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 some of the great ideas that I found on Pinterest in the last month or so!#1 – Flashlight Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy
I have always, ALWAYS wanted to add a non-singing, movement related aspect to a concert. This music teacher took the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and added in a movement element that was enhanced by utilizing flashlights in a dark room. The effect was amazing! I think that you could easily get a large group of flashlights from a company like Oriental Trading Company or USToy. You might also get lucky if you do some searching online and buy things in bulk from another website. Just give yourself plenty of time to order and have things shipped from far away. Check out the video to get inspired and borrow the idea!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/374361787755528471/
#2 – FREE and Festive Fonts for Holiday Programs
This is a wonderful pin that EVERY music teacher should put in their toolbox for “later.” We do so many notes home, holiday programs, bulletin boards, and handouts and it’s good to have a few good fonts to rely on. The fonts linked to this pin are perfect for the holidays and will make any note or holiday program stand out!
Just remember with these that you don’t want to overdo it with the font creativity. It’s good to have creative headers and banners but you don’t want to write an entire note home in the “Candy Cane” font because no one would be able to read it all the way through without getting a headache.
If you check out my “Teaching — Holiday” Pinboard on Pinterest you’ll find at least one more link to amazing and free holiday fonts. Check out the whole Holiday Teaching board when you CLICK HERE.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/374361787755528795/
#3 – Christmas Pictures Books from Around the World
I originally found a pin that said “20 Multicultural Christmas Books” and when I followed the link I found a blog post with many more than just 20! There are books that focus on Christmas in Sweden, many books about Christmas in Mexico, and other books that feature multiple countries from around the world. I’ve definitely got some of these books on my wishlist already and can’t wait to see them and read them for myself.
My plan is to pin them now and put them on my spring “to do” list. Then I can check out the books from the library or look for them in a nearby bookstore and see which books I really want to buy before next holiday season.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/374361787755531619/
#4 – Christmas Songs with Movement
I found this fun blog post with easy little Christmas songs. There’s the “Reindeer Pokey,” a Christmas version of the “Wheels on the Bus,” and movement directions for “Away in a Manger.” I really like a fun little movement version of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” where the students sing the first verse and then sing verses like “Now let’s all do a little clapping (clap)” or “Now let’s all do a little waving (wave).”
It’s a fun take on the old songs. You can tell that it’s probably written for a Christian school or Sunday school. The author suggests after the “Now let’s all do a little waving (wave),” verse you could substitute “Now let’s all do a little praying.” I don’t think I’ll include those lyrics when I teach it, but I’ll definitely borrow the idea!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/374361787755266991/
#5 – Bucket Drumming to the Nutcracker
This seems like a super fun activity that could be easily translated from bucket drums to hand drums, tubanos, or other instruments. I love that the rhythms are so easy that they could be used for multiple grades. I think that the routine could be made a little more complex should the class learn everything quickly or should you want to modify to teach an older grade. This blog post even includes a little lesson plan that you can download and use (and everyone knows that time-saving steps in December are AWESOME)! Check it out and imagine the possibilities!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/374361787755531970/
#6 – Dark Chocolate Raspberry Pie Bars
You read that title right, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Pie Bars!! I know that I’m supposed to technically make this blog post about music education. I also know that the blog post title is “Five Favorite Pins,” but let’s be honest. It’s the holiday season and I’m guessing you’re as excited as I am about holiday food! Why not get as excited about holiday food as we are holiday break.
Check out this awesome recipe for a decadent and delicious treat. The process doesn’t look too hard and the finished product looks delicious! If someone is inspired to make them right now, let me know and I’ll give you my address so you can send me a sample.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/374361787755528679/
That’s it for my five favorite pins! If you are a music teacher (or a classroom teacher whose ideas could work in the music classroom), and you are interested in joining the linky party and blogging about your five favorite pins this month, head over to Mrs. Miracle’s Music Room Blog to find her post and follow her directions on how to join the party!
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