Elementary Music Programs 15/16

Hello hello! 
I feel like a stranger to this blog recently - sorry! I am moving to a new district this fall (more about that later this summer), our cat has been sick and the house has been falling apart piece by piece. Let's just say this summer has been nuts and it's only the first week of July.

Anyway, one of my most popular posts was about my music programs. I thought about it and decided that this is something that almost every teacher has to do in some capacity...plus, I had no idea what I was doing my first few years. I had to plan, orchestrate and put on a show without much help. While I hope this isn't the case for most music teachers, it probably is. Whether you use my programs or not, they still provide some fun songs and lessons into your classroom. If you'd like to read more about my (now former) program expectations, check out this post from last year. 

Thanks to Aileen Miracle, EduClips & Instruct and Inspire for the graphics!

As programs tend to take a lot of class time, I try to always include a variety of things in programs. We do movement, actions, instruments, etc., while also reinforcing concepts while learning. My parents want to see a "show." Several of these have extra things mentioned in italics. If you are interested in learning more about any of these pieces, please email me at msmusic4life88@gmail.com & I'd be happy to give you more information.

Five Favorite Pins of November

Hooray - it's fall! I can't believe that Thanksgiving is in two weeks. Where has the year gone? 
It's time for my five favorite pins of November, courtesy of Mrs. Miracle's Music Room!

#1: We Wish You a Merry Christmas (with cups!)

I love this idea! I used Wendy's cup tapping activities last year with "We Three Kings." Check it out here: Amahl and the Night Visitors
It's sure to be a hit with your students, young and old! 

#2: Operation "Got Your 6"

Veterans Day is a community wide celebration for our school district. I want my students to know the importance of our country and those who protect it. However, it's hard for younger students to understand this. I love how Michelle Obama teamed up with the Penguins to explain the importance of Veterans Day! I showed this to my classes this past week.

#3: Audience Behavior

Check out this great post from Tracy King about audience behavior. She even includes a sample script! Wonderful to check out in preparation for all of those holiday concerts.

#4: Tshirt

This tshirt is hilarious! I might just have to get it to see who gets the joke in my school.

#5: Guide Sub Tub

I have been trying to find a way to teach about Guido since I started. This Sub Tub Stuffer is great! I might actually just use it as a real lesson for my older students. Check it out!

I hope all is well with your school year! We had rain, sun, hail, wind and snow all in one day this week. It's never boring around here!

Five Favorite Pins of June

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER! 

Wheww, the kids were getting antsy those last few days. But, summer has finally arrived! 

It's time for Mrs. Miracle's monthly linky party. Here are my "Five Favorite Pins of June:"

#1: Beatboxing Curriculum My students love Incredibox. I've talked about it before here. I'd love to dive more into concept of beatboxing with my older students, especially near the end of the year. I've also wanted to check out resources from the Fun Music Company for awhile now.

#2: Silent Instrument Game

I love this game! It is great for testing time and to get the instruments out for introductions or review. Can't wait to use this gem!

#3: Cat Poster

The kitty in this poster looks exactly like my Eleanor. Plus, it sums up the way I feel sometimes, even though I know my job is to bring music to all of my students.

#4: "It's Time to Begin" with hand clapping

I love Kristin's ideas! This is another great end-of-the-year song, complete with a fun hand clapping piece to add a little extra. Check out the video on the pin:

#5: Moses Goes to a Concert If you follow me regularly, either blog or TPT, you'll know I LOVE children's literature in music class. This book looks great for the beginning of the year, before a concert or a field trip. Plus, it has a fun little explanation to introduce listening.

The Singing Goat Saga

Two weeks ago, I stumbled upon a great find! Our district participates in Books Are Fun, a company that brings books, gifts, toys, etc. to teachers at a discounted price. They post up their monthly items in our lounge for a week and then they're delivered. Normally, I don't find much I like, but this month, it was meant for me! 

Enter, this "Cuddly Crooner" puppet! 

Apparently, there are a few different varieties out there, but this one is a singing goat from The Sound of Music. He actually sings a part of "The Lonely Goatherd" as you move the mouth - so cute! I was in love!

Now, for the chaos that ensued afterwards:

• I waited over a week for the delivery man, as he apparently didn't want to be on time this month or communicate that with everyone. 
• It didn't even work! 
• When trying to open the battery compartment, it was sealed with a bolt - a bolt, in plastic!
• Our lovely custodian, Keith, pried it open after several attempts with various tools (thanks Keith, you rock!)
• We replaced the batteries; it still didn't work
• I taped the battery compartment back together with new batteries; still no success
• Finally, I ripped the seam of his mouth open to find the connection wires
• SUCCESS! The plates weren't colliding right, so I realigned them and he sings!

So, his mouth is still unstitched. However, my mom has assured me he can be fixed right up. Also, the company is sending me another one for all of the trouble. Our representative still hasn't contacted me about the whole situation.

