Stress Soothers | Part 2 – Productivity & Planning
Psst!! Did you miss Part 1?? Check it out by clicking here.
Welcome to Part 2 of the Stress Soothers Series!!
Each Tuesday in March, I’m bringing you tips & tricks to beat that almost spring slump and re-energize your teaching. Today is all about you and getting stuff done. (…and some new stuff that’s posted for FREE in the resource library!!)
Part 2 – Productivity & Planning
When I used to look at my weekly schedule, I sometimes felt like my head could explode. Color coded this and abbreviated that can make a whole lot of sense in my brain, but often times I would sit down to make sense of it all, plan a couple of lessons, and then realize my 30 minute prep (ok, 20 after I waited in line for the staff restroom…) was gone.
Over the last several years, I’ve come up with a few things that make those little nuggets of time really count. Although I don’t have an hour or two that is blocked for planning on a daily basis, making sure I really take advantage of each and every moment almost makes it feel like I’ve had a dedicated chunk of my day to get organized and prepared.
Here are three tips to help you maximize your productivity and feel ohsogood about your planning skills.
Tip #1 – Start the year with the end in mind.
Now, before you click away thinking girrrrrl please, it’s already March, I really believe this is something you can start no matter where you are in your year or curriculum.
Before each school year begins, I take some time to reflect on where my kids ended up in my sequence the previous year, and how far I *think* I can get them by the end of next year. I set up a yearly calendar that breaks down into weeks, showing everything from scheduled programs, to breaks, to weeks I know will be a wash because of conferences or other things that might be scheduled on my campus. Then I pencil in concepts about where I think they will fall throughout the year.
Do I follow this plan nomatterwhat?!
Um, no. Because: #reallife. Things always come up (assemblies, testing, renovations, etc) that set things off kilter here or there. Plus, there are times that my first graders just aren’t ready to learn do by the end of April, because each class year to year is very different. The idea of this master long-term planning schedule is that it gives me a roadmap and sets goals for my year. After all, failing to plan is planning to fail. (I read it in a fortune cookie, so it must be true?)
So how does this work if you’re, say in the middle of March? Well, you re-assess and revise your plan throughout the year. My campus is on a trimester system, so I check in at least twice a year to see where I am in my goals and revise what I want to accomplish in the upcoming months.
Since we’ve just closed out our second trimester, I’m going through this process right now–checking off concepts I think my kids have mastered (not just those that I’ve “covered”–there is certainly a difference!) and mapping out the remaining weeks in the year. Give it a try. I promise you’ll feel much more calm and collected if you have an overarching plan in place, even if you’re just starting now.
(If you’re looking for a truly awesome long-term/short-term/lesson planning book, I can’t recommend Rita Klinger’s Lesson Planning in a Kodály Setting enough. Even if you don’t consider yourself a Kodály-inspired teacher, there are invaluable nuggets of good stuff in here, worth way more than the $25 it costs.)
Tip #2 – Give yourself a week at a glance, but process out your lessons.
From that big yearly or trimester-ly plan, it becomes so much easier to plan lessons. I can see exactly where I’ve come from and exactly where I’m going, and the guesswork is gone. Admittedly, I go in spurts with how detailed my lesson plans are. I start off the year super gun-ho and ready to write in every piece of processing and sequencing that my kids will need, and by this time of the year I end up with bullet points of activities for each grade level.
Anyone else guilty? Bueller??
I will say that having that abbreviated list on my music stand makes transitions from one activity to the next A LOT smoother than when I have to sift through a bunch of scripting I have written out. However, I do know that when I don’t take the time to process out my lessons, my Friday lessons are way more awesome than my Monday lessons.
When I skip the grunt work, my Monday kids get the rough draft of my lessons and my Friday kids get the polished version.
Now I know that there will always be adjustments when you’re in the moment because: teaching real children real things in a real classroom. But is it really fair for us to roll in on Monday without taking the time to be thoughtful and reflective for all the kids? Take the time to “script” your lessons. You don’t have to write “and then the teacher says…” etc, because that’s just not authentic. But having some idea of exactly which steps you’ll take in what order will make your lessons much more effortless when they actually take place.
