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Singing About Animals and enhancing the schema of students!
January 10, 2016

Singing About Animals – Enhancing Schema

I learned early on in my music teaching career that I can’t assume anything about kiddos.  I learned not to bank on the idea that kids have done something before or learned information somewhere else before coming to my classroom.  For example, you might think:  “Itsy Bitsy Spider is a […]
Great ideas to help you get started with Cosmic Kids Yoga
January 8, 2016

Film Friday – Cosmic Kids Yoga

  Have you ever had one of those classes that is just straight up squirrely and can’t find a way to sit and pay attention?  Has there been a moment when you needed something to calm down a class and teach them to relax and refocus?  Do you want to […]
January 4, 2016

Back from Break – Forging Ahead in January

I just had my first day back to school after a nice winter break. The kiddos were a little nuts-o and I was a little tired.  I miss my mid-afternoon nap, holiday snacks that are all somehow better when dipped in almond bark, and not having to ask someone ” […]
Five awesome things I found on Pinterest this month!
December 15, 2015

Five Favorite Pins of December – 2015

I will admit, I spend a lot of time on Pinterest browsing ideas, getting inspiration, and seeing how other teachers decorate and plan for teaching.  Pinterest can be a really great tool to help you plan for your own classroom and inspire you to try new things.  Why not share […]
December 13, 2015

Jingle All the Way – Ideas for December

“I can do this.  I can do this!  I’ve only got one more week….  ONE MORE WEEK!”   Does that mantra sound familiar?  I know that many of you are also psyching yourself up for one more week of high-energy kids who are sugared up from holiday parties and are […]
Easy bulletin board which gives history behind caroling and some of our favorite carols!
December 1, 2015

Celebrate Caroling!  Switchin’ Up that Bulletin Board

 It’s a super, super busy time of the year for all of us.  Between concerts, all-school sing alongs, grades, assessments, conferences, potlucks, and every other thing that comes along, who’s got time for a bulletin board!?   I’ll admit that I’m a bulletin board person… a bulletin board fanatic maybe? […]
5 ideas to extend lessons and create variety when teaching folk songs!
November 22, 2015

I’ve Taught this Folk Song, Now What?!

If you’ve read any of my blog so far you know that I love teaching folk songs.  Folk songs are great songs with catchy tunes, are excellent for cultural and historical references, and usually have some sort of movement or dance component.  What an exciting way to expand vocabulary!  What an […]
Organization ideas, tips, and trick for storing and sorting guitars in your classroom!
November 7, 2015

The Great Wall of Guitars:  Organization Tips and Tricks

I won’t lie, when I took my new job I was a little hesitant about having to teach two sections of guitar to middle school students.  The tuning, the maintenance, the constant attention they would need…. but enough about the students.  The guitars would need lots of help too.  Teaching […]
Check out my music room makeover, 2015!
October 25, 2015

Music Room Makeover!  Room Tour 2015

I’ll just start by saying that I don’t think my classroom will ever truly be finished.  There’s always something to add, alter, improve, eliminate, decorate, or switch out.  This summer I moved from Kansas City to Lansing, Michigan and that means that EVERYTHING I had was boxed up and schlepped […]
This favorite folk song is great for teaching song form.
October 10, 2015

Turn the Glasses Over – Playing with Form!

I love teaching this fun little folk song, “I’ve been to Harlem” a.k.a. “Turn the Glasses Over,” to my students!  I learned the basic version of the song at my Orff Level 1 training a few years ago and have been playing with how to teach the lesson ever since.​  This year […]
This dream classroom inventory gives you links, resources, and ideas to fill out any grant application, purchase order, or classroom wishlist.
October 4, 2015

Ultimate Classroom Wishlist

Many of you know that I moved to a new school this year.  With a new school comes some reorganizing, rebuilding, and reassessment of what is truly important for instruction.  When I opened up the door to my new classroom for the first time I started to take an assessment […]
Use puppet pals to teach the vocal timbres
September 27, 2015

Puppet Pals:  Learning the Four Voices

Teaching the four voices (speaking, shouting, singing, and whisper voices) to my Kinders and 1st graders is something I’ve been doing for years.  The four “vocal timbres” are in almost every district curriculum I’ve seen and every textbook I’ve ever looked at.  “Why do we teach this concept?” you ask. […]
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