Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Fruit Canon!
This is part of a series I am doing on TikTok and Instagram - Favorite Canons! The Fruit Canon is one of my absolute favorites - students LOVE this earworm! If you aren't already following on insta and TT check it out - more to come over the next week or two.
Sunday, September 3, 2023
Favorite Fingerplays
I love fingerplays, do you? There are so many different ones and the text is typically rhythmic and short, perfect for working on steady beat, rhythmic division, and expressive elements like dynamics and the four voices. They are also perfect to use with older students to develop ostinato (short, repeating patterns that create harmonic texture) and for improvisation.
For the full slide set, click here.
Here are some of the slides in the set:
Hope you enjoy!
Thursday, August 24, 2023
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
Activity Posters
Many years ago on facebook a music teacher shared these amazing poster cards I have used often. My copies of the card got water stained over the summer with a leak in my storage room while my classroom was being painted, so I had to make new ones. I have tried to find the original teacher who shared but was unable to. So, thank you, unknown person.
There are many ways to use these - display and ask students to analyze what is happening or for choice in what they want to do next or simply use these as a reminder for yourself about what options you have for different activities. Remember that "Play" doesn't always mean instruments - it can be games, body percussion, or instruments.
For a copy of 8 x 11 cards to print for your classroom, click here (this will force a copy).
Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Movement Formation Cards
I love using these to get my students into movement and dance formations -I simply hold up the sign and students quietly (or silently) move into position. We practice moving into formations at the beginning of the school year and I use these often to get students quickly to where they need to be for various activities.
UPDATED - I made them with stick figures also so you have a choice of which ones to print & use.
Here's the link to the slide set to print.
Enjoy!
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Save the Date!!
I am so excited about these workshops.
Want to take Orff Levels but haven't yet or are unable? Want to review or refresh your understanding of the Orff Approach? Want to know how to playfully plan your first few minutes of class, your first few lessons, and first few months? This is probably some of the most affordable PD available and you will get a HUGE amount of resources.
Register here - please send payment to musicquilt@hotmail.com.
These workshops will be recorded and available to all registered participants and certificates for 3 hours of PD will be available to all who request them.
These are available free to my Patreon community, so please know you are already registered for the workshops and will receive the zoom link.
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
The end of each school year is ... well... interesting. Looking forward to summer plans but in the middle of stress and the behavior of students either escalates into chaos and typically well behaved students go bananas, or students simply check out mentally and emotionally. Our caffeine and sugar stashes are exhausted and our patience and enduring kindnesses are at Defcon 2. I have been teaching almost 30 years - it doesn't seem to get easier and children and (some) parenting expectations and consequences are not what they used to be. It seems like we are in the tornado and definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
So, breathe in, breathe out. Don't be afraid to show videos - there are many play alongs, dance alongs, and other activities from Musication, Mrs. King's Musical Corner, Ready Go Music, Swick's Classroom, and many more.
There is magic in the number three, so today here are three things you can do to continue actively making music in the classroom and keep your sanity.
Playful and Purposeful 1 - AKA "Nail it Down"
Take those music concepts and play with them. Play games and review those sixteenth notes in a new way. One of my favorite things this time of year is to make rhythm snakes. Give partner pairs two different rhythm cards, practice with body percussion - assign each rhythmic element a different body percussion- chest tap quarter notes, clap eighth notes, pat sixteenth notes.
Everyone places their rhythm card in a long "snake" on the ground - students read/perform rhythms, then put students into 3 groups- each group has one timbre to play- hand drums, woods, shakers. Each group is responsible for playing ONLY their rhythmic element. Switch so each person gets to play a different instrument from each timbre. Make it more interesting and musical by adding one of these backing tracks from Music Will.
Playful and Purposeful 2 - AKA "Gameify It"
Singing games are playful and purposeful and if you can turn it into a "Level UP" game with various challenges in each level - even better! One of my favorites to teach second grade on up is Pass the Beat from my Sing a Song, Play a Game book. Level Up by teaching the basic as Level 1, replace the word "beat" with a clap for Level 2, replace "room" with a stomp for Level 3 and replace "Pass" with a snap for Level 4.
If you are not following me on instagram, here are a few other games we love to play this time of year. Click on the picture to go to the link.
Soy una serpiente
Humpty Dumpty Campfire Song
Forty Years on an Iceberg
Lemonade, New York
Mouse Mousie
And more from a facebook live!
Playful and Purposeful 3 - AKA "Campfire Sing Along"
This is a beloved tradition at my school - click here to see all the past posts.
All posts with "end of year" label can be found here.
Hope this helps you know you are not alone and helps in planning your final weeks or month! Happy almost end of the school year!
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