Then give yourself a bulleted list. You won’t even need to look at your scripting because you’ll have processed it out so thoughtfully in the first place.
Tip #3 – Stop saving #allthethings for Sunday nights.
Whenever I scroll through social media on a Sunday night, I just about die laughing because I see so many friends and colleagues doing exactly what I too have fallen a victim to: planning, printing, laminating, copying, grading, arranging, and all the other music teacher-ing responsibilities as fast as possible before the week starts.
Together, we can end Sunday night anxiety.
No, but seriously, there’s a better way to get ready for the week. And it’s all about being proactive rather than reactive. I think of it as “zoning” your days. (I first heard about this on a podcast–but truthfully, I listen to so many I couldn’t tell you which one!!) No matter what day of the week it is, I know what types of tasks I should be accomplishing in order to be ready for the week that’s coming up.
Let me break it down for you. And yes, your long-term/yearly plan will help!
Here’s how I frame my days in the week:
- Monday: Look at the week ahead – If there are any last minute things to do before the week gets started, I get them done on Monday mornings. This is also my day to respond to emails, or send out any notes to staff members I’m working with (i.e. teachers about programs, etc).
- Tuesday: K, 1st, & 2nd grade plans – This is the day I focus on planning for the following week. I plan two 30 minute lessons for each grade level based on my long term plan. I gather any materials and make notes about what I may need to print or laminate or create for the lessons. If it can’t be done right away (or in less than a minute or two), I save it for Thursday.
- Wednesday: 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade plans – Same thing as above, only for the upper grades.
- Thursday: Print, copy, laminate, etc. – Thursday is late enough in the week, but still far enough in advance of my lessons for the next week that I can prep any materials I might need. It’s also the day I have the largest chunk of planning time, so I can camp out in the workroom and use all the resources I need at my school.
- Friday: Loose ends – This is sort of my “catch-all” day. If there’s anything else that needs to be done before the following week, I do my very best to have it done before I leave for the day on Friday. This helps free up the weekend for time with my family and helps to alleviate Sunday night stress.
Granted, there are certainly some days that this work might follow me home. I’ve been known to obsessively laminate, cut, and/or magnetize manipulatives while watching a tv show on a weeknight, but I’ve decided that I rather take those couple of moments outside of the regular school day to prep for the coming week and save my weekends 100% (okay, like 75% on a good one) for me. I’m a better teacher when I make a point to dedicate that time to relax and recharge.
What about you? Are there ways you could theme your days to stay on track for the weeks ahead? Do you feel like your lesson planning has been less effective? Could long-term planning be the key?? I hope these tips and tricks will help round our your year as the most productive and thoughtfully planned out yet!!
If you’re looking for a few things to help you get organized (some yearly planning or lesson plan templates? a little week at a glance inspiration perhaps??), click here to check out the FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY!! There’s a couple new goodies uploaded just for YOU 🙂
Coming up in this Stress Soothers Series…
I’ve got you covered every Tuesday in March. Check out the last two topics on the docket in this series (Click to get to the post!):
- 3/21 – PART III – ADVOCACY & EARNING RESPECT
- 3/28 – PART IV – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & MUSIC TEACHER ISOLATION
Something else you would love to chat about, but it didn’t seem to make the list the time around? Drop me a line here! I would love to hear from you. 🙂
*Bonus: If you’re looking for more tips on productivity, I highly recommend Aileen Miracle’s podcast on productivity. She has some really awesome tips!!
Stress Soothers | Part 1 – Overall Overwhelm
One day, on an off-handed whim, I posted a simple question to instagram. I wasn’t expecting much of a response, but…. Holy Moly, did I get one.
This question was simple. I asked, “What’s the most stressful part about being a music teacher?” I got so many different responses, but one thing is for sure. Being an elementary music teacher (or any type of music teacher) is not an easy job. There are lots and lots of stressful parts of our job, some that can be temporary (think being on a cart or program prep), or permanent (…like being on a cart).
I’ve had my fair share these experiences, so I totally feel your pain. Right now I’m traveling between several campuses, living out of my teacher bag, and working with different administrators’ expectations and campus styles and vibes. So I get it. There’s a lot going on. And sometimes it’s impossible to figure out how to handle it all.
