Put the BEAT in your Feet: Music Game for Reinforcing Tempo

Ever notice how the "Freeze Dance" or "Move/Freeze" never seems to get old for our little students?
Including movement in lessons is something that truly can help regain focus.  Students are being asked to do so much more in their regular classrooms that could cause them a true need to move their little bodies around and get that blood flowing again.  I was taught to rotate activities of concentration vs. relaxation throughout my music class lessons and this is one game that has stood the test of time over the last 18 years with many different grade levels.

"Put the BEAT in your FEET" 

A super fun and simple game that can be used for any grade level and the kids love it!
You can even use it for music sub plans!

TEMPO Identify GAME:

• Students in standing circle
• Teacher uses Temple Blocks and plays a steady beat
• Students must “match the beat with their feet.”   They must (march) in place UNLESS you say “TRAVEL.”  (I make sure to remind them before I start by counting off "In your place, ready go" - When you stop, their feet must stop.   
• Ask them to raise their hand and identify the tempo (fast, slow, medium). 
• If correct, change the tempo and play again.  When you feel like they're really focused on listening and ready, they can travel around the room matching the beat to their feet.  They love this game!   
• Make sure they identify the speed correctly.  To differentiate for upper elementary grades, give them 3 "Tempo" choices and reinforce that music vocabulary!  (Largo, Presto, Andante, etc.) I have different tempo visuals posted, so I direct their attention to the Tempo Wall.
• And of course, to make it more challenging, you can choose to add in the old "If you move, you're out," or even have individuals play the temple blocks!  Just another trick to keep students engaged.
• {Music Class Transition Idea} During my lessons, I like to have the kids come in and sit on their carpet spots, but throughout the lesson, we "travel" to different places in the room.  Playing this little game can work as a transition.  And, it works well to help quietly transition those very energetic and chatty classes.  I'll say, "Put the beat, in your feet," travel to ......."Singing Street" or wherever our next learning spot will be.  

Give it a try!  Please comment if you have a short and sweet no-fail game that helps reinforce a concept.

Worked for Me Wednesday

I'm excited to link up with the awesome Aileen Miracle at Mrs. Miracle's Music Room for her "Worked for Me Wednesday" linky party.  For our posts, music teachers will talk about something we've done before that we've found that has worked for us!  After you read my idea below, simply click on this picture below to go check out some more posts with great ideas!

My post today is about my magical wind chimes.  Yep, they're truly "magical" in my little music world.  Well, at least for behavior management!!! 

Years ago, I was teaching a very chatty first grade class and trying so hard to come up with something...anything to grab their attention and keep it.  I am still not sure how I came up with this and how it worked and has continued to work for years, but I would bet money on the fact that it works because kids WANT to use their imaginations naturally.  So....this is what happened one very magical music class:  

"Boys and Girls, the strangest thing happened the other day!  I was teaching a class and by mistake I came over here and played the beautiful sound of these wind chimes and the next thing you know...my whole class just...fell asleep!!!  The WHOLE class.  AND then, the STRANGEST thing happened, when I played the wind chimes again, the class woke up, BUT, they had NO idea that they fell asleep.  They just sat up, looked at me, and smiled, like nothing had happened at all.  It was so magical.  I mean, I wonder if it only works on that class....or maybe just on amazing listeners out there....I mean...I wonder...would it...maybe work...on well....no...I don't think so.....well, maybe I should just try.....(cue the wind chimes...and down they go with a giggle!!!  Silently "asleep")  WHAT in the world just happened!?!  These MUST be MAGICAL wind chimes!  Wow!  I wonder if I play them again...(they all wake up and look around).  "Kids!  You fell asleep!"  "huh?  no we didn't...etc." - I mean, no way would it ever work more than once" (wind chimes - down they go...giggles, etc.)  And so on.  

They.  LOVE. this.

From the day I introduce this, I now have one of the BEST classroom management tools ever.  Simply play the wind chimes....kids automatically "fall asleep" and I can teach while they're silently attentive!  I use this for all of my "listening lessons."  They love it and ask me if we are going to play the "wind chime" game constantly.  I use it with my "Carnival of the Animals" unit when I want them to focus their listening.  I can tell you that I've had less than a hand full of "non-believers," but with a little persuasion, eventually, they cave in.  I usually just say, "Well, these really only work on the best listeners..." and MOST of the time they lie down...only once in 15 years, have I actually said to a child, just play along and have fun with us.  Again, deep down, it's all about "play" and using their imaginations - for most, it's just natural.  I love their "acting" skills, too.  "What?  Who me?  I wasn't sleeping."  hahaha! 

