Teachers all around the country are being encouraged to find new and exciting ways to communicate with parents about what’s happening in their classrooms. School districts want you to be dynamic about how you use social media and online tools to keep parents in the know. One great ...
In my very first teaching job I was told that I was expected to display “I CAN” statements for my students. They were to be displayed prominently in my classroom, referred to in each lesson, and should help explain to students the goals of the lesson and the take-away skills th...
This bulletin board is absolutely inspired by an amazing “kid ‘Moose-ical” for the holiday season created by the masters: John Jacobson and John Higgins. I did this show a couple years ago and had sooooo much fun with it. The “Moose”ical is about Marty the Moose ...
In today’s world it is so easy to snap a picture or video and upload it to the internet. Every phone has a camera and it feels like every public and private space in the country is bathed with Wi-fi, just asking us to upload, download, and reload.In the last few years I feel like there re...
One of my favorite things about the Orff Schulwerk philosophy of teaching is the ability to go from something relatively simple to an experience that is complex and exciting. You start with a song, add in movement, add in new layers, add in an ostinato, include a game, move students to instruments...
December can often be a challenging and confusing month for music teachers. First of all, so many of our all-school or grade-level concerts fall around the holidays which adds a ton of stress and anxiety to the holiday season. There are also the problems that go along with teaching and managing ...
I think that we can all relate to the “sigh of relief” that comes with finishing up a big concert with students. You no longer have to worry if those 20 kids are going to show up to say all of their lines, if the parent volunteers will finish the set on time, if your technology and s...
There are several really awesome “New Year” folk songs that somehow get lost in the shuffle of winter break. I always plan to teach them, but then either we have a holiday program that takes precedence or a last-minute, all-school assembly or classroom holiday parties… or somethi...
I have always loved teaching the 12 Days of Christmas! There are so many fun and funny ways to make this song relevant to your kiddos and lots of great activities to go along with it. I’ve taught the 12 Days in a lot of different ways and thought I would share some ideas with you here. Som...
You would think that teaching “Carol of the Bells” should be a slam dunk. Kids most likely know the song from the radio or tv or a movie soundtrack. But this is another one of those classic favorites that I would call a “song on the fringe.” We know it, but not very wel...
“Over the River and Through the Woods” is an American classic that I think a lot of folks recognize and love. It’s one of those ubiquitous songs that pops up now and again and immediately feels fam...
I love finding old and unique folk songs to share with my kiddos. Folk songs are so fun and quirky and not your typical elementary school fare. I mean, if you search “elementary school thanksgiving songs” you’ll find lots of songs that are used by teachers in general education ...