If you’re feeling all the overwhelm and stress, this FOUR-PART BLOG SERIES is just for you. And guess what? It starts today!! *cue happy dance*
Part 1 – Overall Overwhelm
I got to a point last week where I could feel myself breaking. I had just had my formal observation, was working on updating my yearly goal (per my observation follow-up) and trying to figure out how to shove all my remaining assessments into the short time before report cards are due. Not to mention that my third graders were putting on a huge musical, one of my buildings is packing up to move into our new school next month…and it was Dr. Seuss week.
Ugh. I couldn’t even.
But I had to keep going and going and going, because there were kids in my classroom expecting their music teacher who is always on and ready to go. You see, we music teachers have a very unique teaching situation. Our classes are often back to back, different grade levels, with no prep time in between, and a solid 30-45 min of direct instruction that is predominantly teacher-led.
Yes, I incorporate station work and project based learning when possible, but very rarely does my lesson plan allow for 10-20 min of independent or small group work where I can collect data and provide individual intervention when needed. Instead, the large amount of material and relatively short amount of time I see my students doesn’t lend itself to this model. As a result, music teachers are “on stage” a good 98% of the time, at least.
Add in all the stressors like collecting data and assessment in a way that mirrors the rest of our campus, performance expectations and obligations, differentiating instruction for every single student in the building, and making sure our classroom is exciting and vibrant and purposeful and sequential and doing all the wonderful world-peace creating things that music is supposed to be.
I mean, c’mon. At some point, something is bound to give. And it can’t be your spirit.
I’m sure you’ve had at least one time you’ve felt like this. Everything comes to a head and you can’t even begin to wrap your head around what you’re going to do the next week, day, or even class period. Take a deep breath, and do this.
Make music with your kids. Everything else will follow.
Yes, there are standards and report cards and performances that we need to address and accomplish. But take a moment and re-center your teaching with activities that engage your kids and that both you and your students love. Play singing games, folk dances, try a new instrument activity that is quick and accessible so that in one way or another kids are actively making music in your classroom.
Don’t worry about which standard box you can check. Don’t worry about posting the right learning target. Maybe for that one class, day, or week, your objective is “I can be part of a community by making music together.” I guarantee you can find additional learning objectives for your next lesson that will relate back to the activities you’ve chosen just for the pure sake of making music.
But most importantly you are accomplishing exactly what I stated above: building community by making music. If you allow yourself to have these positive experiences with your kids, it will do just that.
If you’re still with me at this point, you’re probably thinking, okay Anne, I was looking for some real strategies to help me chill the you-know-what out. That wasn’t it.
I hope you don’t think I’m being too much of a Positive Polly (is that a thing? can we pretend?) BUT, I do think that half the battle is taking a breath and appropriately framing your situation. Yes, a job is a job is a job, but the core of what we do each and everyday is nothing short of amazingly joyful. And I find that when I choose joy and re-center myself with why I became a music teacher (to make music… with kids), everything else doesn’t seem quite so overwhelming.
Still struggling to find that happy place in a sea of overwhelm? Think about these questions, or take a few minutes to free write with your favorite flair pen:
- Why did you become a music teacher?
- What favorite games or activities have you done with your kids this year? Which haven’t they learned that you love and could teach quickly and efficiently? (This could inform your plans for a week of joyful music making).
- What was one time that your kids completely took you by surprise?
- Think about a time(s) a student said something that touched your heart.
- What about your job keeps you going back day after day? (Hint: it’s not the money. Starbucks has benefits, girl!!)
Take another five minutes and just breathe. What else makes you smile??
Coming up in this Stress Soothers Series…
(how’s that for some alliteration?? #yourewelcome)
If you’re looking for some hard and fast strategies to conquer some of the biggest stressors on your to-do list, I’ve got you covered every Tuesday in March. Check out the topics on the docket for the rest of this series (click to go there!):
- 3/14 – PART II – PRODUCTIVITY & PLANNING
- 3/21 – PART III – ADVOCACY & EARNING RESPECT
- 3/28 – PART IV – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & MUSIC TEACHER ISOLATION
See something you need a word to the wise on, but it didn’t seem to make the list the time around? Drop me a line here! I would love to hear from you. 🙂
Active Assessment
If you’re anything like me, I’ve always shuddered at the word assessment.
