tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008460542484673052024-03-18T23:18:31.538-04:00Music With Mrs. TanenblattMrs. Tanenblatt's personal teaching blog, filled with songs, games, and activities for the elementary music room. Visit often to find new lesson plans and links to teaching ideas that you can implement in your classroom tomorrow! Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-12376207654911390252023-02-25T22:26:00.003-05:002023-02-25T22:29:27.076-05:00What to Do When Students Aren't Listening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If your school year has gone at all like mine has, you might be feeling like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEqs_6ihC526y6KXd8QtfpMz0SfzN-o_JpP17TFg5exnGeqQGqAvSbdQOmxS3sSJ0O-Zjr4JmcsKpbsD2AI17gaxGwwUtRRT6EectSX8XJ2Zgk8KzLjqEtRVqi8z51P9zpe6lpF4UXC6lNC0HptsxLHvCv70DQXo593-EBPL0TAuhPcNbPkC81Ko9q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Meme of the count from Sesame Street with text reading "Today's number is zero. Zero children are listening. Ah ah ah!"" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEqs_6ihC526y6KXd8QtfpMz0SfzN-o_JpP17TFg5exnGeqQGqAvSbdQOmxS3sSJ0O-Zjr4JmcsKpbsD2AI17gaxGwwUtRRT6EectSX8XJ2Zgk8KzLjqEtRVqi8z51P9zpe6lpF4UXC6lNC0HptsxLHvCv70DQXo593-EBPL0TAuhPcNbPkC81Ko9q=s16000" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>I know it can be incredibly frustrating and I have had days this month when I just wanted to rip my hair out! But when I take a step back, get out of my feelings, and think about what is really going on in my classroom, I come to rely on these ten key steps to help get kids to listen to what I'm trying to teach them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. Eye Contact</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkSN8mnnYtxZbck27b24U1wUb_ITdbxe_uBeX5YDBDTbyp5Zl8wNlPK6dvNTQF_TcU2zI54ac2lKowTtPUbJdRyjVB69YSNDLC9W_vvsAMVmvZ0v8xQ4wNmzyUjk0IMEaxhibbG3Fy7KoM5LkohQH8riz9ZgvXVfXkjT3cOxDfTISj-jGBoZnKWzmK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="500" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkSN8mnnYtxZbck27b24U1wUb_ITdbxe_uBeX5YDBDTbyp5Zl8wNlPK6dvNTQF_TcU2zI54ac2lKowTtPUbJdRyjVB69YSNDLC9W_vvsAMVmvZ0v8xQ4wNmzyUjk0IMEaxhibbG3Fy7KoM5LkohQH8riz9ZgvXVfXkjT3cOxDfTISj-jGBoZnKWzmK" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div>This is probably the most basic thing you can do to connect with your students. Making direct eye contact reminds them that you are paying attention to them and encourages them to do the same.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Proximity</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjINx3G8fWUIHPjD5uHfVwjj113SPdP-Vz-ny1FB79m61gJORm9yS7aWQBXdiua9MWrG7dsTgzLS6b8wT6lqh31Le4iLIkfl_7ikbTP0YZ3ztzCsUULEEOOiSAROW3jex_KO0YMG5K822suW-AahGeNecd3WDR5w2JJN3XrbhyVNMxCc3meCqHpp8qa" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="500" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjINx3G8fWUIHPjD5uHfVwjj113SPdP-Vz-ny1FB79m61gJORm9yS7aWQBXdiua9MWrG7dsTgzLS6b8wT6lqh31Le4iLIkfl_7ikbTP0YZ3ztzCsUULEEOOiSAROW3jex_KO0YMG5K822suW-AahGeNecd3WDR5w2JJN3XrbhyVNMxCc3meCqHpp8qa" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div>The next thing to try is just to walk around your room and stand near the students who aren't paying attention. Sometimes they just need a subtle reminder that you're nearby and that they should focus. Moving around the room also makes it easy to have a quick check-in with a student who may need more support.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Student Helpers</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis3mQNz_xUoRo0HK52tU8sQO9gmh638Tg2idQliJFcRyo2IPkeF3PJm8QsZA6Bbep6ocJK_aTRG0PFEQH400BEMmUB5EzTO_47bcltUxreRq_xVn9Yih68xgWQgphurZv3-sQLi7oUqj4hGSqUn5XRp5IjYc6DnGbDK-Z6gj49ypqhD4YVbt4l2qWN" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="500" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis3mQNz_xUoRo0HK52tU8sQO9gmh638Tg2idQliJFcRyo2IPkeF3PJm8QsZA6Bbep6ocJK_aTRG0PFEQH400BEMmUB5EzTO_47bcltUxreRq_xVn9Yih68xgWQgphurZv3-sQLi7oUqj4hGSqUn5XRp5IjYc6DnGbDK-Z6gj49ypqhD4YVbt4l2qWN" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Children LOVE having jobs to do in the classroom! It could be something as simple as turning the lights on or coming up to point on the board. Any time you can enlist a child's help in the lesson you strengthen your bond with that child, which will in turn help keep them engaged. </div><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. Wait Time</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiur9AMKGspY2yiQLNdmPBAodZdp6AMYdf4M7jmfWq1NAkcKtS6qrIHXnUu7TKZq2DokOvYQ9WgZ8MgZQ9z9aybi-1j9hfkEK122sSEzKwDKaMlQ3m0jKrYZIK6WeFKBRtkV4mhhYPM3aBkMLbLr3a7WZE2FXnRpNhFAxRT1tp5eXzYY1rCQM4eL4X" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="500" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiur9AMKGspY2yiQLNdmPBAodZdp6AMYdf4M7jmfWq1NAkcKtS6qrIHXnUu7TKZq2DokOvYQ9WgZ8MgZQ9z9aybi-1j9hfkEK122sSEzKwDKaMlQ3m0jKrYZIK6WeFKBRtkV4mhhYPM3aBkMLbLr3a7WZE2FXnRpNhFAxRT1tp5eXzYY1rCQM4eL4X" width="320" /></a></div><br />Sometimes the best thing to do when kids are talking is to wait it out. Talking over students sets the precedent that it's ok to talk while the teacher's talking. One word of warning, though: make sure that your students are aware that you're waiting. Otherwise they might not even realize that the lesson has stopped because they were off topic. I sometimes will say, "raise your hand if you hear someone next to you talking" and that usually gets the room quiet.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">5. Change up the Activity</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAfeyAO5g6-FOhR29EOLQrIaCm2di2JXkOcl6dOlCQES3s2EQ1gDUWsNyYDVB9uBnE_Gm-VyKJ0qeJOkxru0OS5n_QIoIGsgeC0a1IQ_Q9rEubbG8rZfoWnALe8dH_sV5ab3LB2sEX_hYgtAh30l3CUXHGsqKjarM8L5deq4ZntL_Pms06Um_NObeo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="500" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAfeyAO5g6-FOhR29EOLQrIaCm2di2JXkOcl6dOlCQES3s2EQ1gDUWsNyYDVB9uBnE_Gm-VyKJ0qeJOkxru0OS5n_QIoIGsgeC0a1IQ_Q9rEubbG8rZfoWnALe8dH_sV5ab3LB2sEX_hYgtAh30l3CUXHGsqKjarM8L5deq4ZntL_Pms06Um_NObeo" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div>You should consider that there might be a problem with the pacing or format of your lesson. Remember that children's attention spans are pretty short and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34636362/" target="_blank">getting shorter</a>. When in doubt, get up and dance or have a stretch break!</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">6. Private Conversation</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBvMzwcnISrdNoieDpL550kV8xHpAX-n_KfOz0-ZdTTWL0q2ywaoEovuNY-g_ZIYhoBWKuuGnm-6_efQ3HlLAsrcBk3ogBxtoNVz2B-DbG46aQGVtm_5f7oHOEpxdysKkrgsZNEApKxvfklLT_xzRs9ers4r62RioFDA5JJXMgwCIuVSwdFnUYJYXI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="500" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBvMzwcnISrdNoieDpL550kV8xHpAX-n_KfOz0-ZdTTWL0q2ywaoEovuNY-g_ZIYhoBWKuuGnm-6_efQ3HlLAsrcBk3ogBxtoNVz2B-DbG46aQGVtm_5f7oHOEpxdysKkrgsZNEApKxvfklLT_xzRs9ers4r62RioFDA5JJXMgwCIuVSwdFnUYJYXI" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div>If you do need to redirect a student multiple times, I suggest pulling them aside and talking to them privately about their behavior. Doing so in front of the whole class is not only dehumanizing for the student but has the potential to create a power struggle if they don't comply with your instructions. Talk to them personally. Try to figure out where the unwanted behavior is coming from and ask them how you can help them succeed.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">7. Involve All Stakeholders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNaNOEflPrsSoT8JGwDflViEt5INvpflr7ygjJCTU08Glh4YozCKJh-uNAhpbTRPFI9bxe7s1qKPnANs7voQW9h54FGorhS9bVgadtCeH_LtXY135tPCmD6m1mkqNl9iWkkDv49IbO1XAsnr-zSMDIniU7GaFgBZNja4kXzMzlOsuts1xR2Ag167hQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="500" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNaNOEflPrsSoT8JGwDflViEt5INvpflr7ygjJCTU08Glh4YozCKJh-uNAhpbTRPFI9bxe7s1qKPnANs7voQW9h54FGorhS9bVgadtCeH_LtXY135tPCmD6m1mkqNl9iWkkDv49IbO1XAsnr-zSMDIniU7GaFgBZNja4kXzMzlOsuts1xR2Ag167hQ" width="320" /></a></div></h2><div>If you continue to struggle to connect with an individual student, don't be afraid to get others involved who may already have a strong relationship with them. Keep in mind that it's not always going to be a family member. You can also (within reason) reach out to another trusted adult at the school who has a good relationship with the child. Make sure that when you do communicate with the adult that you are calling them in with the intention of listening and understanding in order to help the child.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">8. Lesson Audit</h2><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiULJgf38wWUEWwdZhMjQfCFuGmm37MHqNM3ucz1ASPtRYU51JtxN31YCaMe5IUb9XOmrreDX3Syxi7JV-pBYKhw-kHNXFlNdq9lF1LTZfHVCmln9Hh_FUTgy7uxstptQcs9olcXfu5aDCcsZ_qQyK37LvDuD7DFgkeTWCn4PKWAKhkEUeJX2w_hPxD" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="500" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiULJgf38wWUEWwdZhMjQfCFuGmm37MHqNM3ucz1ASPtRYU51JtxN31YCaMe5IUb9XOmrreDX3Syxi7JV-pBYKhw-kHNXFlNdq9lF1LTZfHVCmln9Hh_FUTgy7uxstptQcs9olcXfu5aDCcsZ_qQyK37LvDuD7DFgkeTWCn4PKWAKhkEUeJX2w_hPxD" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div>If you're doing all the previous steps and still struggling with students not listening, it's time to consider whether your lessons or curriculum might need changing. As teachers, we're obligated to meet our students where they are- not where we'd like them to be. Find out what your students' interests are and go from there.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">9. Re-establish Class Norms</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiu1gjUQnYRqK0euTeXgA6ePtgXr9EsihPraxoO2_2L_DsQ6jHNm8fMMSOyQoMJdNYY46mj4ksmFn8heHAsGxD4nduafEi6o2p8aFA23V06tfudNAjuVzMiJ8nb_wu4bjnOeZLQUMaX-dGNyyyOLv3cWk8IcqwLHvDPm1zmaQhAR8a4YKGjkRMlM8Uk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="500" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiu1gjUQnYRqK0euTeXgA6ePtgXr9EsihPraxoO2_2L_DsQ6jHNm8fMMSOyQoMJdNYY46mj4ksmFn8heHAsGxD4nduafEi6o2p8aFA23V06tfudNAjuVzMiJ8nb_wu4bjnOeZLQUMaX-dGNyyyOLv3cWk8IcqwLHvDPm1zmaQhAR8a4YKGjkRMlM8Uk" width="320" /></a></div><br />Sometimes you might need to have a heart-to-heart conversation with a class about what's working and what's not. Be open and honest about how you're feeling and encourage students to share their feelings as well, if they are comfortable doing so. Work together collaboratively establish your class norms to move forward as a team.</div><h2 style="text-align: left;">10. Reach out for Help</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtzZhyuCKrz3gY7wc7OhXEyMGW1Q95fQvE2H_dsgcIMivScGxlCZ_3C-Gmm084IJXpp-zXGjKyA-FJUchG3oJ8UDGud3TyFLOvoNCPsOK0XDh6xvhk1JxNR1gctSllTehyoHN0CT5uvhBMisb4uzE2lvgP71IRRfrGN_m2nIDMlQipZHbxlrx_aKMc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="500" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtzZhyuCKrz3gY7wc7OhXEyMGW1Q95fQvE2H_dsgcIMivScGxlCZ_3C-Gmm084IJXpp-zXGjKyA-FJUchG3oJ8UDGud3TyFLOvoNCPsOK0XDh6xvhk1JxNR1gctSllTehyoHN0CT5uvhBMisb4uzE2lvgP71IRRfrGN_m2nIDMlQipZHbxlrx_aKMc" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>These are extremely challenging times. Teachers are getting burnt out. Children are experiencing trauma. It's easy to get discouraged. It helps to remember you're not alone. Hopefully you have someone at your school you <br />can talk to. If you don't have supportive people at your schoolhouse, reach out to your teacher fam on social media. Just as it is with everything else in life, we can only get through this by working together.</div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0HiHF5B7Ve4M6AiHZIa_qykGxZBTFgmZ4A4mtPu5sZ_8hx9m7KedbPnPOtK-o2Xr93EiXywAwDXuhyq5vCP8eCvmGrXgi0BLjnok9_T3KUu0EPjou7_xLp7SJG3cpdl5__cnpB0D7o8/s320/Rachel.png" width="320" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-72989668641158415832022-02-15T11:40:00.001-05:002022-02-15T11:40:23.117-05:00Feel the Beat! A lesson on Hip Hop History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you follow me on social media, you've probably already seen some of my favorite books to teach during Black History Month. Of course, we shouldn't be waiting until February to feature Black excellence in our music rooms. That should be happening year round! One thing I do differently in February is focus more on historic events and biographies to tie in with the theme of the month. