Teacher Talent Show Ideas

     Recently I've been thinking about talent shows.  It may not be that time of year for you, but I wanted to share some ideas in case you are looking for something to do with other teachers in your talent show! 
     We have a talent show at our elementary every year near the end of the year.  I love getting to see what kids choose to perform!!  As much as the students love seeing their friends perform, their absolute favorite thing is to see their teachers perform!  This can pose a challenge since some teachers are not super excited about getting outside of their comfort zone.  Granted, I have seen a group of male teachers perform as KISS and the Spice Girls!  But since not everyone is that comfortable up in from of people, here are a couple of ideas that perhaps even a shy teacher may consider:

Teacher Talent Show Ideas

1.  Recorders--teach them Hot Cross Buns or something else simple.  Dressing up silly is a MUST of course!

2. Pop See Ko--If you haven't signed up for GoNoodle, you need to!  You can check it out yourself here, or check out this blog I wrote about it awhile back.  Pop See Ko is one of my students' favorite chants and last year we changed it into our teacher talent act.  It took about 15 minutes to prepare.  Each grade of teachers created their own dance move and we started with kindergarten and went up, and even had our principal come out in the hotdog outfit at the end (see the video below)!  Then we invited the students to do their own "Pop See Ko."  It's kind of hard to explain on a blog, so log in and check it out!

3.  Dancing in the dark--as STICK FIGURE PEOPLE!  We did this a couple of years ago and boy was it a hit!  This option helps shy teachers because they know people can't see who they are.  It was so much fun and silly at the same time.  (Tip:  Make sure it's completely dark!)  I wish I had a good video of our simplified version for you, but here's a way over the top version:



And here's directions on how to do it!

4.  Lastly, I can already sense a Whip Nae Nae act coming this year . . . anybody else?



Why do we do these crazy things?  For the students.  Catch you next time I have something Noteworthy!

Kodaly Level I vs. Orff Level I

     I am currently taking my Kodaly Level I course at Central Michigan University and learning so much about the Kodaly process!  That being said, I also learned a TON from my Orff level I class at VanderCook College of Music.  (I have also trained a bit in Education Through Music and Music Learning Theory--perhaps another blog post in the future!).  So, I thought I would throw out a few thoughts about the differences and similarities between the two.  This is just my opinion and please keep in mind that I have only taken one level in each methodology, so I am by no means declaring myself an expert :)

Kodaly and Orff Similarities:

1.  Great music, mostly based on folk songs and nursery rhymes. 
2.  Great people in the classes.
3.  Great and knowledgeable teachers of the levels.
4.  Movement activities.
5.  Singing activities.
6.  Games.
7.  Music notation (though one does a better job of explaining sequencing).
8.  Folk dancing.
9.  Makes you want to take Level II.
10.  Gives you great connections to ask questions in the future.
11.  Solfege.

Things I liked about Orff a little more:

1.  Instruments.
Kids light up when they are playing them, and even the biggest stinker in the class is finally glued to you so they won't lose their chance to play a barred instrument.  Also, let's face it, some people are great musicians but not great singers.  I worry that Kodaly might miss those students a little in the early grades.

2.  Recorders
I think Kodaly also does recorders, but I liked that I got to start learning how to play the recorder in Level I of Orff.  I'm guessing Kodaly doesn't do them until Level III since they are so sequenced :)

3.  Movement
Creative movement is an essential element to Orff and I LOVE the expression that comes from these activities in Orff.  In Orff, we had part of the day dedicated just to movement every day.  There are movement activities in Kodaly, but they seem less playful and aren't asking the students to come up with their own creations.  Again, this may happen in later levels for Kodaly, and I'm just comparing the Level I classes.

4.  K-5 in Level I
Orff Level I can be applied K-5, whereas Kodaly Level I is for K-1.  This makes it a bit more appealing for music teachers who are starting out and want tools to help their entire student body.

 

Things I liked about Kodaly a little more: 

1.  Sequencing, sequencing, sequencing.
If you don't know what order to teach things in and how to go about it, this class will save you years of grief.  So detailed and it makes sense.  If you want to learn more about sequencing in the Orff world, take Orff Curriculum and Design--which was a fantastic class and totally worth taking I might add.  But I still think there are a couple of more in-between details explained in the Kodaly method. 