I mean, it’s not like it’s a warm fuzzy that snuggles against your shoulder and makes you feel happy and excited about teaching. It’s latent with expectation, pressure, and stress.
I’ve learned to flip the script, in a way, when it comes with that negative word association. You see, things like assessment and data are not evil boogey men coming to creep up on us in the night. They are tools. Real, productive, insightful tools that help measure student progress, can inform interventions, and overall better our teaching practice.
Stick with me, I’m going to show you exactly what I mean.
You see, assessment isn’t something where you have to STOP EVERYTHING AND DO ALL THE TESTING. It’s actually more like being an anthropologist. Or, to put it a bit more user-friendly, a people watcher. Isn’t that what we do? All day everyday we observe and make mental notes about our students as they participate in the learning sequence we’ve created for them. Taking down data and being more conscious about assessing is just that: being more purposeful and intentional about recording and record keeping while your kiddos are actively making music.
I know I know, you have about 600 (million? sure seems like it sometimes!) students. How are you supposed to keep track of #allthethings?
I’m still experimenting and refining this process, but I have a found a few things that seem to work and make my administrator completely buy in. Let me show you what I’ve been doing with my Kindergarten classes to give you a better idea.
I start out by deciding which behavioral objectives I’m going to assess for the trimester (or 9 weeks or whatever pre-determined time you’re working with). For this past trimester, I’ve been working specifically on assessing (1) steady beat, (2) solo singing, (3) higher/lower comparative, and (4) louder/quieter comparative.
For the actual assessment themselves, I give a number of different opportunities (or more officially, “performance trials”) for students to demonstrate their learning. I make sure I give each student the opportunities to demonstrate independently, with peers, and with teacher intervention.
Sounds so formal and research-y, doesn’t it?
Welp, let me tell you something. My individual steady beat assessment? A frog passing game to Frog in the Meadow. My “with peers” assessment? Frogs jumping on heart lily pads in small groups. Teacher intervention? I do it on the board with icons along with them.
I guarantee these are the types of activities you’re already doing in your classroom. I’m certain you’re facilitating fun, creative game-play, actively music making while your kids hone their skills. You’re already doing all the things you need to do to gather information, now it’s just a matter of putting pretty pens to paper.
No worries. I’ve got you.
This year, I’ve adopted a system to keep data on each student, no matter what stage of the process they are in. Check out the video below for more info.
(**Psst!!- your copy of the seating chart/assessment template is inside the show notes of TAP 43!!)
I’ve found that this process shows a lot of information about any given student with any given skill at any given time. I used to just use checklists, but that never showed whether or not students understood or could demonstrate right from the get go, or if they needed intervention in order to be successful. Recording data this way shows student progress much more efficiently and accurately.
Most importantly, keeping records like this helps inform my teaching process. Isn’t that the whole point of assessment?
I can look quickly at these charts and figure out exactly what my next plan of action should be. If I have a whole group of students with a yellow x through a circle, well it’s high time I figure out what’s going on. If I have a lot of students with red circles, I know that they need MUCH more practice and intervention to be independently successful. And if my circles are mostly blue, I know I’m on the right track and treat myself to cupcakes on the way home from school.
A quick note about formative and summative assessment. This process certainly shows the learning process and is not a recall type of test where I’ve asked students to memorize facts and spit them out onto paper. Because it’s kindergarten. But mostly, because it’s music, and we learn and demonstrate knowledge by actively making music.
Have you figured out what my big soap box is yet?! **Hint: it’s in the title of this post. And everywhere else.
I will, however, make sure to have a final assessment for students, giving them one final performance trial with teacher intervention and independently before we close up shop for any given unit. For solo singing, I have students working at stations (blog post coming soon, promise!) and anchor myself at a single station designated for solo singing. There I can grab those kids who still haven’t quite earned their blue circle and work one on one.
This is a brand new process for me this year. But it works, it aligns with how classroom teachers record data, and makes my administration happy as a clam.
