Tag: education
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Powerful music history lessons that will provoke curiosity.
Music history can be dry. Rote memorization of the big names and important pieces can be downright painful, especially for younger students who have not yet had their interest for music history piqued. Here are some cool ways to inspire your music students to WANT to learn about music history. 1. Start with more RECENT…
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Did you know that misbehavior can inspire SPECTACULAR music lessons?
Hear me out…. some of my BEST music lessons have come from watching student “misbehavior,” and this is my plea for YOU to consider letting student misbehavior inspire your lesson ideas. First, a story about hula-hoops: As a new teacher with a donated set of hula hoops, my original lesson idea was to scatter the…
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Innovative Songwriting Strategies to Enrich your Music Class
“Just start songwriting!” said the music teacher to a class full of scared, confused, and overwhelmed middle schoolers. Big surprise – it did NOT work. Teaching songwriting is COMPLICATED. The possibilities are ENDLESS and students often don’t even know where to begin. To curb this challenge, music teachers need to scaffold their songwriting lessons so…
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POWERFUL Social-Emotional Learning Activities for the Music Classroom
Students today are facing challenges that we teachers can’t fully imagine. They are growing up in a post-pandemic, social-media saturated, rapidly changing world. Now more than EVER, we need to give these children skills to cope with these new and evolving obstacles. Here are some ways to incorporate social-emotional lessons into music class. Project Idea…
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Indispensable advice for auditioning your music students.
Auditioning is stressful for students of any age. As a music teacher, there are some some things that you can do to help your students with this process. Here are some ideas! Tip #1: Make sure students know EXACTLY what will be asked of them at the audition. Not only does this give your students…
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SPELLBINDING Music Class Activities to Embrace the Magic of Autumn!
The taste of pumpkin spice lattes. The smell of fallen leaves and bonfires. The excitement of the impending holidays in the air. As Autumn creeps into the last days of summer – we music teachers can begin to consider music class activities to embrace the MAGIC of the season! Here are some AWESOME project ideas…
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Let’s Stir Up Some Controversy: Should AI Have a Place in the Music Classroom, or Does It Risk Overshadowing Human Connection?
Music education has long been a realm where human interaction and personal mentorship play a crucial role. The teacher’s guidance, the student’s personal growth, and the shared experiences within the classroom create a rich tapestry that has defined music education for generations. But as technology advances, a new player is entering this space: Artificial Intelligence.…
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INSPIRATIONAL Cross-Curricular Learning In The Music Classroom
Imagine if music existed in a bubble. Just sound. What would we miss? The history of who created it? The inspiration behind it? The connections to things with similar and opposite themes and ideas. CONTEXT is key here. To fully understand something, everything that surrounds it must be considered. As music teachers, we must encourage…
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RELIABLE Activities For The First Day Of Music Class!
The first days of school can be SCARY. Both teachers and students get the back-to-school jitters. Here are 5 sure-fire ways to set yourself up for success on the the first day of music class! 1. “Stick-It” Music Class Game This game is the PERFECT way to get to know you students. First, write a…
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9 Easy Money-Making Ideas For Teachers on Break!
Summer can be a long time to go without a paycheck. In my district, we are ONLY paid September-June, and although we get more per paycheck than we would otherwise, it can be challenging to budget appropriately for this time of year. Here are some easy ideas to make money during your teacher summer! 1.…