A Marching Band Fingerplay Lesson for Toddlers & PreK
My toddler and Preschool music classes love this fun fingerplay lesson on marching bands! It includes singing, movement, and playing instruments. They’ll all want to join the band after these activities! Even though they were made for Pre-K, tots and Kindergarten enjoy theses lesson plan ideas!
ICYMI: Networking for New Music Teachers
I recently wrote a blog post on the importance of networking for The Music Crew. Just click on the image below to check it out!
Sneaky Practice Charts For Instrumental Students This Year
Here's another tool in your toolbox for getting music students to practice their instruments at home. It's part of the foot-in-the-door phenomenon and works well for all sorts of tasks that we tend to put off. The foot-in-the-door technique is a way to coerce someone...
A Fun and Easy Singing Game for “Five Fat Turkeys”
Need an engaging song to sing with your primary students this Fall? Five Fat Turkeys is a popular one and here's a little game I came up with to keep the kids interested while providing plenty of opportunities to sing as a class. I've also just added an adaptation for...
How to Use Simple Routines for Classroom Management in the Music Room
Did you know that simple routines in your music classroom can knock out a majority of unwanted behaviors? If you don't have a clearcut routine for most of your lessons, your students walk in not knowing what to expect. Routines also help students transition from...
How to Use a Music Bracket in Your Classroom
Happy March! Everyone's making their March Madness brackets, why not channel some of that excitement towards music history and appreciation? I got this idea from my amazing former co-worker a few years ago who made a book bracket for the media center. I think the big...
How to Make Clothespin Puppets for Shy Singers
It's common to have primary music students who are reluctant to sing or even say their names. Since puppets in music class help shy kiddos sing, why not make inexpensive puppets for everyone with clothespins? Try using them for warm-ups, vocal play, call &...
Gum cases: easy storage for centers and manipulatives!
The hoarder in me started saving my Extra chewing gum boxes because I knew I would find a use for them. I hated to throw away a perfectly good, reusable container. At first, I started storing business cards in them, then centers cards, and then more and more storage...
Recorder Order
I recently shared my process of introducing new pieces for the recorder in a blog post for The Music Crew. Check it out by clicking here or the image above. Lots of awesome tips for recorder magic! TLDR? Here are the steps in a nutshell: Read the lyrics – just have...
Focus & Engage Students with Musical 4 Corners
One of my classroom management tools is to have a set routine so that students can get into good habits. To break up the monotony of teaching the same routine throughout the week, I try to incorporate an exciting, whole-group game at the end of each lesson. Musical 4...