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1XCox2fUHH84AMPFoKui17Wd0jFukiXwOjuzZ3ApTMKkaMkTcrWdx9L-XNRG3q6nawD4yWnT4Pd8DTmg8cUlWd5HaYCKaMdebhlkxlkmM2WDYnrUQcf-36C7I-aklWd7AZm6zH1l_HNl3CMxU58UI6MqsBoehknViJHJICXikyoo6xVdvsxiCDVWq=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1XCox2fUHH84AMPFoKui17Wd0jFukiXwOjuzZ3ApTMKkaMkTcrWdx9L-XNRG3q6nawD4yWnT4Pd8DTmg8cUlWd5HaYCKaMdebhlkxlkmM2WDYnrUQcf-36C7I-aklWd7AZm6zH1l_HNl3CMxU58UI6MqsBoehknViJHJICXikyoo6xVdvsxiCDVWq=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My students are always fascinated by this book, When the Beat Was Born, written by Laban Carrick Hill and illustrated by Theodore Taylor III. In the past, I would read it, discuss some of the terminology in the book, and then just move on. This year I decided my students needed something a little more hands-on, so I've included a technology component, along with a written check for understanding.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let's dive in!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>First, read the book<br />You can <a href="https://amzn.to/3uTf090" target="_blank">purchase a copy of the book here</a> (Amazon affiliate link.) In my classroom, I like to project a read-aloud version so that students get a better view of the illustrations and get to hear someone else's voice besides mine reading the story. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y2K-hKX1kQ" target="_blank">Here's one that I recommend</a> by Mr. Alicea's Arcade of Knowledge on Youtube.<br /><br /></li><li>Reading Guide<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNs7v_tMW14P_Rkr9sYQVNqCKEdwsth5uyBWKX9YNPKypIVBOr31muuJbW3mV3UtIWiE1d8xiUrWomb_2V1306A1zowAsmXmWedbb5qh8bFV4o_1CIX4iOGUsSVtNRGi1R_v5nDRtmNKlc-nYFt5iNHcjDstTTq8G8srFhB1wp1yamWnDe3bEOR5-H=s3024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNs7v_tMW14P_Rkr9sYQVNqCKEdwsth5uyBWKX9YNPKypIVBOr31muuJbW3mV3UtIWiE1d8xiUrWomb_2V1306A1zowAsmXmWedbb5qh8bFV4o_1CIX4iOGUsSVtNRGi1R_v5nDRtmNKlc-nYFt5iNHcjDstTTq8G8srFhB1wp1yamWnDe3bEOR5-H=s320" width="320" /></a><br /><br />For students who need a little more guidance to focus on the story, I created a reading guide with ten questions about the book. I will often pause the story to discuss the answers to the questions as we go along. You can sign up for my free insiders newsletter to get access to the reading guide.</div><br /></li><li>Dance<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://gonoodle.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1885" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglDm7hhKpyV53XQ27hN2VL2m71pNGpYCHlUAo5eFi2_pbvfceBGRIyBGRKQpsttHxWDVairIyi7eoB8hVbY2KzSMoTA9r5RNFMCexdsNbaAbpC3E-corYBGyK9Yp9pCi2Wg60RwQduO9YzslGPCp-seju1q7Uc1J71KfKMJ5vpOQDNJ72k7ZVvMn_n" width="320" /></a></div>Depending on the age/maturity of the group, I might play some old school hip hop recordings and have my students try breakdancing themselves. <br /><br />If I'm doing the lesson with younger kids, I've found that they benefit from more guidance with the dance moves, so I've been opting to play a couple of hip hop dances on <a href="http://gonoodle.com" target="_blank">GoNoodle</a>: two that I like to use are Jump! and Can't Touch This.<br /><br /></li><li>Google Doodle turntables<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.com/doodles/44th-anniversary-of-the-birth-of-hip-hop" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="1308" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzj4SZYXiiGmb-LA5WTHzZDBLuYwPtM3GXrpSMj2HeS9R-o5M38l0parTKxokUgL0ln57RwjHf0mQHxaBsbbpk388flb4PT3bAzT1rzu_WsemQNicmuyK7CImH5k2dSAK9GDa18MSiyZojN_v9chUFYeuJd37m0s_WIZvcmuM8oNyBkGuwy2jV1B_l=w400-h240" width="400" /></a></div>The final way that I have my students interact with this content is by giving them a link to <a href="https://www.google.com/doodles/44th-anniversary-of-the-birth-of-hip-hop" target="_blank">this Google Doodle</a>, which begins with a brief introduction to DJ Kool Herc and then allows students to take the reigns and become a DJ themselves. My students LOVE to look at the album artwork as they select their records, and some of them figured out how to scratch the records on the turntables, too!</li></ol></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Have you used this book in your classroom before? I'd love to know what else you do to teach hip hop in your elementary music lessons! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0HiHF5B7Ve4M6AiHZIa_qykGxZBTFgmZ4A4mtPu5sZ_8hx9m7KedbPnPOtK-o2Xr93EiXywAwDXuhyq5vCP8eCvmGrXgi0BLjnok9_T3KUu0EPjou7_xLp7SJG3cpdl5__cnpB0D7o8/s320/Rachel.png" width="320" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-33587516469229731602022-02-07T09:43:00.001-05:002022-02-07T09:43:41.254-05:00Dollar Tree Finds for Music Teachers <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheWyA7TU2AXKyKGgqrfh0e9Xy00McSxZaj5Dx2pVjWaD8lgPjga2lFiXKrpUp7zQj5qs0SfrmCe4_S_P6l5YaijksVk9MbdwLoh8YWmYl9C5Vor2Wn9CHqqL3wVe6lJc-mrpyuuD7XBfIRmst80i5gltH5zG0c-XTqLK0id1h4QXdiMuZNq_JVAHPz=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheWyA7TU2AXKyKGgqrfh0e9Xy00McSxZaj5Dx2pVjWaD8lgPjga2lFiXKrpUp7zQj5qs0SfrmCe4_S_P6l5YaijksVk9MbdwLoh8YWmYl9C5Vor2Wn9CHqqL3wVe6lJc-mrpyuuD7XBfIRmst80i5gltH5zG0c-XTqLK0id1h4QXdiMuZNq_JVAHPz=s320" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you've been following me for a while, you might already know that I love <a href="https://www.mrstanenblattmusic.com/2021/07/the-music-teachers-guide-to-thrift.html" target="_blank">bargain hunting</a>. To me, there is nothing better than scouring a clearance aisle or wandering through a thrift store to get the best deals for myself or my classroom. Just in case you don't share my passion for the hunt, I went shopping at Dollar Tree yesterday and curated some excellent items for you to use in your music class:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZqV59hj4QG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZqV59hj4QG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0px;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0px auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZqV59hj4QG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Music With Mrs. Tanenblatt (@musicwithmrs.tanenblatt)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I recently shared some of my newest Dollar Tree finds on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musicwithmrs.tanenblatt/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and I wanted to go into more detail here to explain some of the teaching activities that can be done with these goodies. <i>(Please note that this post is not endorsed or sponsored by Dollar Tree. I just really love shopping for good deals!)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>HEART BAGS AND GEMS</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A bag with sixteen hearts that can also be used for storage: can you say convenient!? Fill the bag with gems, mini erasers, or rhythm icons and you've got materials ready to go for rhythm dictation, decoding the rhythm of a song, or composing new rhythms. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZIAcycgllt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">this post by Jane Lee</a> to see the materials in action! Or, if you're short on time and would rather get a set like this ready-made for you, check out this option from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1148726970/heartbeat-rhythm-activity-for-music?click_key=ecea66162544b15ce5e0fd992e95aa0b337125c8%3A1148726970&click_sum=936b2412&ref=shop_home_active_2&frs=1&crt=1&sts=1" target="_blank">Hutzel House of Music</a>!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>GNOME BEAT BUDDY</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Is it just me or is everyone obsessed with gnomes this year? I like that this little guy has a heart stitched on his hat... it seems only natural to call him a beat buddy and pass him around a circle to the steady beat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>DIY FINGER PUPPETS</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I bought these with the intention of making the puppets for my classroom but my four year old has already commandeered them for herself! Whoops! The set comes with pre-sewn finger puppets and felt shapes that can be glued on to make the different designs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>POP ITS</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My six year old niece was visiting recently and she saw some bubble wrap we had lying around. She immediately grabbed it and said, "A pop it! I love these toys!" These mini pop its are the perfect size to use as giveaways or keep stashed in a sensory/calm down bin. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stay tuned for my next post, which will feature more Dollar Tree bargains and DIY projects. And if you're still in the mood for a good deal, don't forget that there is a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Music-With-Mrs-Tanenblatt" target="_blank">sitewide sale coming up on Teachers Pay Teachers</a> on Feb 8 and 9. You can <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Music-With-Mrs-Tanenblatt" target="_blank">snag any of my products</a> for an additional 20% off during the sale. Happy shopping!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0HiHF5B7Ve4M6AiHZIa_qykGxZBTFgmZ4A4mtPu5sZ_8hx9m7KedbPnPOtK-o2Xr93EiXywAwDXuhyq5vCP8eCvmGrXgi0BLjnok9_T3KUu0EPjou7_xLp7SJG3cpdl5__cnpB0D7o8/s320/Rachel.png" width="320" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-41600005627511345562021-11-27T15:35:00.001-05:002021-11-27T15:35:36.809-05:00Chanukah Music: the Dos and Don'ts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqi1e5eP3UM_8HK4qMe4PpU4DKk9dg7ck0eFuEVgTtm1KgxIoLu7B9bcR24n0gYMHxcQDP4nT70-D0Rw4vDQ5OXBktTQ3zSV9IBnKYSwucNLr-mw1SwB5Zuo8MuymGntBz_kGMYjpSjI/s940/Happy+Hanukkah+Facebook+Post.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqi1e5eP3UM_8HK4qMe4PpU4DKk9dg7ck0eFuEVgTtm1KgxIoLu7B9bcR24n0gYMHxcQDP4nT70-D0Rw4vDQ5OXBktTQ3zSV9IBnKYSwucNLr-mw1SwB5Zuo8MuymGntBz_kGMYjpSjI/w640-h536/Happy+Hanukkah+Facebook+Post.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, somehow we've made it to the winter holidays during this whirlwind of a school year! As exhausting as this year has been, I feel rejuvenated when I think about all of the fun holiday music I get to teach in the upcoming weeks. I like to share songs from many different cultures in order to make my music room an inclusive and welcoming place. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know that I always feel gratitude when others acknowledge a holiday that I celebrate, and I'm sure my students do, too. However, I also know how awkward and othering it feels when someone tries to teach about one of my holidays and gets it just plain wrong.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As a Jewish teacher, I wanted to take some time this year to clarify some facts about the festival of lights:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What Chanukah is:</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A festival lasting for eight nights celebrated by Jews around the world. It is a fun and uplifting holiday, full of fascinating symbolism. The story of Chanukah is a motivational tale of underdogs who persist despite great odds. There's gorgeous music and fun folk songs about this holiday that are a great addition to your elementary music lessons.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What Chanukah isn't:</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is NOT Jewish Christmas. In fact, from a liturgical standpoint, it is one of the lesser festivals and not the most religiously significant. The only reason it's become so popular is because of its proximity to Christmas on the calendar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you are not Jewish but are interested in teaching your students about Jewish music and culture, please double check the accuracy of the information you share with your classes. Did you get the song or lesson idea from an actual Jewish person? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, please be wary of these pitfalls when teaching music from another culture: Does your Chanukah lesson tokenize Jewish people? Is it the only time all year that you mention Jews? Are you including a Chanukah song in a concert that's otherwise all Christmas music, just so you can check off a box and call it inclusive? Can you accurately explain the difference between Jewish culture and the Jewish religion?