2.  Prepare, present, practice.
This goes along with the sequencing.  I just love the idea that it's okay to keep practicing something over and over again to really nail it!  Sometimes I feel like my Orff curriculum jumps a little too fast for students to know what we were doing.

3.  Singing and Solfege.
I love the emphasis on the music literacy and musicianship of the teacher themselves.  At first I was a little annoyed by it (being honest here, please don't hold that against me).  Solfege class tests your sight-reading and coordination abilities.  Singing in a choir again after a decade of not doing so--heavenly!!  I forgot how much I love alto lines . . . no seriously, I am in love with singing alto.  I can't believe I forgot how much I loved making music just for my own satisfaction.  Kodaly has brought that back out in me!

Final Thoughts:

     Whatever your style of elementary music teaching is, taking a levels course will GREATLY improve your teaching.  Please consider taking a level in Kodaly or Orff.  Perhaps what I've noted above will help you choose which one is right for you!  My personal philosophy is to study as many methodologies as possible and steal the best stuff from each one!!  I guess that makes me an Orff/Kodaly/ETM/MLT splat teacher, but I don't think my students mind.  They just know they are loved and making great music.
     Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!

Music Games Road Trip

     Well, I may not be on vacation, but I'm headed out on part of a musical road trip hosted by My Musical Menagerie. 

     This week's focus is games!  There are so many great games out there for music learning.  This year, I have focused on creating games to help students learn the proper names for notes and to show they understand music terminology.  Truthfully, I also like to include some games that are just for fun and enjoying the music you are listening to (see #5)!  Here are some of my current favorite games:
     1.  Music Note Bingo Bundle--Lots of great levels to name the proper names of notes so students can proper music terminology.  Great for non-music subs too.

     2.  Music Undercover--Great for stations or just to play with a partner as review.

     3.  Music Monster Match--Test to see if your students understand the relationships between notes and their rest counterparts.  It's like concentration with a monstrous twist that students love.  It can be played as a whole class or in partners/groups. 

     4.  Note Naming Bingo Triple Bundle--Teach you students how to name just the spaces, just the lines, or put them together!  It's up to you!  A great review for students who have been introduced to note naming.  It can be used with the treble or bass clef.

     5.   The Broom Game:  This is the game I close every year out with because students can get their energy out and have a blast!  Put three chairs at the end of an alley formation (2 lines facing each other).  Put one person in each chair with the person on the middle chair getting the broom.  That student can choose to hand it to the person sitting on either side of him/her.  Whoever gets the broom goes to the middle chair.  The remaining two students (including the student who used to have the broom) connect hands and gallop down the center.  The lines move forward (the lines end up facing the chairs) and two new people are seated on the chairs.  I usually put Rhythmically Moving CDs on while we are playing this game and the students love it.  If you want to make it more tricky, only allow them to pass the broom at the end of a phrase!  If you want to win your students over, put their favorite pop song on as a surprise :)
     One last thing, all of these games listed above will be 25% off through Wednesday!  I also really like:
Lindsay Jervis' Steal the Bacon 
Malinda Phillips' Annoying Aliens
Amy Abbott's Swat that Fly!
     If you want to read about more games that are on sale, check out other posts by clicking on the road trip logo at the top of this post!
     Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!

Reviewing My Resolutions

     Well, since it's about half way through the year, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on my resolutions (for better or worse!).  So I'm linking up with Mrs. Miracle's Music Room to review the goals I set waaaaaaaayyyy back in January:

Personal:  Devotions and prayer
     I have to say while this has increased in my life, I could still use more discipline.  Perhaps a continuing resolution for many years to come!

Professional:  Take a levels course.
     I'm SUPER excited that I will be taking Kodaly Level 1 at CMU in just a couple of weeks!!  I LOVE professional development opportunities because I know I will always walk away a better teacher because of them!