What do you think? Could it work for you? Give it a try. Snag the templates here, and let me know how it goes!
A couple random notes:
- Assessments in my classroom are not based on behavior or effort. My students do receive an effort/citizenship grade, but that is completely separate from assessments, which are based on standards and learning targets.
- I have learning targets for each of these concepts that I post so that my kinders know exactly what the main focus of our lesson is that day. (Important aside: due to the sequential nature of my spiral curriculum, I will NOT have a lesson that is ALL steady beat or any other concept. Rather, I’m continuously preparing new unknown concepts and practicing/assessing learned concepts. However, my learning target always reflects that practice/assess concept–that’s a topic for a completely different blog!)
- If you are looking for a way to have students self-assess that directly relates to the seating chart template: check out these anchor charts HERE (samples below). I have one posted in my room, and have trained the kids to give me a quick signal to show where they think they are. This self-assessment piece also makes my admin do a little happy dance!!
Gingerbread Music Lesson Plan for Lower Elementary
If you’ve been having the same kind of weeks I have the last couple of weeks, your kiddos are so excited for holiday break that they can hardly CONTAIN themselves! However, if you’re also like me, you may have a few kiddos who don’t celebrate Christmas or holidays at all. This is always a bit tricky because I want those students to have an opportunity to experience the joy of the season, and this year I have found the perfect way to do so!
The kindergarten team at my school always does a gingerbread hunt with their kids the week before Christmas break. Since it’s such a big event at my campus, I wanted to find a way to play off of what was going on in the classroom–something that my admin and classroom teacher colleagues absolutely looooove. #allthebrowniepoints (#allthegingerbreadpoints??) Even though I got the inspiration from the kindergarten team and for my kindergarten students, I wanted to find a way to extend this lesson for any grade level, no matter where they might be in the rhythmic and melodic sequence.
The Classic Story
The first part of this lesson is, of course, reading the story of the Gingerbread Man. There are only about a million out there, and I actually like to find a different version than what is used in students’ classroom. I think it’s so important that students hear and see many different variants of a book or song–think “Over in the Meadow” style. There’s about a million different versions of that that song and accompanying books! But I digress. I am super pumped about this version of The Gingerbread Man that I’m using in my music classroom.
I actually purchased this book for Kindle, and plan to pull it up on my iPad and displaying through our classroom projector. (You know, if technology decides to work in my favor on the hour of the day that I plan to use it.) As an aside, I think it’s really important to sit in a rocking chair and “sing a story” to your kids on a regular basis–which is how I usually end my kindergarten classes–but in this situation, it integrates into my lesson more seamlessly to use the projector. Also, I didn’t have to wait for shipping–even if it’s two-day prime. 🙂
Vocal Exploration
What I really love about this book is all the different opportunities for vocal exploration, particularly high versus low, and singing voice versus speaking voice. It’s so easy to improvise and give students the opportunity to imitate as you read this story. I also developed this very intuitive (as in, you probably sing it the same way!) little so-mi–la melody to sing during the repeated sections of the book.
This is a great little melody for mi-la, 6-8 practice, OR internal anacrusis with your older kids! 🙂 I love taking text from books and giving them musical life, especially when they lend themselves so nicely as this chant-like text does.
Song & Chase Game
After reading and discussing the book, I immediately turn the above melody into a chase game, modeled after duck-duck-goose. This is a quick way for me to assess students’ ability to demonstrate steady beat (especially with that internal anacrusis!) instead of instinctively going to the rhythm. I played this simple game with my kiddos last week and they are already excited to play again!
Possible Extensions for Older Kids: (1) Use the same melody as a refrain for some solfege echo imitation. Sing the refrain, then have students echo patterns either as a group or individually in between reiterations of the song. (2) Use the last motive (“Gingerbread Man”) and make it the poison pattern for a game “Rhythm Poison.” Have students echo rhythms with syllables, unpitched percussion, or drums. They must echo each rhythm, but if they play “Gingerbread Man” they are OUT!! This would be a fantastic introduction into the wonderful world of 6-8!