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyKtaEhM86fSq0ZelddhkPhkYWfhfuhayHD73-Zp0sX49h_qKkPo_zXefYfW6JwaOUWL9LP3jWL1kVDezruUsUcip1p2ssDyFUEuZbISCMipwn9IlsCNUNEWcqJvbnAjVFVghqKdFNk8/s1200/Untitled+design+%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photograph of a chanukah menorah on a table, surrounded by dreidels, gelt, and jelly donuts" border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1200" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyKtaEhM86fSq0ZelddhkPhkYWfhfuhayHD73-Zp0sX49h_qKkPo_zXefYfW6JwaOUWL9LP3jWL1kVDezruUsUcip1p2ssDyFUEuZbISCMipwn9IlsCNUNEWcqJvbnAjVFVghqKdFNk8/w640-h420/Untitled+design+%25283%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This time of year, I find many well-meaning folks sharing things that are just plain inaccurate. For instance, programming a random Hebrew song on a winter concert and saying it's for Chanukah, when it actually has nothing to do with the holiday. Likewise, it makes very little sense to teach Israeli folk dances as part of a Chanukah celebration. I like to teach Israeli dances in the spring, around Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israeli independence day.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd suggest doing some research about other significant Jewish holidays as well, such as Passover and the high holy days. How can you include those in your music lessons during other times of the year?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, what should you do?</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you've read this far, thank you for taking an interest in Jewish music! One of my favorite ways to teach my students about Chanukah is with a dreidel. I start by explaining the four Hebrew letters on the dreidel and the acronym that they represent: a great miracle happened there. (I also show my students a dreidel that I bought in Israel which says "happened here" instead.) This allows me to briefly tell the Chanukah story before we sing the dreidel song and play the game.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SkVAmAgXiBUVBuMeY5RPGY53hZXMjKq3yH3wj0Yl0PUnVr0mlmJ0afQRnsyndETLHa2Zpqt-fCKb_fhOgYXM8Rg-SIDtf9zJDaiiz3oi9wWqc6duvXlfJVQombB-EsNSNNX4MdC31Gc/s940/Untitled+design+%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photo of a yellow dreidel with the letter gimmel facing upwards." border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="940" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SkVAmAgXiBUVBuMeY5RPGY53hZXMjKq3yH3wj0Yl0PUnVr0mlmJ0afQRnsyndETLHa2Zpqt-fCKb_fhOgYXM8Rg-SIDtf9zJDaiiz3oi9wWqc6duvXlfJVQombB-EsNSNNX4MdC31Gc/w400-h297/Untitled+design+%25282%2529.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're looking for a resource to help you teach the dreidel song, I have a presentation you can get <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Dreidel-Song-Song-and-Game-Instructions-1575115" target="_blank">here</a>. It also includes a printable DIY dreidel and gelt so that your students can make their own before they play the game. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Dreidel-Song-Song-and-Game-Instructions-1575115" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1553" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6i2RazM8R2LgvFgw1co_zsQ7PRY09VrsXvIQ9cSiFcGygFEQ8QOHPIf3jGP6W4eC7PMxFo8DWhyWWQjwORWvgwMbPI_XPqjx3JhtI-lousP2km7HAJCo_v-38n5O1cFahRetFf0a92E/w494-h640/demopreview.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope this post has helped you as you choose to make your music classroom an inclusive and welcoming place. Chag sameach!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0HiHF5B7Ve4M6AiHZIa_qykGxZBTFgmZ4A4mtPu5sZ_8hx9m7KedbPnPOtK-o2Xr93EiXywAwDXuhyq5vCP8eCvmGrXgi0BLjnok9_T3KUu0EPjou7_xLp7SJG3cpdl5__cnpB0D7o8/s320/Rachel.png" width="320" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-23213738547927314642021-09-25T14:58:00.002-04:002021-09-25T17:42:42.180-04:00Soy Una Taza: A hilarious and fun children's song from Spain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Soy Una Taza is one of my students' favorites! Performed by CantaJuego, this extremely catchy song teaches the names of kitchen utensils through whole body movement. I learned it from Rachel Gibson from her session at the OAKE 2019 national conference and have loved teaching it ever since. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhqw9O46MbnSmr1AtJQSN_xNZFfBkgJTDjg1P67r5ESp9KiB5lo_4Ybaewrvfum3CPvyTs7HqwggPaVdqRmZL4CwSxIcXtow8hhU4qx3xt6T1om90WRAw1KWimttWu8PHoLCxvNDeTNU/s940/Taza.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhqw9O46MbnSmr1AtJQSN_xNZFfBkgJTDjg1P67r5ESp9KiB5lo_4Ybaewrvfum3CPvyTs7HqwggPaVdqRmZL4CwSxIcXtow8hhU4qx3xt6T1om90WRAw1KWimttWu8PHoLCxvNDeTNU/s320/Taza.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The song alternates between chanting and singing, so it's great to use in primary grades to distinguish between speaking and singing voice. It's also a great way to incorporate more Spanish language during Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month and all year long. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lyrics:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Soy una taza, una tetera</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>una cuchara y un cucharón</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>un plato hondo, un plato llano</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>un cuchillito y un tenedor</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Soy un salero, azucarero</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>la batidora y una olla express</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>Chu! Chu!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's a video of the group performing it; however I prefer to just play the audio and demonstrate the moves myself. But here's the video so you can learn how to do the movements for yourself:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fTzTFQbdYEQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I created these visuals to help my students learn the words better in both languages:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfo8bsDlT588FcJPrVcq5m1Ck7skgB_3X4Yg49GemCa0LXEkIwbh77wFpPPpNgLN00weybTGK8mgRFKKgobQ0tZVYxMEcHscBv6XPDuPjOyhG1EJwvojul4e5_mlhaWK6gvOwm0OuvJA/s940/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfo8bsDlT588FcJPrVcq5m1Ck7skgB_3X4Yg49GemCa0LXEkIwbh77wFpPPpNgLN00weybTGK8mgRFKKgobQ0tZVYxMEcHscBv6XPDuPjOyhG1EJwvojul4e5_mlhaWK6gvOwm0OuvJA/w200-h168/1.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFgnFuQ8MvZWbRgmCnFTwKIZBSFES8WxrMOt_SHopZHvek4nEVEIAhBbo5MleuVkLCUa4WSdmeOUB5yRFxoyqXoSDCOTU4cvIxG7UBItBAHlJQENWESK8oYwRhZxwEDPIgTp6-xL5x2w/s940/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFgnFuQ8MvZWbRgmCnFTwKIZBSFES8WxrMOt_SHopZHvek4nEVEIAhBbo5MleuVkLCUa4WSdmeOUB5yRFxoyqXoSDCOTU4cvIxG7UBItBAHlJQENWESK8oYwRhZxwEDPIgTp6-xL5x2w/w200-h168/2.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuH2dr440SZRXKtApaNMeUGq7BdcgzMa3W8G66e82pmUBMw7XS7k-CNLY6NF5pSKojHz3fOX6nfPlY-KL_SpNlmUt8q9UnWI2uh95paZCZIBtSn3bBC3pUtN-wJGPvKSuFEHzWnm11l8/s940/3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfuH2dr440SZRXKtApaNMeUGq7BdcgzMa3W8G66e82pmUBMw7XS7k-CNLY6NF5pSKojHz3fOX6nfPlY-KL_SpNlmUt8q9UnWI2uh95paZCZIBtSn3bBC3pUtN-wJGPvKSuFEHzWnm11l8/w200-h168/3.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxywRIlGW-WL-OHmcAOoDGU-1gVXl2rD9Kca5Hkiu5Cey7sFULnEEDsEmu9dxNebJJYnZGL7DkyFvifkJ0foMNhgFLUzYrolZTnqjeIg8vfZqqc_CsBEa7W54tw9Fj7hzSGGg0BwW0fs/s940/4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxywRIlGW-WL-OHmcAOoDGU-1gVXl2rD9Kca5Hkiu5Cey7sFULnEEDsEmu9dxNebJJYnZGL7DkyFvifkJ0foMNhgFLUzYrolZTnqjeIg8vfZqqc_CsBEa7W54tw9Fj7hzSGGg0BwW0fs/w200-h168/4.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHvagFrxBGtwB-vJlmifitokkWkhMX0jYQjUgNFtVMbPjgA0bzVwRbDVQwX4ujRhESIMOBElsnUdDD3Dt44N23F7X-BKHltgmGiUsxBrUYjrqnF9wIlEhW1hQkPZ7_NrB85FNxLf_6RI/s940/5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHvagFrxBGtwB-vJlmifitokkWkhMX0jYQjUgNFtVMbPjgA0bzVwRbDVQwX4ujRhESIMOBElsnUdDD3Dt44N23F7X-BKHltgmGiUsxBrUYjrqnF9wIlEhW1hQkPZ7_NrB85FNxLf_6RI/w200-h168/5.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6SYu0Pcc1psyx-AgLOp-bxnyqBtO97BDworpGqwud0XpCp-fXh-ohPBe8VNscZ72OUpsHDo-CaO1G6stPAekTPxwB3FYbDHkfP8RgFwqxw0ogvdxT3JTz0Lk4uOG2hMdj92xweAkYmA/s940/6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6SYu0Pcc1psyx-AgLOp-bxnyqBtO97BDworpGqwud0XpCp-fXh-ohPBe8VNscZ72OUpsHDo-CaO1G6stPAekTPxwB3FYbDHkfP8RgFwqxw0ogvdxT3JTz0Lk4uOG2hMdj92xweAkYmA/w200-h168/6.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1NvOP-N-ZS3iLo0YEtu_Wg9GCYT-kkWCwPbACwJ1nE4YCO8WQEEaRtuOAOlSwAEFOSzpbkZ5jg3AzipNcjaPmNBiRxdR9nh92XGqxDCBXpWTlQzbF0V_zst_3h2EymQIlkZkgY1LrEc/s940/7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1NvOP-N-ZS3iLo0YEtu_Wg9GCYT-kkWCwPbACwJ1nE4YCO8WQEEaRtuOAOlSwAEFOSzpbkZ5jg3AzipNcjaPmNBiRxdR9nh92XGqxDCBXpWTlQzbF0V_zst_3h2EymQIlkZkgY1LrEc/w200-h168/7.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJjiStMAJ85-HtNBnueicQwIKOUbQNyLgRFA7EVbyzGW0jQXZdqognRhjtmJ-QyEoA7lP2QtWCtI6guEESYsTDjgOc78BS9zHVsuEaJdGORlCp7ADlySdUJKpeyBqqbnmrss8iSzwXpM/s940/8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJjiStMAJ85-HtNBnueicQwIKOUbQNyLgRFA7EVbyzGW0jQXZdqognRhjtmJ-QyEoA7lP2QtWCtI6guEESYsTDjgOc78BS9zHVsuEaJdGORlCp7ADlySdUJKpeyBqqbnmrss8iSzwXpM/w200-h168/8.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PwiLpXabD2ltjIMn_hEHDHuaFWA5eSYOPzl75FBqG4AdiIC4hpNEdkbLzD3oOFNkTq5dgdEtCO0UNCd0kSmktz3qiuVzSwXFM1-Teo7binJtwNwBV4K1HsmX3nYfV1nmY73knIX4R7o/s940/9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PwiLpXabD2ltjIMn_hEHDHuaFWA5eSYOPzl75FBqG4AdiIC4hpNEdkbLzD3oOFNkTq5dgdEtCO0UNCd0kSmktz3qiuVzSwXFM1-Teo7binJtwNwBV4K1HsmX3nYfV1nmY73knIX4R7o/w200-h168/9.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXx5YXhcyN21IErvqDlxwsyFohqOZ2sFhFPzI_7ZtCY0vO-EuQle8oOElzRb6Zfi8KqP1MESCX8-3rot6lgVkcEUtZuXyjwoS0Oc6stFgRN-ewcFVzbLxJmWn19QJsjeoL3h3Ri0lDbTc/s940/10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXx5YXhcyN21IErvqDlxwsyFohqOZ2sFhFPzI_7ZtCY0vO-EuQle8oOElzRb6Zfi8KqP1MESCX8-3rot6lgVkcEUtZuXyjwoS0Oc6stFgRN-ewcFVzbLxJmWn19QJsjeoL3h3Ri0lDbTc/w200-h168/10.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcqcg3xXJHuGuV8FWlSkyHYhoXIS92mJ_zz4StTp6vQdm_l-YuJQzkXW03CHzvmZUpBHMBi8aBdx7nmTDzFaVAcWYkp8FSDcrqc1ICJR36Y9ZH0921hoQ3YTz-zJIIJhtseMmw-A1nI8/s940/11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcqcg3xXJHuGuV8FWlSkyHYhoXIS92mJ_zz4StTp6vQdm_l-YuJQzkXW03CHzvmZUpBHMBi8aBdx7nmTDzFaVAcWYkp8FSDcrqc1ICJR36Y9ZH0921hoQ3YTz-zJIIJhtseMmw-A1nI8/w200-h168/11.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbEsBgALfFNThSk4S6Mjl1St9doE5t3Xbx5-EMYYFkzVYJehLPWXSL_rlXPQt70NsLo59AbVzJJ0eE_e2dvpNpM3oTG9XBPRbAqU-Bmf8QZNJzdI5rqC1sXloE_rl4eehbVmN6UHZWn8/s940/12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbEsBgALfFNThSk4S6Mjl1St9doE5t3Xbx5-EMYYFkzVYJehLPWXSL_rlXPQt70NsLo59AbVzJJ0eE_e2dvpNpM3oTG9XBPRbAqU-Bmf8QZNJzdI5rqC1sXloE_rl4eehbVmN6UHZWn8/w200-h168/12.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope you have fun with this one. One final warning, though beware: It WILL get stuck in your head. Choo choo!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0HiHF5B7Ve4M6AiHZIa_qykGxZBTFgmZ4A4mtPu5sZ_8hx9m7KedbPnPOtK-o2Xr93EiXywAwDXuhyq5vCP8eCvmGrXgi0BLjnok9_T3KUu0EPjou7_xLp7SJG3cpdl5__cnpB0D7o8/s320/Rachel.png" width="320" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-70144262827747794622021-09-21T11:43:00.005-04:002021-09-21T11:43:51.256-04:00Un Amigo: A Guatemalan Children's Song<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to share some of my favorite songs in Spanish. I'm starting off with this adorable song for primary students: Un Amigo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdgoVaHMZhcR9mvIakdgXU_lsCw10d3U474zqojJwfYM7iLlrjS9_C6FVxbIGA2fUoUS8TN6jDJL1dA2bzNYt-Ff98iiPU8QBNJODYfrv6GGliWvYJ79e5blmOOGtV2QejhFIm3Uw6iA/s960/Un+Amigo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Notation for the Guatemalan children's song "Un Amigo"" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdgoVaHMZhcR9mvIakdgXU_lsCw10d3U474zqojJwfYM7iLlrjS9_C6FVxbIGA2fUoUS8TN6jDJL1dA2bzNYt-Ff98iiPU8QBNJODYfrv6GGliWvYJ79e5blmOOGtV2QejhFIm3Uw6iA/w640-h360/Un+Amigo.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I learned this song a few years ago from Rachel Gibson at the 2019 OAKE national conference and it has quickly become a staple in my primary music lessons! Every kid loves making animal noises and this song is a fun way to get kids singing and playing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I start by teaching the song and projecting different animal images on the screen. We practice making the different animal sounds as a group so that everyone knows what sounds they make. (For some animals, it's also fun to add movements, too!