 

Classroom:  After-school music club
     Well . . . . I was interested in that whole "after-school music club" until I found out I was going from K-5 to K-12 next year.  I guess I will have to save that after school time for my own planning for now :)

Blog/TPT: Stay active/don't second guess. 
     I have decided to pace myself as a TPT seller because I have a husband and two young daughters at home.  I haven't put out as many new products as I would have liked to which is kind of disappointing.  But, in another way, I'm so proud of myself for spending time with my daughters as my main priority in life (although this whole K-12 thing is taking a lot of my time right now too). 
     Don't second guess.  Well, I think I still do that sometimes.  But a big step forward for me is that I will be presenting about Teachers Pay Teachers at the Michigan Music Conference.  Make sure to come see me if you are attending.  I would love to meet you!

 

Just for me:  Proactive about health.
     Without going into the boring details, I've had lots of nagging health issues for many years.  I DID stick to this resolution and am happy to say that going gluten-free has pretty much wiped out my migraine and stomach issues that I have had for years!!!  Now I can work-out again--which I have been doing regularly for a couple of months!!  So glad to have a healthier body :)

     I hope your year has also been blessed with great successes!  Feel free to share something wonderful that has happened to you or something that has made you proud of yourself!  If you would like to see other resolutions from music teachers, and how they are going, click here! 
     Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!

Book Review: "Classroom Management for Art, Music, and P.E. Teachers"

     A little over a week ago, I wrote out some of my summer goals, and though I still have 3 days of school left, I’ve already accomplished part of my summer bucket list!  I just finished reading “Classroom Management for Art, Music, and P.E. Teachers” by Michael Linsin.  In two days. 

     Here are some of my thoughts on this book:

1.     Every new music teacher should read this book.  It expresses much of what I have learned over the past ten years of teaching.  

2.     Michael Linsin, though a P.E. teacher, points out many of the realities of teaching music and how they differ from a classroom teacher.  It’s nice to hear from someone who can relate!

3.     His approach is calm and respectful to both the teacher and students.  This is paramount to me—that my students feel they are treated fairly and with respect.  

4.     Experienced teachers can benefit from it too.  It’s always good to hear someone else’s approach to teaching in a specials classroom (I say specials because of how it’s scheduled, but please know that I consider music to be a core class).  You may learn some new tricks, or you may just enjoy hearing someone else chime in to say that what you’ve been doing is a good idea.

    Some favorite quotes:

1.     “The purpose of your classroom management plan is to protect each student’s right to learn and enjoy being part of your class.  It’s a positive, not a negative.”

2.     “It’s in your positive relationships that the secrets of managing difficult students reside.”

3.     “Only proceed when your class is giving you what you want.”

     If your class hasn’t quite been doing what you want, check it out!  It’s a short read and you will likely find some helpful tips :)  Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!

Please note:  Noteworthy By Jen is an Amazon affiliate.  Links may be monetized to help pay for the upkeep of this blog.  

Get Their Wiggles Out!

     As the end of the year comes, it's time to help our students move and shake it!  If you're looking for something new to try for upper grades, check out my Class Cooperation Freeze Dance.  It's a great test of their teamwork and has lots of fun poses too!

 

Here's a few samples pages:

     Enjoy the end of your school year.  Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!

Tips for the End of the Year

     It's getting close to the end of the school year--and boy, do the students seem to know!  Or maybe it's the teachers :)  Here are some tips for the end of the year to keep it fresh, purposeful, and fun:

End of the Year Tips

1.  Review what your students learned this year!

     I have a word wall for each grade in my classroom.  When we get near the end of the year, I like to do a whirlwind of activities to review the concepts we learned throughout the year while pointing back to the word wall and talking about what we did.  It keeps the students on their toes and also helps them to be proud of all that they have learned!  Here's a sample of part of my 3rd grade word wall (we do a unit playing the violin).  Someday I hope to have the word wall all printed out and pretty. 

