a fresh look to accompany these pieces! (Tracy also has a bundle of Carnival of the Animals materials including bulletin board materials.)

Item #3

My last item to share is one of my own that I finally added to my store tonight.

Who Sang It? is an interactive PowerPoint game that includes embedded audio. 

Students press the speaker to hear a mi sol la melody sung. I recorded my 9 year old son singing the patterns on "loo." Children are best able to match pitch from another child's voice, so it seemed like a natural fit. Don't worry, he was paid for his time and performance, I'm just glad he's not part of the studio musicians' union, I can't afford their rates!

Two owls show two patterns notated and the student matches the written pattern to what was heard.

I really like that each correct answer slide includes the pattern so that students can sing it after identifying the pattern.

There are ten slides with patterns to match and two levels.

Level One shows patterns written in the melodic contour with solfa. Level Two shows the same patterns on the staff; sol is in the third space:

Thank you for reading! Have a great Wednesday!

My Music Room Set-Up

Welcome back to school! I had an active summer with my family. We were happy to stay in Colorado this summer; I often forget how lucky we are to have so many beautiful places nearby. We took a fun road trip to Mesa Verde, Aspen, and Glenwood Springs and even tried white water rafting for the first time! (My 4 year old daughter loved rafting and enjoyed pretending that she controlled the rapids by conducting the water!)

School starts tomorrow for my family, (eek!), and I have been busy getting everything ready. I'm happy to link up with Mrs. Miracle's Room's My Music Room Set-Up Linky Party, (even if it is bit later then many other "beginning of the year set-up posts"!) Here are a couple of things I'm excited about!

My cabinets that hold all of my small percussions have been in need of a makeover. I also keep the boomwhackers near the orange cabinets in paint buckets, which take up too much valuable floor space. The small percussion signs were just a bit dark for my windowless music room.

"Before" Small Percussion Area

I spruced those up with new signs, (thanks to Aileen Miracle for the fun frame from her freebie Cover Page Starter Kit.)

Then there's those boomwhackers and their cumbersome buckets!

I adore the colorful "boomwhackers velcroed to the wall" idea, beautifully displayed here from Jena at Sew Much Music.

Love it! Unfortunately, I know my students will peel off the bits of velcro from each boomwhacker. I know this because I have several "naked" boomwhackers where the clear labels have been stripped off completely by students. The naked boomwhackers don't bother me too much because I use moveable do. I'm not crazy about students seeing boomwhackers labeled in solfege that is usually wrong for the song we're playing and singing. (C major is not a great key for kids to sing in!) I simply write the letter name of the boomwhacker directly on the tube with a sharpie.

I was very excited to try a new boomwhacker storage solution that my friend, Carrie Nicholas, shared with me last May. I purchased thirteen plastic bag dispensers from IKEA and attached them to the cabinets, and voilà!

"After" Small Percussion Area

I placed the IKEA containers to the bottom left of each cabinet so that the boomwhackers would not get in the way of the cabinet door handle. The containers come with sticky tape to attach to a surface and that's what I used. You could screw them into a wall or cabinet if needed. 

Maps!

Like many music teachers, I display maps in my room. It's wonderful to be able to point out the countries and states of where our classroom songs originate. I've had these maps on the wall for several years.

"Before" maps. OK, but a little small and drab.

A JoAnn's store recently opened near my school and I was excited to find world map fabric and US map fabric! It's sold by the panel and it's very large and colorful.

"After" US Map

"After" World Map: colorful fabric!

Here are both maps on the back wall of my room. The students will be adding descriptions to the music elements board during the school year. 

Music Elements and Maps

I hope to share other pictures of my music room set-up later this week, so please check back. Have a great week whether you're already teaching or getting things ready for your school year!

Dazzling Discipline Linky Party

Hello from colorful Colorado! I just love this time of year when I can slow down and enjoy time with my family and friends. It's also great to have time to review the past school year from a bit of a distance and think through the past school year. I have some many ideas for next year and I'm excited to plan them out over the next two months. 

Today I'm linking up with Mrs. Miracle's Music Room  and her Dazzling Discipline Linky Party. Discipline is an ongoing interest of mine and I've read a lot about classroom management and discipline.   

Before I describe my top 5 discipline ideas, here's a few resources I've found very helpful:

Love and Logic books, DVDs, and Presentations

Jim Fay, Dr. Charles Fay, and Dr. Foster Cline have authored several books and DVDs for parents and teachers. They also give several presentations and conferences. If you get a chance to attend a Love and Logic lecture I highly recommend it!