I have to also share that one year, we had a part-time music position added to our school.  This teacher had some 1st grade classes with students I had the previous year.  She was teaching a lesson and singing a song where there were wind chime parts and played them - to suddenly find....lol......her whole class laying down on the floor pretending to be asleep!!!  hahahahahaaaa! Oh my goodness did I crack up laughing when she told me this - I remember her describing it as turning around and seeing her class of "narcoleptic children and being totally confused."  They told her later about the magic wind chimes - but what a gift to know that my silly idea had STUCK with them.  Ha!!!!

So, that's my idea that TRULY "Worked" for me.  I hope you enjoyed it!  Please feel free to comment below if you enjoyed this post or even share something that completely has "worked" for you in your music classroom.  Thanks for stopping by!

"Ricky Recorder"

As I was starting to set up my classroom for the new school year, I came across one of the cutest things I've ever made!  I couldn't believe that I COMPLETELY forgot to bring this out last year!  I think what happens to me is that my brain can only hold so much information...like the memory in a computer.  Mine lately truly feels the need for an update.   Anyway, here "he" is....I present to you..."Ricky Recorder!!!!"  (Said like "Ricky Ricardo" from "I Love Lucy," of course.)  heehee.

To help my students learn about the responsibility of having their own instrument, I like to have them think of their recorder as their own personal "Musical Pet."  Then I ask them things they need to do with a "regular" pet.....and they say, "Take care of it" - Ok.  Soooo, how do you take care of it?  They usually list things like "Play with it, clean it, watch it."  And I say, well, the same idea for your recorder.  As your musical pet, you'll need to do some things.
1)  Play with it!  It LOVES to be played with.  Well, how?  PLAY IT!  How often does your dog like to played with?  Every day.  Or as I recently started to say, "only on the days you eat."  ha!
2)  Watch over it.  Know where your recorder is.  Give it a "home."  It should "Live" in your backpack.    Like a dog house.  When you're done "playing with it" put it back in your backpack.  This truly has helped my students to remember to bring them to school.
3)  Clean it.  Yes, children...it even needs to "take a bath!"  Especially if you're sick.
4)  Let it rest.  What?  Well, like your pet needs to sleep, so does your recorder.  If you're too frustrated with a song, take a break, let your recorder take a nap and go back to try again later.

The first time I used the "Musical Pet" analogy the next day, the cutest thing happened.  One of my students came in with googly eyes on their recorder.  And she named it.  And put a "leash" on it.  It was the cutest thing ever.  And so, "Ricky Recorder" was invented and the phenomenon of very clever recorder pets invaded my school.  I loved seeing my students use their imaginations.  And honestly, it connected them so much more to their instrument.  Less children "forgot" to bring them to music because they were so excited about it being their OWN.

So - I made the cute little "Ricky Recorder" character out of foam and googly eyes, put him on the poster board, wrote down his reminders (Left hand on top, etc.) added a piece of dry erase board (I cut it like a speech bubble) and each day when 4th grade came to music, I'd write a little "note" from Ricky about their goal for the day, or what to practice, etc.

Well - "Ricky" Recorder will be coming to music again this year.  I'm so glad I found him and hope you've enjoyed this cute little idea to help your kids with the responsibility of having an instrument.  :)  Do your students have their own or do you have to clean them and keep them in your music room?  Do you have any great "recorder" tricks you'd like to share?  I'd love to hear about them!  Feel free to comment below!

Sing-ya Later!
Tina

Introducing...Singing Snoopy

And now...the big reveal! Singing Snoopy, the music room mascot has a new house!

Once upon a time, in the land of music, there was an adorable dog and his name, was "Singing Snoopy."  The truth is that his true name, was originally "Singing Sammy," but the very first time I introduced him to a class, Singing Snoopy came out of my mouth instead and well, it stuck. 
AND...it WORKS! 
See, "Snoopy," the music room mascot, is not like other dogs.  He is always "snooping" for "Snooper Star" singers in the music room.  You know - the kind of kids that are sitting up tall, singing with their best singing voices, and hard workers.  Snoopy can only talk to me - and I understand Snoopy language.  He tells me songs he wants to hear the class sing, he notices kids who are trying really hard that day, and well, of course, he does his very own special "Snoopy celebration dance" when the music makes him happy. 
The children love when his ears go up while he's listening to their singing! 

