Creative Clutter and Music

Love this for 5th grade first day.  They struggled with the activity, then we discussed that they had been taught all these things throughout elementary school and that they will all be on the district music test in February.  This led us to a discussion about paying attention, practicing, and retaining what they learn while in the music room.

 My hallway board, just took last years notes off the staff and will add a picture of each class being rockstars throughout the year!  Blooms Taxonomy for the music room!!  Love this as a constant reminder. http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Blooms-in-Music-Rooms-1275431  Frames for important things!! Music Alphabet!  I need to be better about reinforcing vocabulary so I decided to attempt a word wall this year!!  This rocking' alphabet set was perfect!  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Alphabet-Rockin-Rockstar-Theme-Wall-CardsPosters-Many-Sizes-742407  Gotta have those standards posted! Promethean Board/ Piano Wall  School character education words and definitions. Love these clouds from Mrs. Dennis as a warm up and review activity for all grades. http://musicwithmrsdennis.blogspot.com/2013/01/110-free-music-education-apps.html I needed a new theme to my room this year, so I decid...

Jericho Jenga!!      One of our favorite games in music class is Jericho Jenga.  Students sit in a circle with a jenga stack in the middle.  One student walks the circle (to the beat) as everyone sings the first half of Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho.  At "the walls came a tumblin' down" the students tops in front of someone in the circle ad that person goes to pull out a jenga block while the class sings the second half!  Repeat (over and over).  For big classes use two Jenga stacks and two people walking.

  I am soooooo excited about the music staff in my hallway at school.  The caption is "Each of us a single note, together we create a masterpiece at DSE!"  Each note has a student's name and each color is a different class.  I am thinking I will leave it up the whole year as a teaching tool, but we will see how that goes.

Ok, haven't written on my blog since April!  I sincerely apologize.  My goal this year will be to post more.  (Trust me, it isn't that I don't have anything to say!)   So, that being said, my job description has changed at school.  I am now half time Dean, half time music.  I am excited that I get the chance to use my leadership skills and yet still teach what I love.  I am a little concerned about confusing the kids with the Jekyll and Hyde type of stuff, but it will all figure itself out!  My music room is ready to roll (I think) and I have decorated my office.  Bring on the kids!!

Music Centers In classes of 25 to 32 students I decided I needed to have 6 centers per 40 minute class period Students get through 3 - 10 minute centers per class, getting through all of them in a week.  I introduced Guitar Hero as a center and the kids are loving it!!!

We have spent several weeks learning about music genres, what makes a genre unique, and how to defend our musical preference in a musical way.  (This unit is based on Band Slam clips from the Grammy Hall of Fame.)  As a final project the students develop a CD cover for their own "band".  This is the back of the cover and they do a creative artistic design on the other side!  Look in the next few weeks for some samples!!