Chant & Elimination Game
I created another chant to go along with our gingerbread themed lesson! (Click here to get a copy of it in the resource library!) I use this chant for steady beat practice with my kindergarteners, to do something a little different from our heartbeat practice. To set up the game, I printed out gingerbread clip art from Creative Clips (click for link) on four different colors of cardstock, laminated, and cut them all out. (You could do something similar with a die-cut machine.)
I give each kiddo four different gingerbread men, one of each color. Then, we say the chant and “eat” (eliminate) whichever color we land on! After three rounds, whichever color each student has left is his or her winner, and we tally up all of the different responses to see which color won as a class.
This is another great way to assess steady beat as students have some buy in to keep on playing the game. Also, we are reinforcing their counting and color skills as we go! (see?? #allthegingerbreadpoints!!) Extend it by choosing randomly which of the four voices students will say the poem (speak, sing, whisper, shout) or throw in a couple of seasonal ones, like elf or reindeer voices!!
Possible Extensions for Older Kids: If you need some extra time to work on steady beat (I know, it’s totally a thing in these older grades!) you can keep an older class’s interest by giving them a little bit of buy in. Write the four colors as column headings and have students write their names on a post-it note, and stick it in the column they think will be the class winner after each round. They absolutely looooove this!
Other Games
This song or chant would also be great for a singing game of hot and cold. Take one of your gingerbread men and have a student hide it in the room while another hides his or her eyes. Students should sing or chant louder as the seeker gets closer, or quieter as he or she gets further away! My kids beg for these types of games, and it reinforces comparatives so beautifully. Instead of loud/soft, you could work on fast/slow the same way!
I also purchased a stuffed gingerbread ball to play a passing game with this song. Opportunities are truly endless!! Snag a copy in the resource library and get creative with your students!!
If you are looking for more gingerbread themed activities, check out these super fun elimination games!
I hope these ideas will be useful in your classroom during the next couple of weeks! I know it is a crazy time, but I have certainly focused on relaxing and enjoying this magical time of year with my students.
Have a wonderful last week or so before break! I still have Monday & Tuesday after this week, but Christmas is so close I can taste it!!
Psst!! If you liked this lesson idea and are itching for more, sign up to be an Anacrusic Insider below!! Bonus–you can head over to the resource library and get a copy of the song & chant I referenced in this post. 🙂
Tips for the Traveling Music Teacher
If you are an elementary music teacher, there is a strong possibility that you have been a traveling teacher at some point in your career. I am currently on my second round of being split between two buildings. It comes with a unique set of challenges, some of them obvious, some of them not so much, but whether your situation is temporary or more permanent than you would like, here are a few things I’ve learned while navigating the wonderful world of traveling.
Tip #1 – Even though you don’t have your own walls to decorate, make deliberate plans about the space you are going to use.
As shallow as it may seem, for me, one of the hardest parts at the start of the year was not having all of those “new crayon” experiences a lot of my colleagues had. I didn’t get to pick a theme for my room, or decide how I wanted to change my physical classroom around to maximize student learning.
What I did do, however, was problem solve how I was going to organize my resources and make the most of the space I do have. Although I am very much sharing spaces at each campus I teach at, I quickly figured out how to make the best learning environment happen at every location. This means coming early to move tables out of the way so students can move, and putting tape on the gym floor so my kindergarteners still have a set seating chart and routine when they enter whichever classroom is the music room for the day. Although it takes a little bit of planning on my part, I know exactly how each room is going to be set up each day, what activities I can plan for, and have communicated with the staff members I share space with.
Tip #2 – Create a “Portable Classroom”
Going along with #1, it is so tricky to have all of your resources organized when you are going back and forth between buildings. Particularly, if you teach a lot of the same grade level at all campuses (three cheers for 10 sections of kindergarten!) it’s hard to remember where this book or that manipulative is.
I keep a lot of things at home, but for keeping all my resources in one spot, I use this flat bottom thirty-one tote. It holds all of my seating charts, plans for the week, any manipulatives I’m using for the week, hand sanitizer, pens, pencils, and a whole bunch of stuff.
Tip #3 – Go Digital
If the technology is available in whatever spaces you’re teaching in, I highly recommend putting your lessons in a powerpoint presentation. This not only limits the amount of “stuff” you have to carry, but your lessons will flow better and you can have everything prepped the moment you stick in a thumb drive.
