Teaching With Musicplay

St. Patrick's Day Jig

Game Directions: Have the class form a circle. Choose one child to be a leprechaun. The leprechaun marches around the inside of the circle. At the end of the second phrase the leprechaun stops in front of a child. They join hands and they “jig” - left heel forward, right heel forward, etc. The children in the circle should do a “sailors hornpipe” at the same time (fold arms and jig in place). Now two children march in the inside circle. They choose two more partners and jig again. Continue with four, then eight, until the entire class has had a turn.

 Have your students been busy working on recorder karate belts?  
In the Recorder Resource 1, the belt tests that I use are:
White belt Song #8, Hot Cross Buns (theme or variation)
Yellow belt Song #17, Skin and Bones
Blue belt Song #24, Hush Little Baby
Green belt Song #29, Ode to Joy
Black belt Song #35, Jingle Bells

Jazz on Recorder 

Have your students been busy working on recorder karate belts?  In the Recorder Resource 1, the belt tests that I use are:
White belt Song #8, Hot Cross Buns (theme or variation)
Yellow belt Song #17, Skin and Bones
Blue belt Song #24, Hush Little Baby
Green belt Song #29, Ode to Joy
Black belt Song #35, Jingle Bells

Celebrate the start of the Sochi Winter Olympics by having a Music Olympics in your classroom! Teach students a folk dance or singing game from one of the countries competing in the Olympics.

Valentine's Day Listening Activity - Cinnamon Hearts Listening

Materials Needed:
- tub of cinnamon hearts   

Is your New Years resolution to have better classroom management?

Get 2014 off to a great start using classroom rules and the Stop and Think tool. If you haven't reviewed your classroom rules since the beginning of the school year, it's time to review them. 

The holiday season is here, and I hope it's going to be special for everyone! After all the work that goes into putting on a holiday performance, it can be unfortunate when your audience displays inappropriate or rude behavior. I've seen parents walk out as soon as the class their child is in has performed; I've seen a parent yell loudly as her child walked on (and off) the stage, "I LOVE YOU AUSTIN!" I've seen the parent paparazzi run down the aisles surrounding the conductor when their child's class is performing so they can get that perfect picture. We've all had the perfect moment spoiled by a cell phone ringing, and we've a;; had screaming babies. What's needed is audience education. It starts with the children, but their parents (and sometimes our colleagues) need to be taught what is appropriate behavior in a concert.

Halloween was my kids and now my grandkids favorite holiday of the year. However, not all families celebrate Halloween. How can you enjoy the Halloween spirit without excluding any of your students?