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a slideshow with the song lyrics, notation, game instructions and animal pictures:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="299" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vRpr4QyiRcSybH6Aa_6WKZ_bTGeKwgOZ-KvGmQ1zNJEG6ZHOJmdNwsOMbuoKV1vwGSdxpJYwcVQzuId/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tKl5Qvjk1r_Eqz89LDRZ9LMG1enP77-LhdMaRZVukXQ/copy" target="_blank">Click here to make a copy of the slideshow.<br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When it's time to play the game, I give each child an animal picture card and tell them not to show anyone what animal they got! We sing the song as a group and then one student is chosen to make their animal sound while the rest of the class tries to guess what animal it is. Then, we sing the song again and move on the next student. It's so much fun to hear my students get silly and creative with their animal sounds!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are the printable animal cards to use with your students:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42HvgtA6wLJsptEQIBcwIlObRpzXIsCmbbjSLJzJ6tMsaHIeOZMBS9xMDwKtKttk9Oicgd55fIQavuOcvi3tVHFtjraS-6RhOLpIU6Ti_U4VC-9XHxQZ4sXbtfnsjP4HtpBJ0QJxAdSs/s2048/Un+Amigo+Animal+Picture+Cards_Page_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1583" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42HvgtA6wLJsptEQIBcwIlObRpzXIsCmbbjSLJzJ6tMsaHIeOZMBS9xMDwKtKttk9Oicgd55fIQavuOcvi3tVHFtjraS-6RhOLpIU6Ti_U4VC-9XHxQZ4sXbtfnsjP4HtpBJ0QJxAdSs/s320/Un+Amigo+Animal+Picture+Cards_Page_1.png" width="247" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_NpdpqWWoo8FhQdf_Ua_iHNU8z1VuSeFP_FtHavunqqm2w9OEJIBiqoK7VDjTPnfP9EkyfVK9vB0mE-C1UJoqHRP8YQol9jlEqyDpP0-sTzXHMDcw5071A4pFjFkUR7RMvFfkR7EAq0/s1056/Un+Amigo+Animal+Picture+Cards_Page_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="816" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_NpdpqWWoo8FhQdf_Ua_iHNU8z1VuSeFP_FtHavunqqm2w9OEJIBiqoK7VDjTPnfP9EkyfVK9vB0mE-C1UJoqHRP8YQol9jlEqyDpP0-sTzXHMDcw5071A4pFjFkUR7RMvFfkR7EAq0/s320/Un+Amigo+Animal+Picture+Cards_Page_2.png" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKdFbBpwoqM37aC2ThGC5XflcJmfhBxUmK4rkrbyrMDFOJ1FWWipasgn0sEWYzcyMUe0BozwDuXOCUQrMyr-05gS5IY2RQSpNHrOfSC9Bb37tlgSuz7EnBcrZrb7sJ5lnmPPTGYWREjM/s1408/Un+Amigo+Animal+Picture+Cards_Page_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1408" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKdFbBpwoqM37aC2ThGC5XflcJmfhBxUmK4rkrbyrMDFOJ1FWWipasgn0sEWYzcyMUe0BozwDuXOCUQrMyr-05gS5IY2RQSpNHrOfSC9Bb37tlgSuz7EnBcrZrb7sJ5lnmPPTGYWREjM/s320/Un+Amigo+Animal+Picture+Cards_Page_3.png" width="247" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3u6y2JxT9LlOkPyzQ9pwbNkjE1O_6Mz5LS7cAqWFZKvGATypOMIk6pSXE_hJVxrfRIgqICh-rt57vJrmXWIZ3eDcjnij165keAFxESHx-tIdkWj0na5URkU4GwU5omlqfHPcA6gn6sbo/s1122/Un+Amigo+Animal+Picture+Cards_Page_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="867" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3u6y2JxT9LlOkPyzQ9pwbNkjE1O_6Mz5LS7cAqWFZKvGATypOMIk6pSXE_hJVxrfRIgqICh-rt57vJrmXWIZ3eDcjnij165keAFxESHx-tIdkWj0na5URkU4GwU5omlqfHPcA6gn6sbo/s320/Un+Amigo+Animal+Picture+Cards_Page_4.png" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMdSVmyw_futH1W9osBYCamWHXMT_QVfDQSc3_UBGDdsLbMT3KBgSgxRMT_tXIC9-X_VKC75xlBVtvGigSTSXDu4vTvYVmQdR-Z3hWruFa2ptMLm1IpfHcWcvlDPJ90AukAeOWYSh5VQ/s1870/Un+Amigo+Animal+Picture+Cards_Page_5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1870" data-original-width="1445" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMdSVmyw_futH1W9osBYCamWHXMT_QVfDQSc3_UBGDdsLbMT3KBgSgxRMT_tXIC9-X_VKC75xlBVtvGigSTSXDu4vTvYVmQdR-Z3hWruFa2ptMLm1IpfHcWcvlDPJ90AukAeOWYSh5VQ/s320/Un+Amigo+Animal+Picture+Cards_Page_5.png" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope you and your students have fun with this game!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0HiHF5B7Ve4M6AiHZIa_qykGxZBTFgmZ4A4mtPu5sZ_8hx9m7KedbPnPOtK-o2Xr93EiXywAwDXuhyq5vCP8eCvmGrXgi0BLjnok9_T3KUu0EPjou7_xLp7SJG3cpdl5__cnpB0D7o8/s320/Rachel.png" width="320" /></div></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-62177539104215118192021-07-13T11:46:00.001-04:002021-07-13T11:46:05.212-04:00The Music Teacher's Guide to Thrift Shopping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ah, summer break... the time to finally relax and reset ourselves for the upcoming school year. After the year we just experienced, we all deserve a break. Everyone has different ways to decompress. My favorites are floating in the pool, binge watching TV, and shopping. So that I don't end up completely broke, I try to shop secondhand whenever possible.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know what you're probably thinking: "Rachel, if you're shopping for stuff for your classroom it doesn't count as decompressing!" but the thing is, I LOVE shopping. I could spend hours combing through bookshelves and wandering down aisles of clothes. For someone like me, thrifting is therapeutic and I look forward to these lazy summer days when I can go and take my time hunting for treasures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're new to thrifting, here's some tips to help you get started:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82DGcX2ukO9p6_Oic0j7ucvnR-_PabEwJ5GR9Pb33VVn7t9u5EVab7F0226ZnTDGBjqGviW0-YI6b46HF5aRSQRsbiaump_psgX1VYsS6W_nHnlzUnKC55SQqtMa3JFaJCNmLa3vG59s/s1200/thrift+shopping+blog+post+%25282%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A woman in a blue fur coat and sunglasses riding in a shopping cart with the heading "The Music Teacher's Guide to Thrift Shopping"" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82DGcX2ukO9p6_Oic0j7ucvnR-_PabEwJ5GR9Pb33VVn7t9u5EVab7F0226ZnTDGBjqGviW0-YI6b46HF5aRSQRsbiaump_psgX1VYsS6W_nHnlzUnKC55SQqtMa3JFaJCNmLa3vG59s/w640-h426/thrift+shopping+blog+post+%25282%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Go with an open mind</b><br />The most important thing to know about thrift shopping is that you really are hunting for treasure among some... less desirable things. Depending on the store you're shopping at, you might encounter stuff that's dusty and dirty. Try to see past the grime and envision what an item could be used for after it's had a good cleaning. (For me personally, I draw the line at tobacco smoke. If an object smells like smoke it's almost impossible to get that smell out and I will almost always pass it up.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You should also be prepared for the fact that you might not find anything good that day. There have been plenty of times I've gone to the thrift store and come home empty handed. The beauty of shopping secondhand is you never know what you're going to find. Some days you'll get a great haul and others... not so much. When I go thrifting with my husband we like to visit several stores in one day to maximize our chances of finding good stuff.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Have a plan</b><br />Before you go shopping, check to see if your store has certain days of the week where they offer extra discounts or promotions. They might even have teacher discounts! One of the stores near me gives you an extra coupon if you've donated things so I always try to plan my trips there when I have a bag or two of stuff to donate. You can also call your store to ask if there's a certain day of the week that they set out new merchandise so you can be sure to get first dibs on the good stuff when it's restocked.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3kip_5mMlxCg9Aiz1EIlwo3D1fVd-OmZfIDoYzmngw4bplDOft7-4VKdYTeHYK2V2PNou4tPCBpORAYKv8FuWqFwBcRAvYwKM2GBVLNjtSQCU2ytjTEgZgo9Zja-vep12s3acAsI-zU/s2048/pexels-julia-m-cameron-6994965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A woman in dreadlocks and a woman in a hijab looking through bins of merchandise at a store." border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3kip_5mMlxCg9Aiz1EIlwo3D1fVd-OmZfIDoYzmngw4bplDOft7-4VKdYTeHYK2V2PNou4tPCBpORAYKv8FuWqFwBcRAvYwKM2GBVLNjtSQCU2ytjTEgZgo9Zja-vep12s3acAsI-zU/w400-h266/pexels-julia-m-cameron-6994965.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I visit thrift stores, I always follow the same pattern. This helps me prioritize and make sure I have time to really dig through the things I am most interested in:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. First, I go past the counter where they keep the most valuable merchandise. Sometimes they might have musical instruments! But be aware that some thrift stores, like <a href="https://www.shopgoodwill.com/" target="_blank">Goodwill</a>, don't actually sell their valuable items in store and instead they put them up for auction online. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Next I always head over to the children's books. I like to really take my time here and sort through every single book; it can be easy to overlook something. For instance, yesterday I found a copy of the book <i>Moses Goes to a Concert</i> by Isaac Millman. It was in great condition and I happily snatched it up. However, it was missing its dust jacket so it looked very plain and unassuming at first.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhICzb8jyqNWYYMdUv3wAZL3j33-YumrqXJ-ViEQkwghKzNaYTILK4IOm5EcU6NIDd7Q29hwoHFuu4URQXzOiVIkMBvcJcF7gmBDrxwP4b05uZKHPwho1tlv3ylTGbPL1UMK9cKDTe6A/s2048/pexels-cottonbro-6344231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A person's hand pulling a book off of a bookshelf." border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhICzb8jyqNWYYMdUv3wAZL3j33-YumrqXJ-ViEQkwghKzNaYTILK4IOm5EcU6NIDd7Q29hwoHFuu4URQXzOiVIkMBvcJcF7gmBDrxwP4b05uZKHPwho1tlv3ylTGbPL1UMK9cKDTe6A/w400-h266/pexels-cottonbro-6344231.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. My third stop is usually the housewares and home decor section. I keep my eyes out for storage containers, baskets, even shelving units. I got one of these <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tot-Tutors-Storage-Bookshelf-Collection/dp/B000IHJF60/ref=as_li_ss_tl?crid=2CS2T5M9L6L2R&keywords=classroom+bookshelf&qid=1582309743&sprefix=classroom+book,aps,214&sr=8-12&linkCode=sl1&tag=wear03e-20&linkId=e15ff3611367c05b6e19d65b8b84e235&language=en_US">amazing book display</a> at a thrift store while visiting my family on Long Island. Fortunately I had enough room in my car to take it home with me! On another shopping trip I found one of these <a href="https://www.amazon.com/SimpleHouseware-Heavy-3-Tier-Utility-Rolling/dp/B07V49ZP66/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=black+rolling+cart&qid=1626189732&sr=8-5" target="_blank">rolling carts</a> new in box, it had never even been put together! Last week I found a Sterilite storage cart that I'm looking forward to cleaning up and using in my classroom, too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. The last place I usually look is the clothes. As a plus size woman, I don't usually have a lot of luck finding things in my size. However, every now and then I'll score big and come home with some nice styles in brands I love. On my shopping trip to Goodwill yesterday, I found FIVE articles of clothes! For me, this is significant! You just never know what you're going to find and some days you will be luckier than others.<br /><br /></div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRRPXMusOKW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRRPXMusOKW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; 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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRRPXMusOKW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Music With Mrs. Tanenblatt (@musicwithmrs.tanenblatt)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Divide and conquer</b><br />Thrift shopping can get exhausting. If you're shopping with a buddy, I recommend splitting up in the store so you can have time to see everything you want to before you get too exhausted or impatient with each other. For instance, I usually go thrifting with my husband. While I'm camped out in front of the children's books he usually goes to look at the records and electronics. He'll be flipping through stacks of vinyls while I'm paging through books. Then, we meet up again and share our finds when it's time to check out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Set a budget</b><br />Hopefully your school district reimburses or pays for most of your classroom supplies. However, if you are like me and tempted to just buy everything for yourself, make sure you know your limits before you start shopping. When every individual item is so cheap, it can be tempting to just toss everything in the shopping cart and not think about how much it will ultimately cost you. But ten books at $1.25 each is still twelve dollars out of your pocket, so be sure you know how much you are able to spend and don't go over budget.