 2.  Try a new activity

     I always like to go to workshops to get new ideas each year, otherwise I don't feel as excited about my teaching!  Other great places to search for music activities are blogs and Pinterest.  Recently, my kindergarten students were "painting" their bodies to the beat while we sang "I Ain't Gonna Paint No More." I think we will create our own rhyming verses next week just for fun.  I have the CD that I got through scholastic books, but I don't know where it's available now :( 

3.  Have a choice day!

     The very last day of my music classes is always a game day where students can pick their favorite activities from the year and revisit them!  I also include folk dancing and the broom game as options.  Sometimes we even have our last class outside if the weather is nice. 

4.  Set goals for the summer

     I am the queen of post-it notes.  My desk is covered in them!  But, it allows me to take those small ideas I get throughout the day and not forget them.   So, now is the time of year I look through my ideas for the summer and start working on it.  This year's goals?
     1.  Redo the costume closet at my school.
     2.  Take Kodaly Level I (or Orff Level II if that doesn't work out).  Either way, it will be invaluable!
     3.  Read some books. It's always nice to hear how someone else runs their classroom so you can pick their best ideas and use them in yours.  Here's one I'm going to check out for sure:

     4.  Pick out possible music and musicals for the upcoming school year.  I normally wait to make my final decisions until the school year is in session, but it's always good to have a list to choose from instead of starting from scratch.  And next year I will be K-12--so it's never to early to start planning!

     Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!  Feel free to share how you are making it to the end of the year!

     For more great tips on what to do at the end of the year, click here to see who else is blogging about it!

Five Favorite Music Freebies Linky Party

     Hi all!  I'm hosting a linky party this week for music bloggers to tell you what their "Five Favorite Music Freebies" are on Teachers Pay Teachers!

      If you have used Teachers Pay Teachers at all, you will know that one of the best parts about it is that every seller is required to have at least one product in their store that is free!  Not only does this give you a FREE activity to use in your classroom, but it also gives you a taste of each seller's work so you know that what they make is high quality (or not!).       I have compiled a list of some of my favorite music freebies available on Teachers Pay Teachers--check them out! 

Five Favorite Music Freebies

1. Listen & Roll, A Music Listening FREEBIE

     This is a fun way to get students to talk about what they are hearing when they listen to music.  Rolling the dice makes them much more engaged in answering the questions--I even had fun myself!

 2. Headbands! A Rhythm Decoding Game, ta ti-ti

     This is a fun activity that has students wearing rhythm headbands while their partner claps the rhythm.  They have to try to decode what rhythm they are wearing on their head.  What a great way to practice rhythm dictation.  There are other levels available, but this one is free!!

3.  Favorite Folk Song--Alabama Gal

     Make Moments Matter has a great line of products about folk songs, and this one is free!  Find out about the historical context, vocabulary, and get a copy of the music without any work on your part!

4.  Music Brag Bracelets

     I do something similar to this in my classroom and plan on making a set of what I do for free this summer, but until I do, check out these from the always creative Jena Hudson.  Simply print and put them around students' wrists when they do something great in music class!

5.  Aaron Copland Composer of the Month with Youtube Links

     I thought I would throw one of my own freebies in for fun!  There are lots of composer of the month sets out there, but one thing that makes mine a bit unique is the youtube links.  Each set in my  composer of the month series has a page with youtube links of the composer's music being performed in a variety of settings.  It's like a virtual field trip for your students and it saves you time and money trying to find examples of the composer's works :)

     And as a special treat, I've decided to make my 100 Follower Freebie permanently free :)  Click below to get it!  You can follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers here to find out about new products, sales, and freebies in the future!

      I would love to hear of other freebies that you love!  Please comment below if you have one you love, or if you have one that's in your own store that I didn't cover!  Or, even better--write your own post and add in to the linky party!  Don't forget to grab the linky party logo at the top of this post, put it in your post, and link it back to this one!

An InLinkz Link-up

     Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!
Graphics by KG Fonts, Udy Studio, and Graphics from the Pond :)

Making May Musical

     I'm teaming up with the Totally Tuned In Teacher this month to bring you "Making May Musical!"
     The first week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week, so Teachers Pay Teachers is throwing a site-wide sale where most sellers will have their stores on sale for 20% off, and then you can enter in the promo code ThankYou to get another 10% off!  I know I always check my wishlist when this happens, plus, it's nice to have some fresh ideas for the end of the school year.  Sooooooooo, here are three items I'm excited about!

