What are your expectations for the students coming into your music class? In this newsletter, I’ll share some different sets of classroom rules, and some of the ways that I’ve used to reinforce positive behavior. PDF files of the Music room rules can be found at https://store.musicplay.ca/
After some discussion on the Musicplay Facebook Page.
We made a second MUSIC poster, with Sing as beautifully as you can instead of Speak when it is your turn.
Cara Coffey has these rules in her classroom (shared with her permission):
R-E-S-P-E-C-T Chorus R-E-S-P-E-C-T Respect yourself and respect me! Just one rule is all you’ll need, With RE-S-P-E-C-T Verses: Play instruments appropriately, RE-S-P-E-C-T Participate responsibly, R-E-S-P-E-C-T Once the rules are in place, you need to reinforce them. If students aren’t quiet when they come into class, you need to take them out to the hallway and practice entering quietly. I would rather be teaching music than reinforcing rules, but it is so important to set your expectations and then maintain them!
PLUS POINTS is a way to reinforce good behavior. In PLUS POINTS, you keep a score of when the students do something well. If students do something poorly, erase a point. For example: Students enter the room quietly and go to assigned seats. I’d say, “Well done 4B - you came in quietly and found your seats. Point for you.” As the class continued, each time I’d observe them doing something well, they’d earn a point. However, if a child was talking when I was talking, erase a point.
You have to decide what the magic number is before they get a class PLUS POINT. If you decide on 5 points, if a class gets to 5 points in one period, they get a PLUS point (+). On my chart with all the classes listed, I’d mark a +.
When my classes reached 10 PLUS POINT days, they’d earn a game day. On the game day, (or at the end of the period in which the game day was earned), we’d brainstorm the list of games or activities that they’d like to play: singing games they really liked, Beat Boards, Orchestra Bingo, Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes (In the Hall of the Mountain King), Rhythm Dice, or Music Centers. The Game Day is a reward, but there is still great learning going on. Share your classroom management tips with us at
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