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdy-O1XmBX1GhuAqHt1EBJihtm9eBsyYpZ_s0KINAJIVBEr_rt7rKbDx0H4mEBO7EOAFziA5ZnFZQPfsNnjdMpcFkGdn66dKJ3ejSV0hRxBJJY-QO7UUq9S9yKun-7BDO341jA30B1mLI/s2048/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4386407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A pocket of a denim jacket with several bills of US currency sticking out." border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="2048" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdy-O1XmBX1GhuAqHt1EBJihtm9eBsyYpZ_s0KINAJIVBEr_rt7rKbDx0H4mEBO7EOAFziA5ZnFZQPfsNnjdMpcFkGdn66dKJ3ejSV0hRxBJJY-QO7UUq9S9yKun-7BDO341jA30B1mLI/w400-h260/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4386407.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Think outside the box</b></div>My last bit of advice to you is to be creative when you're at the store: try to envision other possible uses for items besides what they may have originally been intended for. A hanging shoe holder can organize small classroom items or a toy shelf can hold ukuleles. Music teachers are the most creative people I know and you will need to tap into that creativity to make the best use out of the things you find.<div><br /></div><div>Happy thrifting!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0HiHF5B7Ve4M6AiHZIa_qykGxZBTFgmZ4A4mtPu5sZ_8hx9m7KedbPnPOtK-o2Xr93EiXywAwDXuhyq5vCP8eCvmGrXgi0BLjnok9_T3KUu0EPjou7_xLp7SJG3cpdl5__cnpB0D7o8/s320/Rachel.png" width="320" /></div></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-69353344151034191212021-06-29T23:48:00.000-04:002021-06-29T23:48:01.399-04:00Help! I'm Teaching Elementary General Music!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So you just found out you're going to be teaching Elementary General Music. Congratulations on your new teaching job! Maybe you're coming into this position after teaching a different age/subject area, or maybe this is your first job outside of college. Whatever has brought you to this point, you made it here! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Your mind is probably spinning with ideas for next school year and questions for where to begin. I'm here to remind you to relax, take a deep breath, and get ready for a year full of learning and personal growth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUWLwh8y2YMFm_ro3cPmH0DW6Zf0ie66pi6_RiVccLj4UknwUoIbduptXV6ZrGMGnVMczGDsbqiKObAVCUnYbkmguB537XuQKcjYV0rwhgc2kpmb3WDmLcEO7Y107-iSls4csbpiMl1U/s1200/Help+General+Music+Blog+Post.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Help! I'm teaching general music by Music With Mrs. Tanenblatt" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUWLwh8y2YMFm_ro3cPmH0DW6Zf0ie66pi6_RiVccLj4UknwUoIbduptXV6ZrGMGnVMczGDsbqiKObAVCUnYbkmguB537XuQKcjYV0rwhgc2kpmb3WDmLcEO7Y107-iSls4csbpiMl1U/w400-h266/Help+General+Music+Blog+Post.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>First and foremost, relationships matter<br /></b>As an Elementary General teacher, you're probably going to be teaching hundreds of children every week. It can be overwhelming at first to think about getting to know so many kids! This definitely gets easier the longer you stay at one single school, but that first year it is most important to get to know your kids: Talk to them during transitions or downtime. Ask them what their hobbies and interests are, and be sure to incorporate that information in your lessons. Say hi when you pass them in the hallway.<br /><br />I wouldn't try to jump right into teaching content during your first lesson. That first week of school should be spent getting to know your students through ice breaker activities, name games, and joyful music-making.<br /><br />Just as important as it is to get to know your students, it is equally important for them to get to know you. Children aren't going to learn from someone they don't trust. It is crucial to be open and friendly from the very beginning. I always start my first class with a slideshow that includes family photos and fun facts about me. I've bonded with lots of kids over my pet lizard and love of Animal Crossing. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAactt94e15uC1j4n0nHFlbIOAAZVcPlpFmXE24JmoyuEzcPFNGRVXOq-4xd9sg8DIQo-5J4wiRYEiPo7na3tSblrobmyTPdeU25fU8RBE9wErRmdBsGMg025_M5J8637RmLqIxRW3igs/s800/118563050_10217591476203914_565082481522550691_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Example of an identity slide featuring photos and graphics about Mrs. Tanenblatt" border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAactt94e15uC1j4n0nHFlbIOAAZVcPlpFmXE24JmoyuEzcPFNGRVXOq-4xd9sg8DIQo-5J4wiRYEiPo7na3tSblrobmyTPdeU25fU8RBE9wErRmdBsGMg025_M5J8637RmLqIxRW3igs/w400-h225/118563050_10217591476203914_565082481522550691_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></li><li><b>Expectations, Expectations, Expectations<br /></b>Elementary schoolers are, in general, eager to please. After teaching in multiple schools across the state, I have come to the conclusion that kids everywhere are pretty similar in this area, regardless of age, race, gender, class, or any other characteristic. Kids want to learn, especially from a teacher they know and trust. The biggest mistake I've seen from newer teachers who struggle with classroom management is a failure to set clear expectations. Most kids really do want to succeed in school, but might not fully understand what exactly you want them to DO in order to be successful.<br /><br />I can still remember a horrible moment (but oh, so funny in retrospect) from my first year teaching: I had a water fountain in my classroom and there was a group of first graders that came to me straight from phys ed. They were all seated and ready for class to begin and I was giving them a little tour of the features in the classroom. I casually said, "oh and there's a water fountain here in case you ever need to get a drink." Have you seen the scene in The Lion King with the stampede? Yeah... not making that mistake again. But I don't blame the students. What I should have said was something along the lines of, "We have a water fountain in the music room. You may take a drink when you first enter the classroom before you sit down in your seat, or you will need to raise your hand and wait to be called on before you get up." Young children need explicit instructions in order to be successful. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bFmiDPDA5xIXLRGd0rFrVP_Z5ExHgjY4z3KONdO6FtrR9eVsKW7w_0PRn1UTEj3KBhxEbe2ZL_A73ubnrMagvNmE2M7nBB3814ZWy-_g0eCAKySOct7EVBeM0OZIYUoFkGXBWUgyi4M/s2048/pexels-katerina-holmes-5905458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photo of a girl sitting in a classroom raising her hand while the teacher points to her" border="0" data-original-height="1433" data-original-width="2048" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bFmiDPDA5xIXLRGd0rFrVP_Z5ExHgjY4z3KONdO6FtrR9eVsKW7w_0PRn1UTEj3KBhxEbe2ZL_A73ubnrMagvNmE2M7nBB3814ZWy-_g0eCAKySOct7EVBeM0OZIYUoFkGXBWUgyi4M/w400-h280/pexels-katerina-holmes-5905458.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></li><li><b>Attention Span<br /></b>If you're coming to the Elementary realm after teaching upper grades, you may be surprised by how short young children's attention spans are. A good rule of thumb is the child's age in minutes is the length of time they can focus on a single activity. So a seven year old can focus for seven minutes, etc. <br /><br />Primary students will visibly let you know when they've reached their limit and need a change of pace because they will start to get squirrely in their seats. A super self-aware kindergartener might even raise their hand and ask if they can do the next song standing up. With the older kids it might be harder to tell when you've lost their attention, until you notice them having side conversations, falling asleep, or just staring off into space. <br /><br />When planning my lessons, I try to alternate between more challenging/high focus activities and less intense ones. I also try to switch between seated/standing/scattered in small groups/moving around. Little bodies were not made to sit still for a 40 minute class period. So many behavior problems can be avoided simply by keeping them moving.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Learn Their Names<br /></b>This might seem obvious, but learning your students' names is SO important. If you do nothing else the first month of school, learn their names. Write down every student on a seating chart. Refer back to it every time you see the class. When you call on an individual student, don't just point to them- actually say their name. If you get it wrong, apologize and get it right next time. When I first started teaching, I remember being embarrassed to admit when I couldn't remember a kid's name. However, trying to avoid admitting it only made the problem worse. I've found that kids are quite understanding when I simply say something like, "I'm so sorry. I teach hundreds of kids and I'm still learning everyone's names. Will you please remind me what your name is?" <br /><br />And while we're on the subject of names, make sure you are pronouncing every child's name correctly. Yes, it matters. No, it's not funny to give them an Anglicized nickname because you can't pronounce it in their language. Obviously your students should be the primary source for how to pronounce their names, but if you need a guide so you don't feel completely lost on the first day of school, check out <a href="https://pronouncenames.com/">https://pronouncenames.com/</a><br /><br /><br />Our names represent who we are and failing to use a child's name correctly tells them that you have no interest in them. I highly suggest reading the book "Your Name is a Song" by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow at the beginning of the school year and using that as way to encourage students to share the correct pronunciation of their names.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">(Click on the book cover for a paid Amazon affiliate link:)</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Your-Name-Song-Jamilah-Thompkins-Bigelow/dp/B07W4XJ184?crid=2GB1QDR7PTFC8&dchild=1&keywords=your+name+is+a+song&qid=1624980531&sprefix=your+name%2Caps%2C178&sr=8-1&linkCode=li3&tag=muswitmrstan-20&linkId=6f9c54328d0e8802f092a89ac0c42a31&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_il" target="_blank"><img alt="Cover of the book Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B07W4XJ184&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=muswitmrstan-20&language=en_US" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=muswitmrstan-20&language=en_US&l=li3&o=1&a=B07W4XJ184" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></div><br /></li><li><b>Make a Monthly/Yearly Plan, and be prepared to deviate from it<br /></b>I can't tell you how many times I've seen the following post in some form or another on social media: "Hey everyone, what are you doing with your second graders this week?"<br /><br />It makes me cringe every time. <br /><br />Now, don't get me wrong: I am ALL FOR sharing successful lessons and fun teaching strategies with my colleagues. However, it has become very clear that some folks are only planning their lessons one week at a time and have no idea what the big picture is for their curriculum. At the beginning of school year, I spend a few days mapping out my entire year for each grade level (big picture units, not individual lesson plans) and it makes planning so much easier later on. I never have to stop and think, "hmmm, what is the next rhythm concept that my third graders should be learning?" because I already have it all planned out. Most school districts have some kind of curriculum and pacing guide for you to use as you design your yearly plans. (If not, you can easily find decent plans online on Teachers Pay Teachers.)