1.  Music Undercover

     This game helps students to identify a variety of musical symbols (notes, dynamics, etc.).  I love this game and use it for stations/centers in my classroom.  It's also great for days when your voice seems to have disappeared or when you have a sub.  Click on the picture if you want to see more about it!

2.  Music Listening Worksheet Bundle

     I have bought some concert review packets from Cori Bloom before and I LOVE them.  So, I'm certain this packet will also be a winner!  If you are looking for some creative ways to increase your students' ability to listen to music purposefully, I'm betting this packet will save you a lot of time!  This bundle is for K-12, but you can also buy the individual products if you want to just have K-6 or 7-12.

3.  Crazy Squirrel Graphics

     So, every once in awhile I'm inspired by clip art that makes me want to create a product just so I can use it!  This cute set of graphics falls into that category.  I will definitely be buying this set at some point--and no day is better than a site-wide sale!

     I hope you have fun searching for great musical products May 5-6.  I know I will :)   If you want to hear about additional great products found by other music bloggers, click on this picture:

      Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!

"Sign"mon Says--A Quick Solfege Attention Grabber

 Ever looking for a quick game to get your students' attention?  I randomly came up with this game while teaching this year and my students love it!
      My 4th graders finally learned all of the solfege for a full major scale--wohoo!  It seemed like there needed to be a bit more of a celebration than, "Yay, you just learned a scale."  So, I had them all stand up and told them we were going to play Simon Says, but a new way--"Sign"mon Says!

Rules for "Sign"mon Says:

1.  All students stand.

2.  The teacher either says or sings a solfege syllable.

3.  Students show the symbol for it.  If they are incorrect, they sit down (most students did this honestly!).

4.  The game increases in speed as it goes on, forcing students to respond more quickly.  I let my students use the visuals hung up in my room as we began, but I warned them it would get faster and that it wouldn't help them eventually.

5.  The last one standing wins!

     My students LOVED this!  Such a simple game, and I'm sure someone else has done something like it before.  I just enjoyed how motivated my students were to get every sign correct.  I was also surprised by who won!  It wasn't always who I always expected...

     I'm already formulating ways to differentiate this in the future:
Sing the note without saying the syllable, do a longer pattern, etc.  What ideas do you have?

     Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!

     P.S.  I'm posting this blog entry as part of a linky party, if you want to see more ideas, click the picture above!!

Easter Egg Listening Game

I have to say, this is not my idea at all, but I saw it on the Music Teacher board on Facebook and had to share it! 

Rosemarie Gates Speich is the person who posted the game below (give credit where it is due!):

"Easter Egg Game - with Easter coming up, I'd thought I'd share a cute game that I play with grades 2+3 each year at this time. ( My 4th graders ask for it too!).
* Purchase the large size plastic easter eggs in solid colors.
*Fill pairs of eggs with identical objects. I've used macaroni, pennies, bobby pins, paper clips, pebbles, thumb tacks etc.
*Tape the eggs shut.
*Use a wide sharpie to number the eggs on the bottom. (no two eggs should have the same number). *Make a list for yourself of which eggs are matched pairs.
*To play the game: Give each child an egg. When the game begins, the kids must wander and try to find their match based on the sound their egg makes when they shake it. Hint: Tell the kids they can NOT use their voices. They must nod their heads to communicate with their friends. When they find their match, they sit down with their partner. When the class is seated, they announce their egg #'s and teacher checks to see if they have found their match. If correct, I ask them to shake their eggs for the class and the kids try to guess what's inside. Those who do not match correctly the first time get a second chance. The kids love this game. It's a great listening activity. Enjoy!"

Catch you next time I have something Noteworthy!

FREE Instrument Family iPad Activity

     I'm really excited to do this activity with my students!  We just recently got iPads and were checking out some of the great education apps when I ran across Chatterpix Kids.

     Chatterpix Kids is a FREE app for iPads and iPhones that allows your students to take pictures of anything they want, add a mouth to it, and make it speak!  Even the teachers had fun with it when we had our professional development.  I made a really funny video of my principal, but since I value my job, I won't post it here :)  Anyway, here is the instrument activity!