Michael Linsen's Smart Classroom Management (blog) and Dream Class (book)

Michael Linsen's articles and books are full of specific techniques for leading a positive, respectful class. He has a new book that I have on order, (check this out!):

Connect With Your Students and Respect Your Students 

The longer I teach the more I understand that it's all about relationships. What do students need to be successful in the music room? They need to feel connected and respected. Children will be more likely to behave on class when they feel liked by their teacher. Make sure you know the names of your students and use their names often. It makes a person feel special and accountable when they are addressed by their name. Make an effort to talk to students about non-music topics and be able to relate to them outside of the music room. 

You'll never regret building relationships with others, especially children.

Have a Plan and Work the Plan

As a beginning teacher I remember just hoping that students wouldn't misbehave. Of course that was wishful thinking! If you teach for any amount of time it's going to happen; someone will test you along the way. Now I make sure I set them up for success! At the beginning of each year I spend quite a lot of time teaching music room rules, positive and negative consequences and many procedures. Coming into the music room, lining up at the end of class, circle making, and transitioning from one spot in the room back to an assigned seat are procedures that we practice just like we would rehearse music. (And yes, I have assigned seats. If I let them choose where to sit, many students will sit next to people they will constantly talk with. Why wouldn't I set them up to be successful by eliminating distractions?) Before the school year starts, write down your expectations around behavior and plan to rehearse them with classes.

Reward Hard Work  

Recognize when individuals or groups have worked hard to improve their skills and understanding. When students obviously make a strong effort I give them a "star" by drawing a star on the white board. At the end of class one student is chosen to record the number of stars next to their class name. Fifty stars equals a "free day" in music. During their free day, students choose four or five favorite songs or games for that day. The songs and games have to be ones we've done in music class but can be from any previous grade level; (this is why 6th grade classes can sometimes be seen outside playing Snail, Snail!)


Be Specific with "Praise"
For the last few years I've really been working on not saying, "good job!" or "great work!" The most meaningful praise to anyone is specific and may not even sound like praise, "You slowed your tempo that last time and you were able to sing that challenging phrase!" When I make observations rather then throw out a generic, "Good job!", the students know I am honestly paying attention and I'm not just throwing around compliments. Students get a more complete picture of what makes a "good job."  I learned this from my husband, the art teacher. His goal is to make sure students understand the techniques and skills they are working on without placing a generic value judgment on the art. Think about yourself and which has had more impact on you as a student musician; the "good jobs" or the specific observations?

Have a "Think it Through Spot," a Buddy Room, and an Emergency Plan

Like many teachers, I have a time out area in my room for students who need to re-focus. If a student is off-task and distracting others I quietly hand them a Stop/Go pass. 
My Stop/Go passes have "Stop" on one side and "Go" on the other. 

They look similar to this one:

This is a freebie from a TpT Seller! Click on the image.

The student goes to the "think it through" spot which is an area along some cabinets with a light bulb thought cloud sign posted above. When they feel ready to return, they hold the "Go" side up for me to see and I usually give a nod for them to return. Some students need more time them others. Some even need to work on tiresome music theory pages before they return. Then there are a few students who are working hard to distract and sabotage the class. 

When I have a student who is already sitting in the "think it through" spot but is determined to constantly blurt out comments, or bang his head against the wall repeatedly, or throw bits of gravel at other students, I then give the student a music behavior form, tell them to go next door to the art room, and fill out the form there. (Here is the form me and my teammates use, it's editable.) The art teacher and I have a "buddy room" plan where I can send students to his room and vice versa. When a student is mis-behaving to that extent, my main concern is the other students in music. I can't let one take away the right to learn from the majority of the class. Also, most of the time the student will correct their behavior once they are away from their audience. Does having them go to a different room in front of students in art class give him or her a new audience? No, it usually sobers them right up.

Extreme cases can occur and it's important to have a Behavior Emergency Plan just like you have a fire plan or school lock down plan. What will you do if a student swears at you, or goes into a rage and starts hurling recorders at other students, or runs out of the room?  And what if the principal is out of the building and the school psychologist is only there on Wednesdays and it's Friday? Think through a few scenarios and plan what you will do before it happens. 

Those are just a few ideas I've used for classroom management. Thanks so much to Aileen for hosting this Linky Party on such an important topic!

Have a fun, relaxing week!

Recorder Time! A Few Thoughts on Beginning a Successful Recorder Unit

Thanks to Moo and Puppy for the frame and Dancing Crayon for the recorder clipart!

It's recorder time in music for my 3rd and 4th graders! I really love teaching recorder and watching students' excitement when they can play their known songs on an instrument. The second half of the 3rd grade year is a good time to begin recorder because 8 and 9 year olds now have the physical dexterity necessary to cover the finger holes.
Here is some information I send home to 3rd grade parents before we start on recorder:

Why play the recorder?

• The recorder is a natural first instrument for children; it is a melodic instrument, which is close in range to the child’s singing voice.

• Reading recorder music allows students to further apply their music reading skills they have been developing since 1^st grade.