<br /><br />Once you have your year planned out, you don't need to stress from week to week about what concepts you're supposed to be teaching. Instead you can spend your planning time selecting the best repertoire and awesome activities to teach those concepts. Of course, things will not always go according to plan. It might take more or less time to teach certain concepts and it is important to be flexible. One class might get interrupted by a bunch of fire drills or miss class due to holidays. There's a reason why I always sketch out my plans in pencil! <br /><br /></li><li><b>Music should be FUN!</b><br />Depending on your school district, elementary music might be the only time in your students' school experience where they are required to take a music class. You might be the only music teacher your students have in their entire lives. (No pressure, right?) What do you want your students to remember when looking back on your class in 30 years? Do you want them to say, "Oh man, Ms. Jones did a really great job of teaching me the circle of fifths" or would you rather they remember the amazing time they had in your classroom, bonding and connecting with others through music? <br /><br />I try to keep this in mind whenever I'm having a rough day or a certain class leaves me feeling frustrated: My job is to help kids discover their love of music. I get to sing, dance, and play games every day. And people actually pay me to do it! It is really the best job in the world.<br /><br /></li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3TNMDFiQqCdeTQktvWcgw0WQKIr8AYz_GyXP54hgc17OH0mAX5gwP6JtTHjjxmRpbpB-2FQ_aMeYMbs6pmJwZC56NtAGGIhwi1UpLs9mr5CqmzkYCemvnnnWnmzXflMoph73NOAQe1s/s2048/pexels-cottonbro-3662762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Girl holding an 'ukulele" border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="2048" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3TNMDFiQqCdeTQktvWcgw0WQKIr8AYz_GyXP54hgc17OH0mAX5gwP6JtTHjjxmRpbpB-2FQ_aMeYMbs6pmJwZC56NtAGGIhwi1UpLs9mr5CqmzkYCemvnnnWnmzXflMoph73NOAQe1s/w400-h297/pexels-cottonbro-3662762.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>I hope you're excited to begin teaching Elementary General Music and I hope these tips make the transition a little bit easier for you. If you have any questions, you can always reach out to me with a comment, email, or on social media. I'd love to hear how things are going as you start your journey. Good luck!</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0HiHF5B7Ve4M6AiHZIa_qykGxZBTFgmZ4A4mtPu5sZ_8hx9m7KedbPnPOtK-o2Xr93EiXywAwDXuhyq5vCP8eCvmGrXgi0BLjnok9_T3KUu0EPjou7_xLp7SJG3cpdl5__cnpB0D7o8/s320/Rachel.png" width="320" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-10943739766556531022021-05-20T23:04:00.001-04:002021-05-21T08:17:44.879-04:00Cicada Music Ideas<div class="separator"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Here in Maryland, the Brood X Cicadas have started emerging! They have just started to shed their skin and in my neighborhood we are finding them crawling around and clinging to plants. Whether you think they are cute little critters or a terrifying plague (hey, I won't judge you) their once-every-seventeen-year appearance presents the perfect opportunity to connect our music lessons to the natural world. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrEdRpN2r4fToUvxNoHcViMekcfQYhheA762LC6_A6X35zHh_izNnDqPVGzmkdKAfnMX5vJOoM_rqaohRnYfz9rVcYZN9seen2p276ZvF3IDRzI9oTsTVA8RBmQ-QLY_eiNgdstuyX2M/s1200/Cicada+Music+Blog+Post.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrEdRpN2r4fToUvxNoHcViMekcfQYhheA762LC6_A6X35zHh_izNnDqPVGzmkdKAfnMX5vJOoM_rqaohRnYfz9rVcYZN9seen2p276ZvF3IDRzI9oTsTVA8RBmQ-QLY_eiNgdstuyX2M/w426-h640/Cicada+Music+Blog+Post.png" width="426" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Movement<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">The cicada life cycle is perfect to inspire creative movement in the music classroom! You can talk with your students about how cicadas spend most of their life underground and only emerge for a short time. How can we use levels to show their emergence from the ground? What would you do if you had lived your entire life in one place and suddenly discovered a brand new world? How would you move to respond to this new environment? What kind of music could accompany this movement?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh921ovn7xxtvLMKTzTkzbLE8k9WIAHzLePh3S1ptyx0AaPpVjN55jKqgYmHMbZKARvqDuoXHMVOFXe1RLfokO8SEAnDItpMMtnczhbssakzBVMNKoiofVX79KCk7XHmnxBEl0czfd1LS8/s480/life-cycle-of-a-cicada-coloring-page.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="358" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh921ovn7xxtvLMKTzTkzbLE8k9WIAHzLePh3S1ptyx0AaPpVjN55jKqgYmHMbZKARvqDuoXHMVOFXe1RLfokO8SEAnDItpMMtnczhbssakzBVMNKoiofVX79KCk7XHmnxBEl0czfd1LS8/w478-h640/life-cycle-of-a-cicada-coloring-page.png" width="478" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/life-cycle-of-a-cicada"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Supercoloring.com</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Speech Piece<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I composed a speech piece called Cydnee Cicada. It's in triple meter and the rhythm set is dotted quarter, three eighth notes, and quarter - eighth. This makes it a great prep activity for K/1 and rhythm practice for 2/3. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Students can act out the different actions that Cydnee does in the piece as they read the text. I composed this piece during my lunch break today and read it to my three year old this afternoon. She LOVED pretending to be asleep, waking up, and doing all of the subsequent actions. Her favorite part was climbing up on a step stool and pretending to chirp in a tree.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="389" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQllW9zZdfHYhDkXcXBzZEhxR-rQz9mnZ8kboHtJK8BKcITo9IH8ezjGR752pR4Il06PcxwX2xG7Rr8/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe>
<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><i><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OR6lTGtEwDacoKpuFgRxW9Bp9l1q8siEhncTbs9x39A/copy" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Make a copy of this slideshow</span></a></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Instrument Exploration<br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">You can extend this lesson by incorporating unpitched percussion instruments. What do cicadas sound like when they sing? What instruments sound most like a cicada?</span></div></h3><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wVXrTv4NY_M" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">If you have a cricket guiro, this would be a great opportunity to pull it out and maybe point out the similarities and differences between crickets and cicadas.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">For more instrument exploration, you could have students perform the piece on barred instruments by improvising a melody. Another option would be to play a bordun or ostinato while reciting the piece. You could split the class into three groups: one to play instruments, one to say the speech piece, and one to do movements/act it out.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">I hope you and your students enjoy acting like cicadas this spring! Hopefully learning a little about these insects will help to ease your kids' anxiety about them. Let's make this season fun and enjoy as much time as possible out in nature!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0HiHF5B7Ve4M6AiHZIa_qykGxZBTFgmZ4A4mtPu5sZ_8hx9m7KedbPnPOtK-o2Xr93EiXywAwDXuhyq5vCP8eCvmGrXgi0BLjnok9_T3KUu0EPjou7_xLp7SJG3cpdl5__cnpB0D7o8/s320/Rachel.png" width="320" /></span></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-28114047758536163022021-01-10T10:00:00.002-05:002021-01-10T10:00:05.881-05:00Feelings Check!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A terrorist attack on our nation's capitol... in the middle of a deadly pandemic... This past week has been a crazy one in the United States and I know that my personal feelings have been ALL OVER THE PLACE. Anxiety, worry, moments of joy and surprise... I have no doubt that my students are also struggling with lots of big feelings right now. As teachers we can't expect to solve all of our students' problems, but we can certainly check in with them to help recognize their emotions. As the saying goes, "If you can name it, you can tame it." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mYF-_z-5BAADd6UV3vxXa0L9Sjjzlhgbd3E24Tk6s2ngr3-zZkXn5okuqD6TfvMliNm5GJhbPVAhdUlsHDdWs-_zOOnJXidTm-YVl8CwkidHRcjhxfDTKNPpt7mfccumlT2BFDVQ3kQ/s1200/feelings+fb+header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mYF-_z-5BAADd6UV3vxXa0L9Sjjzlhgbd3E24Tk6s2ngr3-zZkXn5okuqD6TfvMliNm5GJhbPVAhdUlsHDdWs-_zOOnJXidTm-YVl8CwkidHRcjhxfDTKNPpt7mfccumlT2BFDVQ3kQ/w640-h426/feelings+fb+header.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Online learning makes it so much harder to get an accurate gauge of how our students are doing emotionally. We are physically distant and often can't even see their faces. Unless we make a point of asking our students how they're doing, we could miss significant things going on with their emotions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made these feelings check-ins as lighthearted way to inquire about my students emotional wellbeing and readiness to learn. After all, a child with dysregulated emotions is not going to able to sit and focus in a music lesson! It is our job to find out where the students are and what they need. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I sometimes add one of these images to the beginning of my lesson slideshow. I ask students to respond by typing their number in the chat. I give them the option to share more details about why they chose their number but make sure they know that divulging more information is not required. It has started some meaningful conversations and helped me understand more of what my students are going through during these crazy times.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCwrzx1BLFRt_f8OGcSOoKLyOKwXO_V3RhLYJxrHZs0gsQ_t7Ii-gHGZX4KmEZ6VJMJ5rAY87BggQmzH06JJdadsrhtUBpD5cWZ-A4P3vBU88PlarZN0qD8jAxFMap6nUiWzl7CJ_QMA/s1080/Cat+Feelings.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCwrzx1BLFRt_f8OGcSOoKLyOKwXO_V3RhLYJxrHZs0gsQ_t7Ii-gHGZX4KmEZ6VJMJ5rAY87BggQmzH06JJdadsrhtUBpD5cWZ-A4P3vBU88PlarZN0qD8jAxFMap6nUiWzl7CJ_QMA/w640-h640/Cat+Feelings.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwYIgTFSXhx6jiu5loOaPkDywyRa2MNcsZU7TgRsW9v_c8r_jnAFahu3IbSFZYk1qdS-8vowJ99Idb50hK8wbRIaG-HJr5ICGUc2j89P1_87hwYmCe65nefEy6395upHblx5j5_pw4ws/s1080/Dog+Feelings.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwYIgTFSXhx6jiu5loOaPkDywyRa2MNcsZU7TgRsW9v_c8r_jnAFahu3IbSFZYk1qdS-8vowJ99Idb50hK8wbRIaG-HJr5ICGUc2j89P1_87hwYmCe65nefEy6395upHblx5j5_pw4ws/w640-h640/Dog+Feelings.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqFKnobg46TDLeyeYVZQLz0i1FD5gphAnb2uWSNMbpbU-_m538wiUYy4jZj6HZbNZyieB8dlbX0qRuYrQ6adMk1PgNIwRKu39ngVi5a2RsDs4bX6Z2-nP8VRzCfN-rL5uSsH8FXWvhlA/s1080/Fruit+Feelings.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqFKnobg46TDLeyeYVZQLz0i1FD5gphAnb2uWSNMbpbU-_m538wiUYy4jZj6HZbNZyieB8dlbX0qRuYrQ6adMk1PgNIwRKu39ngVi5a2RsDs4bX6Z2-nP8VRzCfN-rL5uSsH8FXWvhlA/w640-h640/Fruit+Feelings.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZk7SL98o_Lt8Ki0bVYqLWV8OKKFyfZM-O7ei0TSXuE9iARlLkZz-a_OkT8pMXm8BeoYYM7gQc1ntA3GGlXl5hQWjcmHEippuNAOjjaQhpAhB22xjz7eaE7JMTYVgepxWFq1R6g51wwio/s1080/Snowman+Feelings.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZk7SL98o_Lt8Ki0bVYqLWV8OKKFyfZM-O7ei0TSXuE9iARlLkZz-a_OkT8pMXm8BeoYYM7gQc1ntA3GGlXl5hQWjcmHEippuNAOjjaQhpAhB22xjz7eaE7JMTYVgepxWFq1R6g51wwio/w640-h640/Snowman+Feelings.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wsblTKd1VFucPrQ6yZGJQZ8Qb1CjXMegvt5ej0JszeySk7s94TQalH-rkQMYmOZlZBL1BOgcp97QRMxbBVkRm0T0Nx0egV-1wd8wUFrropNWZj-oPe1xTuyXN-518Vs6hnF7xigL4Ek/s1080/Spider+Feelings.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wsblTKd1VFucPrQ6yZGJQZ8Qb1CjXMegvt5ej0JszeySk7s94TQalH-rkQMYmOZlZBL1BOgcp97QRMxbBVkRm0T0Nx0egV-1wd8wUFrropNWZj-oPe1xTuyXN-518Vs6hnF7xigL4Ek/w640-h640/Spider+Feelings.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6-G51SaBo9mhN-4zLRY6z197sUTXovwr885eX9bIcnycAJInXYNNHv0wa52VoQlOvgu0hmrZ-zbOPCK097YGrSPJ1nIhaAGvPwqTuzkl3GNbUZCj5xzDZAd_Xj8nJv1RpMkvSKsTiW4/s1080/Squirrel+Feelings.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6-G51SaBo9mhN-4zLRY6z197sUTXovwr885eX9bIcnycAJInXYNNHv0wa52VoQlOvgu0hmrZ-zbOPCK097YGrSPJ1nIhaAGvPwqTuzkl3GNbUZCj5xzDZAd_Xj8nJv1RpMkvSKsTiW4/w640-h640/Squirrel+Feelings.