Step-by-Step Chatterpix Kids Instrument Activity:

1.  Have your students choose an instrument of the orchestra to focus on.  You could give them a cheat sheet with some info, or have them look on the web (be careful with that!).

2.  Have them write a short script about the instrument that includes some of the following:
Name of the instrument.
Family it is in and why.
How it is played.
Something special about the instrument.
How to tell it apart from other instruments in it's family.

They only get 30 seconds to record, so they have to keep it short!

3.  Have students open Chatterpix.  Choose "take photo." 

4.  Have your students take a picture of their instrument.  You don't actually have to own the instrument, they can just take a picture of a picture :)  

5.  Then you will see this flash across the screen:

This hand is showing students how to draw a "mouth" on their picture.  Let them pick where they think the mouth is most appropriate!  They can always go back a step and do it again if they don't like how it turned out the first time.

6.  Next they push the record button and record their speech.  It's really easy to re-record if needed, and there's a timer showing them how much time they have left.

 
7.  Add fun stuff!!  Students can add filters, stickers, frames, and text to their picture.  I put a few things on, but you may want to limit it so they can still see the instrument!
Filter:

Stickers:

 Frame:

 Text:

 8.  Students will get a kick out of their final product.  Have them set their iPads up around the room and rotate to hear what other students have learned and created!
Here's mine:

Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!

Motivation During Movement: Special Scarves

     So, I have the privilege of teaching my kindergarten students every day!  One day is music class and the next is musical movement class.  This means I have to come up with A LOT of activities for them.  It can be challenging to make sure I keep the movement activities fresh.
     As part of their movement curriculum, I decided to focus on one classical song every two weeks.  So they hear the same classical song every movement class for two weeks.  This worked well for awhile, but several students were lacking enthusiasm when we were doing scarf movement to go with the songs.  
     Enter my hanger of "special scarves."  

     My mom had given me some of her old scarves since she retired from teaching last year, and I just had them hanging around my classroom doing nothing when I got the idea.  We will do the song two times every class and I will pick the best movers to come pick a special scarf for the second time through.  Boy did it work like a charm.  Everyone had their eyes on me and were following me intently!!  Still works even a couple of months later :)
     So, if you don't have some extra scarves hanging around your house, send a letter out to your students to see if their parents have some they can donate to your classroom.  It's so fun to watch their faces light up as they use the special scarf.  It really helps bring the music to life!!
     Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!

Instrument Scavenger Hunt!

If you are looking for a fun activity to do with iPads or just an interactive way to get your students interested in the instrument families, check out my latest product!  On sale for $2.00 the next 48 hours!

Up, Down, Same Activity

     So, as usual, I caught myself doing what I have learned is called "shorffing"--a.k.a.  shopping with Orff ideas in mind . . . and I found a Valentine's Day mailbox.  Now what to do with it? 
     Well, my 1st graders need to work on reading Sol, La, and Mi as well as learn if what they are hearing is going up, going down, or staying the same.  So here's the activity I came up with:

 Up, Down, or Same?

1.  Students sit in a circle and sing this song while one child, the "beat keeper," stands on the inside pointing to classmates on the beat (going counter-clockwise). 

2.  On the word "name" the "beat keeper" freezes on who they are pointing to.  That child is now "the singer" and goes to the mailbox to pick a letter.  

Here's the mailbox:

 

 The letters look like this on the outside:

3.  "The singer" identifies the solfege syllables notated and sings them if they are able (or the teacher can help the child sing after they identify the notes). 

4.  The rest of the class is listening to see if the notes are going up, down, or staying the same.  "The singer" calls on a student to give an answer.  If the answer is correct, "the singer" gets to open the envelope and see who wrote the song.  For example:

5.  The child who gave the correct answer goes to the middle to be the "beat keeper," and the game starts over again. 

     If you'd like the files to try this in your own classroom, you can get them here and here.  Let me know if you can't get to them and I can email them to you!

The graphics used to make the files were KB Fonts and Glitter Meets Glue Designs along with Finale.
 Catch you next time I have something noteworthy!