Singing Snoopy has been a very, very special part of my classroom and teaching for almost 14 years now and well, it was time for him to have special recognition for helping my classes run smoothly. 
About two years ago, a little girl came into my classroom one day with the biggest smile on her face and presented me with a "dog house" for Snoopy.  She was so excited to give him his handmade "dog house" and giggled as she showed me.  So clever and sweet.  But then, well, it became a "thing" among students to "make Snoopy a home."  Oh my goodness!  By the end of last year, I had more "Snoopy houses" than I knew what to do with (Imagine a "Snoopy Mansion" with windows and doors made out of a giant cardboard box).  I had to somehow help the kids understand that I enjoyed their creativity and Snoopy was very grateful, but he didn't need any more new houses! 
Soooo...I came up with the idea of having my father-in-law build a dog house this past summer (designed by my very talented hubby) and once the kids saw it the first day of school I had a story ready about Snoopy's plan to buy a new home.

Well, Snoopy's "family" has since grown, and it was time for Snoopy to put his dog house on realtor.com and sell it so he could hire a builder (my father in-law) and a decorator (yours truly) to build him his new home.  Snoopy has a wife and many mini-snoopy-versions which have come to me as gifts from my singers!  I think it's so sweet and funny at the same time.  I love that they adore him - they write him letters and draw him pictures.  And make him dog bones AND furniture for his house!  ha!  And yes, he has a mailbox, too!  (I'll admit it - yes, I'm jealous - he gets more mail than I do.)  The best is when they write him songs and rhythm patterns, of course!  Adorable. 

The "Snooperson Family"

Snoopy, Snoopy, jr. and Snoopy jr.-jr.  (LOL!!!)

I'll take some more pics of the rest of the family and post them soon. 

My next project involving Singing Snoopy is going to be creating "Snoopy-Grams." I want to send home little notes to students when Snoopy finds a "Snooper-star Singer." I am just not exactly sure how to manage that piece yet...should I do one every music class and keep a checklist?

Any suggestions are welcome! 

What is something unique you do in your classroom that has turned into an awesome classroom management tool?  I never expected "Singing Snoopy" to become such an invaluable part of my teaching!  Even my 4th graders still like him.   

 

Popsicle Stick Seating Idea

I was so incredibly happy when this beautiful carpet became a part of my music room. 

One day, last year, I was thinking about how competitive some of my students were when they would walk into the room and race to get to a certain spot on the carpet.  Not only did it become a safety concern, but it was incredibly time consuming and draining to have to continuously reiterate or have students model how to walk in and choose a seat wisely.

I decided to solve that problem by making these popsicle sticks "choose" for them. 

Now, the students come in at the beginning of the year, take a popsicle stick, walk in, find their own special "music spot" and as long as it works out where they are seated near others they work well with, they can keep their spots each music.  Once I trust the group later in the year, (especially with  upper elementary kids) I'll surprise them and let them choose their own spot. 

One afternoon, I walked around my carpet and took individual pictures of each symbol.  Then, I printed them out, mounted them on white cardstock, laminated them and attached them to large popsicle sticks.  Not only are they useful for seating choice, but for choosing turns for games!!! 

It's been so nice!  Certain classes are more competitive with others, so choosing in a very random way takes care of this issue.  It's fantastic.

Check out the seating chart I created below. It's perfect to leave for a sub.

You are more than welcome to use it to fit your needs if you have the same circle carpet. I couldn't seem to attach it to this blog post, but if you comment below,

I'd be happy to share it with you via email!

Classroom Seating - Music Carpet Circle



This has been one of the most helpful time-saving ideas I have come up with yet.  

Do you use seating charts in your classroom?  Do the students choose where they sit? 

What has worked best for you and your classroom? 

Please feel free to comment and share your ideas below! 

My organizational dream come true!

Finally!  Labels for my new shelves and drawers are made, mounted on white cardstock, laminated, put on rings to attach to drawers and.......voila!  It is so nice and neat looking AND EASY to find the instruments and a few other items in the music room now!

Yippee skippee!  It took many attempts to figure out how to label these, but I finally found the CUTEST black & white, polka dotted labels on TpT!  And, best part, they were...FREE!  

You can find them here...from Miss Kindergarten Love's store on TpT

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Polka-Dot-Labels-151665

How do you organize your instruments in your classrooms?