Finally, after a lot of trouble, time, and energy, we have a working, singing goat! I can't wait to share this with my primary students.

Why, though, am I so excited about just one singing puppet? Aren't there a hundred others out there which don't require as much work?

The answer is yes, but, I have an additional resource I've been wanting to use for a long time now. My husband found this adorable pop-up book from Half Price Books a few years ago:

It even includes the songs in the corners, with moving pieces and pull outs! Even my 5th graders have spotted it in my collection before and been excited for it. Now, I can use it with my puppet, as well as show some clips from the musical. Eeek! I can't wait to pull this out in the spring for my primary students. Here are some more pictures:

It doesn't touch on why the Von Trapps left Austria, but for younger learners, I think it's fine to not dig into the history too much yet. Plus, my goal with this set is to capture the students interests and lead them into the world of musicals. 

I'll leave you with another darling picture of my puppet - isn't he precious?

How do you introduce musicals?  I'd love more ideas and resources to teach them, as well as any new ideas for "The Sound of Music!" Please, chime in :)

Changes!

Some big changes are happening in my music room this year! I have been asking (and nagging) for this for the past year or so. I had my hopes up last year, but it's finally come true this summer. 

.........................................DRUMROLL PLEASE...........................................

IT'S CARPET! WOOO-HOOO!

I know this probably isn't as exciting as you thought it would be. However, I have been hinting at carpet for a year now. The tile floor was falling apart, it was extremely slippery and it was always dirty. It was always difficult to do dances, relay races, and activities because the kids didn't want to sit on a dirty floor or they would try to scoot around/slide when teachers weren't looking. It was just a disaster!

I'm excited for carpet and the new adventure it brings. I'm planning on taping my rubber dots to the floor for lining up spots and purchasing Sit Spots for seating arrangements. Check out 2nd Grade Snickerdoodle's blog post about them:

There are going to be so many new things in my classroom this year (aside from the carpet, of course!). I thought I'd share a few of the things I'm most excited about.

Noodle Ponies

At the Artie & Denise conference this summer, I had the opportunity to meet Tracy King. She presented a wonderful workshop all about centers. She also shared her noodle ponies! I couldn't wait to get home and put together some of my own. My cat, Eleanor, was NOT very helpful, so this took longer than necessary, but I'm super excited to use them!

Thanksgiving Fun

The day before Thanksgiving is always a toughie for the kids. We get out early and they are super charged. I was checking out the Music in Motion website and came across something perfect for that day! It's a story book with the song "Over the River." So cute! It tells the tale of a family of turkeys going to Thanksgiving dinner and trying to avoid the farmer. There's a happy twist at the end, though! Also, I found this awesome hat to go with it! Again, my cat was not very helpful with this at home, as you can see in the picture. 

Instruments

After attending the workshop and digging into more materials I had, I have a great plan for more instrument play in my classroom. I also acquired a couple of large congas from the MS band director to store in my room. He was gracious enough to let me store them, as he has brand new ones. I also used my intermediate budget to purchase more bongos, sound shapes and rhythm sticks. Can't wait to use all of these and teach more beat/rhythm with all of my students.

Five Favorite Pins of April

Hi there! I am linking up with my favorite monthly linky party from Mrs. Miracle's Music Room's "Five Favorite Pins." Each day I find more and more pins that I love! I wonder what my first year of teaching would have been like if I had found Pinterest and TeachersPayTeachers sooner. They are gifts!!!

http://www.mrsmiraclesmusicroom.com/2014/04/five-favorite-pins-of-april.html

#1 Aurasma for Halloween

I just started discovering the wonderful things that Aurasma can bring to the music classroom. I can't wait to check out this blog post about Aurasma and Halloween music. What a fun activity to try in the fall!

 #2 Choir Self Evaluation

It is always hard to do assessment in the music classroom. I struggle with it, as well as providing data for my administration. This packet is a great way to get information from my students about the whole concert, but also their own contributions. Plus, there are a variety of forms to fit my needs.

 #3 Groovin' Monsters

This is so cute! I love Linda McPherson's materials. This one is a way to review loud and soft. If you get the answer correct, the monster dances to his iPod on the screen. Really fun, especially for the little ones at the end of the year. Plus, another great assessment tool!

 #4 Frere Jacques

I almost cried when this resource came out! The Yellow Brick Road is quickly becoming my new favorite blog and seller to go to, as we are very similar in our teaching styles and concepts. I start my 5th grade chorus students off with Frere Jacques. It's a great piece to teach as a whole group and slowly morph into part singing. This file allows you to do that on the projector, which can help me show and explain part singing a lot easier. We don't have an elmo or document camera, so helping students read their line for the first time is tough. 

And, one of my favorite pins EVER..............

#5 Glow Worm

I love this pin - it is hilarious! It's just what I need to brighten my day during these last few weeks of school. There are so many things going on and only a few more music lessons with each class - time to make it count :)