Creative Clutter and Music

We were wrapping up our unit on Peter and the Wolf, and telling stories with music.  The students loved having the opportunity for a little more free exploring in the music room!!  Peter and the Wolf marching game on the iPad.  Like memory except the students have to find the instrument and character match.   The culminating activity accompanying Peter and the Wolf is to add a character to the story, choose an instrument to represent it, explain why (hopefully in musical terms) and draw the character.  Many students came into class with their idea ready and really enjoyed the creativity of this project!  I’ll post some results separately.  Oh my goodness!  I have been reading and following Freirbands approach and ideas and am so excited to incorporate them into my classroom.  This center was titled no talking!  Students could free play anything with the stuffed animals but they could not use their speaking voices, only their singi...

I love when student inquiries lead to great discoveries and lessons!! Discussing folk songs with my 3rd graders led us to the Fisher Price Record Player that was mine as a little person, and I have it in the classroom now.  The students could not believe that there was no plug, no batteries and no recording device inside the plastic player.  We then went on to discuss record players.  They were so excited to see how it worked, ask a million questions and dance to my mothers records from the 60s!! 

I cannot believe it is October!! There have been so many wonderful moments and a few trying ones, of course.  Getting my feet and brain back into the classroom has certainly been challenging. The 5th grade students are preparing their Halloween performance, choir has begun, fourth grade students had precorders in hand this week! I’m averaging 7,000 steps per day !  Stay tuned for specific posts. 

I am so excited to share my 2019-2020 Music Room with you!  I went with a chalkboard/mason jar/farm theme. I have a door to the main hallway and a door to the stage hallway, which will be very helpful for program set up and prep.  I didn't want to be hidden in the end of my long rectangular room so I put a corner desk between the two so I still feel connected to the building!   How did anyone ever decorate classrooms without Hobby Lobby?? the two signs above and the clock below were found there. There was a white bag with emergency supplies, but I have been telling kids to grab the red bag for so long that I had to replace it.  I made the little chalkboard with hooks to hold my hall pass and bathroom pass. Class Points!   Check out my new system for tracking class points. The goal is to reach 80 points to earn a privilege or choice day.  Right now the choice day list includes, dance day, karaoke day, outside game day, sock day, silly son...

Moving into a new building was a whole different adventure.  Thank goodness for KIDS!  My oldest brought in the heavy stuff for me, playing Tetris with the dolly.   My daughter, Ashtyn, and her friend, Riley helped with set up.  Although it took them 2+ hours to put together my stool from IKEA.  The hung things, gave advice, sorted and moved stuff around.  As they were working at my desk, Ashtyn decided to change my name 😂.  Don't worry, she did come back and change it before school starts! We have been working so hard to make my music room functional, comfortable, friendly and fun!  Come back soon to see my classroom reveal!!

Ok...15 years, 12 in the music room, 3 in an office, I couldn't have that  much to move out of the building.  WRONG  When I switched jobs from music to admin I brought home about 8 tubs of stuff, and left a lot of things that were mine for the 'new' music teacher to use.  I also antiqued a small roll top desk for my office.  So, you know a few chairs, the rocking chair I nursed my youngest in, a desk, some filing cabinets, refrigerator.  Then the music supplies that were on loan to the school.  Then there are books, books, books and some more books.  Thank goodness for my 18 year old daughter, I don't think I could have done it without her!! How many things can one media cart hold? I was pushing another cart and she decided she could get the cart and the chair out in one trip if she rode it and pulled! (It worked until we were outside!) Stay tuned for the move into the new building, which will happen after I go through the additional ...

     I began this blog in 2013 when I was teaching in the music classroom.  Since 2015 I have had adventures in administration, I served as the Dean of Students for my school.  While I enjoyed working with students in a different role, it is time to get back to my roots, my passion.  I have continued to perform on flute and vocals with the Pueblo Municipal Band.  I am so honored to play with this amazing group of musicians.  This professional concert band rehearses one night each week and plays a concert of new music each Sunday.   We also perform one Christmas Concert.  The concerts are free to the public, the band is funded by donations and sponsors. This fall I will be back to teaching K through 5th Grade music at Cedar Ridge Elementary.  I am so excited to bring out all of my old favorite activities and work towards new ones!  Sharing music with kids is my passion!!     On the note of FREE public concerts, I wis...