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope these are helpful for you and spark meaningful conversations between you and your students!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7_AckaQc8tTYaMW__G0jVyu-Ohk2S80rfOBFH9_ZJpgkAEBDAcxN4vefV5XhD8h8CaiTAW2FgZxNYqDuDik-hXc-n5GosIruz0G_N02Hf09Gt3IFQJ86HjM4rPtI6Ltk5Q5qtzu7vQ8/s1600/signaure15.png" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-1041524869528603562021-01-06T00:48:00.001-05:002021-01-08T23:49:11.104-05:005 Ways to Use Google Slides for Remote Teaching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVsuCq8L3eQZp-qjwSWmQ9s67Pn0lMksor41rrQE5wZegNFsKVqAP7IH-souP07A9YUKthSAn0luKt_H2TVQugOlPpuFzhdmGA5974hXmoq_Eelqd9sWOsoe6hyphenhyphen15fOVTzsK9eVMWsYs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVsuCq8L3eQZp-qjwSWmQ9s67Pn0lMksor41rrQE5wZegNFsKVqAP7IH-souP07A9YUKthSAn0luKt_H2TVQugOlPpuFzhdmGA5974hXmoq_Eelqd9sWOsoe6hyphenhyphen15fOVTzsK9eVMWsYs/w640-h334/slides+header.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Are you teaching music remotely and interested in incorporating Google Slides in your lessons? I have been using Google Slides for about three years BC (that's "before Covid") so it was already a comfortable choice for me. When my school system shifted to full remote learning, I started using it for every single lesson. Here are just a few of the ways that you can use Google Slides remotely as a music teacher.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>1. Welcome Screen<br /><br /></b>I always start my synchronous video conferences a few minutes early to give students a chance to log in and get themselves ready for class. While we're waiting for class to start, I share a slide like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizSFRaKxKAO5-2p9oCm_mIRzb8f0J6byDFrsEu7HBR_VpyEJXZe7CE8a2owsq2ph-9voEdPc1XLQd60guPD7nAP7dEOBS1UmDUwDkg5bTTZbB8O9dQ8JSe5HMN9Huhi2a0oC7ZGrcp3Y/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="777" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizSFRaKxKAO5-2p9oCm_mIRzb8f0J6byDFrsEu7HBR_VpyEJXZe7CE8a2owsq2ph-9voEdPc1XLQd60guPD7nAP7dEOBS1UmDUwDkg5bTTZbB8O9dQ8JSe5HMN9Huhi2a0oC7ZGrcp3Y/w640-h360/Screen+Shot+2021-01-05+at+11.57.01+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On my welcome screen, I usually play a timer video that counts down to the start of class. I also include a picture of whatever materials we will be using that day. If I want to do something like a cup game, box drumming, or movement with scarves, I want to make sure I give my students a few minutes at the beginning of class to get those things ready. This helps with transitions during my lesson because I don't have to stop in the middle to send them on a hunt for materials.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>2. Flashcards and other visuals<br /></b><br />Google Slides is the perfect way to keep all of my flashcards and visuals together in one place. I love it because I can access my slideshows from any device, so if I'm browsing facebook at 10pm on my home computer and suddenly have a flash of inspiration for tomorrow's lesson, I can easily open my slides and make those edits instantly. I import .mp3s and videos that I plan on using and can seamlessly transition through every step of the lesson this way.<br /><br />Here's a video I made at the beginning of the school year, walking through the components I put into my daily lesson slideshows:<br /><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-oIt2TWShDE" width="560"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>3. Curate groups of YouTube videos<br /></b><br />YouTube recently removed the ability to put children's videos into playlists. While this change makes total sense for children's safety, it's kind of inconvenient for a music teacher trying to compile teaching materials. Google Slides is a great workaround to this problem since you can embed YouTube videos directly into your slideshow. (And as an added bonus, there's no ads before the video and nothing autoplays afterwards!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="389" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vScjLD02LyC9VxfA6TMBqg_Qo72SV5NrS2rYB90PKsUBQRo1aRoobAxNBoTbmGZ3N3SUP3nnX8SYiBg/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=60000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="640"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I recently made a slideshow with tons of YouTube videos related to The Nutcracker and it has been wildly popular with my students and other teachers! <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BOh2InceiDdfvtKLr-lb0JVyQBsYVftjNk18X11qEvg/copy">Click here to make a free copy</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>4. Self-Correcting Games in Present Mode<br /><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With Google Slides, it's easy to turn objects into links that will direct students to another page within in the presentation. This means that if a student plays through the activity in present mode, they can click on an answer and it will automatically take them to a different page if it was the correct answer or the incorrect answer. Here's an example of a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rhythm-Road-Trip-Quarter-Eighth-Rest-5918540" target="_blank">self-correcting game</a> I made that uses embedded audio files and beautiful, high-resolution images:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="378" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S0t4w6VqYWY" width="560" youtube-src-id="S0t4w6VqYWY"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>5. Interactive Activities in Edit Mode</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For more tech-savvy students, you can also create interactive activities that students can manipulate by moving elements around the screen in edit mode. This is a great way to have students compose music! For this activity, you can move the rhythm tiles onto the squares to arrange them any way they want. It takes a little bit of work at the beginning, teaching students how to drag items without accidentally resizing them or deleting them. However, I've found that kids tend to pick up these tech skills pretty quick- even faster than many adults! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQfwlh925nIsz6tt8mkaA06EwnqKXYL_fjW9E6djVrAU-fJ_ATDle0ANKUYn2Db44ZzZKq6pwXKElorZJiDkoai5uyk0BgGAFOyd5L3tRPeLdItrG26CEd55iitxwIOTa-CRjJD2OiEo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="750" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQfwlh925nIsz6tt8mkaA06EwnqKXYL_fjW9E6djVrAU-fJ_ATDle0ANKUYn2Db44ZzZKq6pwXKElorZJiDkoai5uyk0BgGAFOyd5L3tRPeLdItrG26CEd55iitxwIOTa-CRjJD2OiEo/w640-h360/Screen+Shot+2020-08-06+at+2.02.04+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/118C-I9XFHdebLTVfnml8fvmRr0RzUSpd3jXf9mx7ds4/copy">Click here for a free preview copy of interactive rhythm tiles!</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope these five ways will inspire you to use Google Slides in your music room this spring. Happy teaching!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7_AckaQc8tTYaMW__G0jVyu-Ohk2S80rfOBFH9_ZJpgkAEBDAcxN4vefV5XhD8h8CaiTAW2FgZxNYqDuDik-hXc-n5GosIruz0G_N02Hf09Gt3IFQJ86HjM4rPtI6Ltk5Q5qtzu7vQ8/s1600/signaure15.png" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-70847533512835505712020-11-16T12:36:00.001-05:002020-11-16T12:36:03.764-05:00Voice-Saving Tips for Virtual Teachers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you know me well, you will remember that I had vocal nodes 13 years ago. It was a terrible experience, but I can safely say that it changed my life for the better. Because of it, I learned early on about the importance of vocal health for singers and music teachers. Those of us who are teaching music online have enough to be stressed about right now. I'm not ready to add vocal fatigue to that list! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUyYcCKZfNqkiX4ZxgeOF8Ekc6iWij4umeL-cqO0GicTTjObnItBwBvrebPxPDwKhfyCLENCe5N52U0adePt1YUHyX8XF0H1oHtAJuKb4sZntpBLf1vbSNdLllPtiwr0xllqH4muENbE/s1500/Voice+Saving+Tips.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUyYcCKZfNqkiX4ZxgeOF8Ekc6iWij4umeL-cqO0GicTTjObnItBwBvrebPxPDwKhfyCLENCe5N52U0adePt1YUHyX8XF0H1oHtAJuKb4sZntpBLf1vbSNdLllPtiwr0xllqH4muENbE/w266-h400/Voice+Saving+Tips.png" width="266" /></span></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Synchronous online music classes can be just as vocally taxing as in-person ones, but because we're not projecting our voices in a large room with a few dozen children, we might not notice it right away. I've come to realize that when I'm on a video call and all of my students are on mute, I tend to raise my voice louder and louder because I'm not always getting immediate feedback from them. When students inevitably forget to mute their microphones, I'm competing with background noise from their households and have to speak loudly until I get a chance to remotely mute them. I also notice that if I'm leading a movement activity and need to stand up/move back from my computer in order to be seen, my computer microphone doesn't pick up my voice as well and I end up shouting the directions while doing the activity. The same goes for reading a book in front of my computer; the book often blocks the microphone and makes it much harder to be heard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><b>Tip #1: Invest in an external microphone</b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've found that I am much less likely to shout into my microphone if it's right in front of me. There's plenty of different options to choose from; clip on lapel mics, free standing ones, headsets. The microphone that's best for you will vary depending on your needs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For instance, when I'm reading a book, I like to use my lapel mic so that the book doesn't get in the way. Headsets are great to wear when leading movement activities. A good bluetooth gaming headset will give you the freedom to move around. However, bluetooth ones will have more of a lag than wired-in ones. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLa9MH7nY_po27VUk5tAvxrP9ZQpbNYacmufp1iyxBXUychR20sw-R9pkvINMEdoHZkAF2y5B34MCS1kRwX6PH30NaEc9JXvztRZymtXQK1Qxw7gLsylp42qS3Dk1YTU5aHKssz2UKq4k/s2048/haidan-VzsbiM1HFJY-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLa9MH7nY_po27VUk5tAvxrP9ZQpbNYacmufp1iyxBXUychR20sw-R9pkvINMEdoHZkAF2y5B34MCS1kRwX6PH30NaEc9JXvztRZymtXQK1Qxw7gLsylp42qS3Dk1YTU5aHKssz2UKq4k/s320/haidan-VzsbiM1HFJY-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Purchasing an external microphone doesn't need to be a huge monetary investment. I've had good luck with even inexpensive mics. Even a cheap external microphone has given me better results than the built-in one on my computer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><b>Tip #2: Give yourself vocal breaks in the lesson</b><div>Several years ago, I started following the rule of "only sing <i>for</i>, never <i>with</i>, my students" so that I wouldn't have to sing all day every day. Unfortunately, that rule doesn't translate well to online learning. Most of the time students are on mute and I am singing their repertoire myself, hoping that they are singing along with me at home. I try to have student volunteers unmute to take over the task of singing a song, once I feel like they know it well. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jEa_68nuTQshqh0_JBDus53mUCPDzicnJgDGlpAxin-kerfzrx_eGurg-RDydvZ9KLrR_KoW-AdulOrDCQ0WNwkslH03RqaU5iYZ9LcVXWuNgeKWVkYNXq1oEex5YFIcDrNqmFU5ukE/s2048/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3822693.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jEa_68nuTQshqh0_JBDus53mUCPDzicnJgDGlpAxin-kerfzrx_eGurg-RDydvZ9KLrR_KoW-AdulOrDCQ0WNwkslH03RqaU5iYZ9LcVXWuNgeKWVkYNXq1oEex5YFIcDrNqmFU5ukE/s320/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3822693.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>When teaching virtually, it's tempting to want to enter full-on Mr. Rogers mode and just talk and sing for the entire class session. However, we all know that good teaching puts more responsibility on the learners. There should be time when students are doing independent or small group work. The teacher can act as less of the "sage on the stage" and more of the "guide on the side." This can mean giving students some much needed screen breaks with pencil-and-paper work. Or it might be sending students to a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Music-With-Mrs-Tanenblatt/Category/Distance-Learning-464592" target="_blank">digital activity</a> where they can work independently, or work together on a Jamboard or in a breakout room.