• The size of the soprano recorder is perfect for a child’s hands.

• The technique required to play the recorder provides a solid foundation for students who wish begin a band instrument in 5^th grade. (Many woodwind instruments utilize fingerings very similar to recorder fingerings!)

The recorder was popular during the 16^th and 17^th centuries. 

Many famous composers of that time including Bach and Handel wrote music 
     for the recorder.  

The recorder is made in 5 different sizes; soprano, soprano, alto, tenor and bass. 

These 5 recorders can play 5-part music just like a choir can sing in 4 or 5 parts. 

Students at our school begin playing the soprano recorder in 3^rd grade and continue 

playing in 4th Grade. 5th graders learn alto recorder and play soprano and alto duets.

Musicians with Instruments (Not kids with toys!)

When introducing the recorder I always stress to the students that they are musicians with instruments, and not little kids with toys. They learn that when the recorder was at it's height of popularity in the 16th and 17th century, many musicians played recorder similar to how many people play guitar now. I let them know: The recorder is an instrument worthy of respect and you are a musician who deserves respect as well. What message do we send to anyone listening when we over-blow and make horrible squeaky noises? (Maybe that you're a kid with a toy?)
Be a musician with an instrument. Just because you can easily make ear-splitting noises with the recorder doesn't mean you should!

A Quality Instrument

I purchase recorders, straps, and books from West Music for students. I don't require students to purchase recorders but many do purchase from the music room. Several years ago there were always a handful of students who would bring dollar store recorders to class. I began tactfully including in my recorder note home:

Many students prefer owning their own recorder so they can practice outside of music class. If you already own a recorder, please have it checked by Ms. LeJeune. Dollar store recorders are usually not quality instruments and can easily frustrate children while they are learning.

When a child is learning to write you would not give them a stick and some mud to write with, would you? That would take their focus away from the subtle mechanics of writing and the task would be nearly impossible. When we are learning the recorder we want to equip children with a good instrument so they can focus on their technique rather than the shortcomings of the instrument. No one sounds good on a dollar store recorder.

Recorder Karate

Like many music teachers, I have a recorder karate system in place. In recorder karate students earn "belts" after successfully playing and passing recorder tests/songs. I enjoy changing my belt list each year according to the specific group of students I'm teaching. There are pre-packaged recorder karate belt lists with the music included but I believe it makes more sense to create your own. Here are some ideas of types of pieces you can use in a recorder karate belt list:

• A 2 part canon (I've used Frog in the Meadow. Part 2 starts when part 1 is on the 3rd beat)
• A song learned by ear (I've used the Epo I Tai Tai E in 4th grade)
• A sight-reading piece 
• A duet (harmony, not a canon)
• A call and response song between singing and playing (Here's an excellent arrangement of Captain, Go Sidetrack Your Train from Beth at Beth's Music Notes.)

Those are just a few ideas for recorders as this school year winds down.  Please comment below with your own recorder thoughts.

Have a great week and keep on teaching! (Summer break is nearly here!)

Easter Sale!

Happy Spring! Just a quick note to let you that I'm participating in the Easter Sale. My store will be 20% off today and tomorrow (April 20 and 21)!

In the last couple of weeks I've uploaded a few products I'm excited about. 

I have gotten a lot of use out of my Recorder Reminder Signs. I have a "Recorder Corner" in my room where the reminder signs and the fingering charts are posted along with the Recorder Karate Belt List. During their individual practice time students refer to the reminders to help "diagnose" why they may not be producing a good tone. I provide a lot of one on one help with my recorder players but I also strive to teach them how to fix their own problems first. (After all, they can't have a teacher standing over them all the time while they are playing. Learning how to adjust your technique is part of efficient practicing, isn't it?) 

Another plus for having my Recorder Corner is that when students ask how to finger B A G or E I can just point! (Love that!)

Speaking of practicing recorder, I also added a FREEBIE of recorder practice records. I give a sparkly "Practice Belt" for every recorder practice record that students turn in. There is a black and white practice record included in this set of 6.

Finally, I made Power Point two interactive stick to staff Melody Showers to Flowers Game which works great on my SMARTBoard! 

Here's a peak at the do re mi sol la game: When I use this with the whole class, each student has their own staff board and note heads (transparent colored discs,) and they write out which staff pattern they think it is. 

I made sure each "Correct!" page referred back to the pattern so the students can check their answers AND we can all sing it! (More bang for our buck!)

There is also a version with mi sol la. (And at 20% off it's quite the deal!) Both sets include stick to staff matching cards, (I can't resist a memory matching game for centers!) I'm working on more solfa versions of this game. Is anyone out there interested in a specific tone set? Let me know and I'll make those requests a priority!

That's all for now! It's time for another egg hunt with my kids. Happy Easter, if you celebrate the holiday, and Happy Spring!