Get this Bobbing for Apples file here . Clip art by Whimsy Clips & Glitter Meets Glue .
When I started putting as much of my lessons as possible into digital files, it made my life so much easier! It’s a slow process, but I’m hoping to get as much and as many of them as I can into digital format.
Tip #4 – Find Somewhere that is YOUR space.
When you are serving more than one campus, it’s really easy to feel like you don’t belong anywhere. Find somewhere (and ask you administrators) where you can take some time to check email, go over plans, and generally have a moment to yourself. If you are sharing office space, but still need a quiet moment or two, let your teaching partner know you need to power through some emails and put your earbuds in for 20 minutes.
In the middle of the day when you have been totally “on” with 3 hours of classes (without a break), it’s really important to take a moment for yourself. Sometimes for me, that’s driving between schools with the radio off. That fifteen minute sensory break usually gives me the peace of mind to conquer whatever comes my way in the afternoon.
Tip #5 – Develop Positive Relationships with Colleagues
Even if you don’t have a designated “home school,” take some time to develop relationships with coworkers as much as possible. The relationships you build with others in your building will help you get through all of the challenges that come with being a traveling specialist. Be sure that in getting to know others, you focus on positive things rather than the frustrations you are feeling in your current situation. Remember that positive attitudes are contagious!
What things would you add to this list? Have you ever been a traveling teacher?
#fridayfinds – Lakeshore Learning
Welcome to a new series on my blog, #fridayfinds!
I was lucky enough to spend almost a month in Baltimore teaching Kodály levels this summer. On the weekends, my colleagues and I took many an adventure to area hang outs. One of those, was of course Lakeshore Learning.
When I lived and taught in Dallas, there were a couple Lakeshore stores nearby, but here in Eastern Washington there are not many teacher supply stores to be found. Imagine my excitement when there was one right around the corner from us in the Baltimore area. We headed there one day looking for elementary music inspiration. I hit the jackpot when it came to ideas for Kindergarten! Here are three of my finds from that day.
Fun Shaped Pointers
I have a couple of pointers that I use whenever I derive a song in class. However, my heart skipped a beat (pun intended) when I found these fun shaped pointers! Since two of my core songs for Kindergarten are “Apple Tree” & “Star Light,” the apple and star are perfect for showing the rhythm on those two words.
In my classroom, the beat is always a heart icon, so I know I’m going to get TONS of use out of the heart pointer. It’s going to make it so much easier to have specific pointers for beat and rhythm, especially when kiddos are working off of beat vs. rhythm charts.
Vocal Exploration Book & Icons
I’m always on the lookout for new ways to practice vocal exploration, so I just about died when I found this book. I had just passed all of the icons and picked up some hot air balloons, imagining different ways to explore vocal and movement pathways, and then this guy jumped out at me in the clearance bin.
The story is adorable. Mr. Fox receives a balloon delivery (because that happens regularly), and decides to go for a ride (naturally). Along the way he picks up some friends and some snacks, and each time someone new jumps in, they say “Away we go!” It’s the perfect prompt for vocal pathways. I plan to give each kiddo a laminated balloon icon, and using these free hot air balloon vocal pathways while I read this story. Just perfect!
Ocean Puzzle
This one might seem a bit random, but there’s a method to my madness, I swear. Charlie Over the Ocean is one of my favorite games to play with Kindergarten. It gives me the opportunity to assess head voice and pitch matching, plus it provides awesome opportunities for text improvisation.
I always run into two big problems every time I play this game with Kindergarten. #1 – they have a lot of trouble with thinking of an animal on the spot, and #2 – there’s the never ending chorus of “I didn’t get a turn”! Ah… the familiar call of the kindergarten student.
This puzzle solves both problems. This year, for at least the first few times, I’m going to start with this puzzle empty on the board. For each turn, a student will pick a puzzle piece and sing about that particular ocean creature, i.e. “Charlie caught a pink fish”. Then, when the puzzle is put back together, the game is over! Seven turns and we are moving (swimming?) on.
What finds have you come across this week?