</div><div><br /></div><b>Tip #3: Pre-record some lesson components</b><div>Obviously you don't want to pre-record an entire lesson when teaching synchronously. We need to connect with our students during the time we have together. But I've found that it is a big help to have certain songs, dances, and activities pre-recorded before my lessons. This not only saves my voice from having to sing the same thing repeatedly, but it also gives me the chance to take attendance and check in with students while the video is playing. I can also chime in to add narration or live commentary and not have to shout it while doing movements. When I use a pre-recorded video of myself, I usually turn my camera off so as not to confuse students.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJpRjNUrLkYRz0lpYHAMpfVNgQTI6-drMWdCnyVF8fgzCqlyoueBJnYXf0x-JVzGlaRssyk3LYaCv6ndEUghB2XQhuLr9dftGGSmXUewSAtSQNZ3kWynXf7D7D-xsN-vocw1UxZgIIPY/s2048/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4491445.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJpRjNUrLkYRz0lpYHAMpfVNgQTI6-drMWdCnyVF8fgzCqlyoueBJnYXf0x-JVzGlaRssyk3LYaCv6ndEUghB2XQhuLr9dftGGSmXUewSAtSQNZ3kWynXf7D7D-xsN-vocw1UxZgIIPY/s320/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4491445.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The videos also came in handy when I needed sub plans on short notice at the beginning of the school year; I put together a slideshow with some of the videos I had already made and my sub only had to press play. The videos are also helpful to share on your learning management system after class. I always upload my videos for students to re-watch as they complete their asynchronous work, or catch up on the content if they missed class.</div><div><br /></div><b>Tip #4: Take care of yourself!</b><div>Virtual teaching during a pandemic is emotionally and physically taxing. Be kind to yourself, stay healthy, and hydrate! Your body (and vocal folds) will thank you :)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7_AckaQc8tTYaMW__G0jVyu-Ohk2S80rfOBFH9_ZJpgkAEBDAcxN4vefV5XhD8h8CaiTAW2FgZxNYqDuDik-hXc-n5GosIruz0G_N02Hf09Gt3IFQJ86HjM4rPtI6Ltk5Q5qtzu7vQ8/s1600/signaure15.png" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-31993527667570467482020-11-05T23:40:00.002-05:002020-11-05T23:41:19.708-05:00Let There Be Peace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been preparing to teach syncopa to my fifth graders soon, so I've been thinking a lot about the Canoe Song. (You know the one... "My paddle's keen and bright." often sung by Girl Scouts?) It's recently been brought up in the music teaching community as a song that's inauthentic and appropriates indigenous culture. Because of that, I'm no longer choosing to teach it. I'm continuing to research music that better represents Native American voices in my classroom. In the mean time, I needed another song to fill the pedagogical gaps that the Canoe Song left behind.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The specific concepts that I was looking for were syncopa and minor tonality. I wanted a song that would be short and simple, easy to learn but engaging enough that students would want to sing it over and over again. I decided to flex my creative muscle and write one of my own.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The song is called, "Let There Be Peace" and uses a driving syncopated rhythm. I wrote it in E minor, an easily accessible key to accompany on ukulele and it sits well for children's voices. The best thing about it, though, is how easy it is to ad lib additional verses. The first two verses establish the form (Verse one is "Let there be peace on Earth" and verse two is "I am the peace on Earth.) and then you and your students can brainstorm additional verses ad nauseam. This makes it a great song to prepare a concept in a Kodály inspired classroom, because you can change the lyrics and sing it over and over again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Listen to the song here:</div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CGF_4RNBa-p/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CGF_4RNBa-p/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; 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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div></a> <p style="margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CGF_4RNBa-p/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">This is an original song I composed to take the place of the canoe song in my repertoire. It's in e minor and uses the syncopa rhythm. 🎶☮️🌍</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/musicwithmrs.tanenblatt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Music With Mrs. Tanenblatt</a> (@musicwithmrs.tanenblatt) on <time datetime="2020-10-08T19:09:03+00:00" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 8, 2020 at 12:09pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here's a copy of the notation:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-prv3K8hohpUj88mfZErtxPXSELXaxmw89N1LgcnLf_0MRuWT83tdwJoCgEEVIwVO78ZmdHhD9zGjRpsoQQqwuP4OpHH80Ng90CrsCATlm3hZySmnWMmxkvas8lLBw8MvPhOAWai_JM/s2048/Let+There+Be+Peace.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1583" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-prv3K8hohpUj88mfZErtxPXSELXaxmw89N1LgcnLf_0MRuWT83tdwJoCgEEVIwVO78ZmdHhD9zGjRpsoQQqwuP4OpHH80Ng90CrsCATlm3hZySmnWMmxkvas8lLBw8MvPhOAWai_JM/w494-h640/Let+There+Be+Peace.png" width="494" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope this song brings you and your students peace during these crazy times. If you use it in your classroom I'd love to hear how it goes!</div><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7_AckaQc8tTYaMW__G0jVyu-Ohk2S80rfOBFH9_ZJpgkAEBDAcxN4vefV5XhD8h8CaiTAW2FgZxNYqDuDik-hXc-n5GosIruz0G_N02Hf09Gt3IFQJ86HjM4rPtI6Ltk5Q5qtzu7vQ8/s1600/signaure15.png" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-27332723943488412502020-09-05T17:51:00.007-04:002020-11-16T15:20:12.090-05:00Singing Games for Online Learning<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-mj6CRJbM3blyX0KHaLFRcD1iXFdKWRkycDvYlybuiCMecwGB6Pn_D8z-jSdIU29cQnaQkxkqkfBCeRzTuQEdeQ83xS5QCK6Gq0ZpmhU8imtlibshwz9BtjABUiSnVCJ9yp3XGqYLYQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="859" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-mj6CRJbM3blyX0KHaLFRcD1iXFdKWRkycDvYlybuiCMecwGB6Pn_D8z-jSdIU29cQnaQkxkqkfBCeRzTuQEdeQ83xS5QCK6Gq0ZpmhU8imtlibshwz9BtjABUiSnVCJ9yp3XGqYLYQ/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In planning for my upcoming semester of teaching music online, I've been thinking a lot about how I can engage my students with singing games. As a Kod<span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-size: 14px;">á</span>ly-inspired teacher, singing games are the bread and butter of my music program, and I was not ready to give them up when I found out I wouldn't be seeing my students face-to-face this fall. So I got together with a group of creative teacher friends to compile this list of ten singing games and activities that you can do to get your students singing, moving, and playing during online learning. Enjoy!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL2ugAKZWser6Mu1orhl471eizq1zJeueK" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Songs and Games in this playlist: Brown Bear Brown Bear, Button You Must Wander, Great Big House in New Orleans, Miss Mary Mack, Rhythm Telephone, Rico's Pizza Restaurant, Solfa Simon, Telephone, and two ways to play We Are Dancing in the Forest!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7_AckaQc8tTYaMW__G0jVyu-Ohk2S80rfOBFH9_ZJpgkAEBDAcxN4vefV5XhD8h8CaiTAW2FgZxNYqDuDik-hXc-n5GosIruz0G_N02Hf09Gt3IFQJ86HjM4rPtI6Ltk5Q5qtzu7vQ8/s1600/signaure15.png" /></div></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-4883316462781729762020-09-03T23:47:00.001-04:002020-11-05T23:52:59.539-05:00Testing, Testing, One Two Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of my favorite things to do at the beginning of the school year is assess students' ability to keep a steady beat by moving to music. Just because I'm teaching virtually doesn't mean I can't have my students perform creative movements! I wrote this quick little chant as a way to get students to take turns being the "leader" and demonstrate beat moves on camera for their classmates.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnxrCK6180O3egDtnPz183OmCE7VZ1rYxt6iiFKuuAP_NAyXO5B3YrGLks2Ymik0Y6hum94ddQQ0YZL7eBSDCmxUoM7Xlds3oCGiSO4p8idr4anSyKPiPX41F8o8KHgRAJ4W4BAbsDZo/s1500/Testing%252C+testing%252C+one+two+three%252C.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnxrCK6180O3egDtnPz183OmCE7VZ1rYxt6iiFKuuAP_NAyXO5B3YrGLks2Ymik0Y6hum94ddQQ0YZL7eBSDCmxUoM7Xlds3oCGiSO4p8idr4anSyKPiPX41F8o8KHgRAJ4W4BAbsDZo/s320/Testing%252C+testing%252C+one+two+three%252C.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was also thinking it could be turned into a guessing game. One student (the "guesser") could be selected to physically turn their back away from their computer so they can't see what's going on. Meanwhile, the teacher writes down the name of another student who will be the leader and holds it up to the camera to show the rest of the class. Perform the chant (mics muted) and the leader student performs steady beat moves for the class to copy. The guesser student turns around and watches to try and figure out who the leader is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsD-NH6O_f_gQR3rKaGXb0v8R4RrFhx1qTOeIEJ3CiXGaF5ONuGgVHgmDK2L35hlvOGFC2xEk6ezJZr6JQYUZ74hotBKN0XUETzp0JWO9oIj2D2KIN4XQh9T0EjBzmpd3LM6cp5WJIEAA/s2263/testing+testing+one+two+three.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="2263" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsD-NH6O_f_gQR3rKaGXb0v8R4RrFhx1qTOeIEJ3CiXGaF5ONuGgVHgmDK2L35hlvOGFC2xEk6ezJZr6JQYUZ74hotBKN0XUETzp0JWO9oIj2D2KIN4XQh9T0EjBzmpd3LM6cp5WJIEAA/w625-h239/testing+testing+one+two+three.png" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wrote this chant with a simple enough flow for young students to be able to perform it. However, it does have one advanced rhythm (eighth note with paired sixteenths) so you could use it to prepare or present that concept with older students as well.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you try this game and chant with students, I'd love to hear how it goes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7_AckaQc8tTYaMW__G0jVyu-Ohk2S80rfOBFH9_ZJpgkAEBDAcxN4vefV5XhD8h8CaiTAW2FgZxNYqDuDik-hXc-n5GosIruz0G_N02Hf09Gt3IFQJ86HjM4rPtI6Ltk5Q5qtzu7vQ8/s1600/signaure15.png" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-63408105569632903722020-08-04T23:10:00.002-04:002020-08-04T23:11:41.784-04:00My Back-to-School List for Virtual Teaching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OcU-ovmAWp4JN6rNmQbP7VgrjTaOL7JC0ESQPr8SrfpIJWtKAyk8TGFEKvDMvtePwzgLWw6QWjjnApexxtgjQniTWk3lFUNjfwowCz5pi_vOvZxkpX7jeUulgAcwinHa_Jsi7xyAVcE/s1280/virtual+shopping+list+cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OcU-ovmAWp4JN6rNmQbP7VgrjTaOL7JC0ESQPr8SrfpIJWtKAyk8TGFEKvDMvtePwzgLWw6QWjjnApexxtgjQniTWk3lFUNjfwowCz5pi_vOvZxkpX7jeUulgAcwinHa_Jsi7xyAVcE/s640/virtual+shopping+list+cover.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When our school buildings closed in March due to COVID-19, none of us knew exactly when we would be getting back to business as usual. My school district implemented a continuity of learning plan which kept us in contact with our students and engaging in weekly lessons, but was more of a temporary stopgap rather than intentional virtual teaching.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found out last week that because of the continued community spread in my county, we are going to be doing virtual learning for the entire first semester of the 2020-21 school year. Now that we know in advance, it's no longer a temporary contingency plan. It's time to be purposeful and plan meaningful lessons that we implement synchronously and asynchronously.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Usually this is the time of year that I start roaming through Target and my local thrift stores to snatch up new goodies for classroom decor and fun toys or manipulatives. However, this year it looks very different: instead I'm filling up an Amazon shopping cart with the tools I will need to set up my space for successful virtual learning this fall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5377iGsB94qyT-BKlqoW47Fhbgoqg11GNsWDVNnQ4cqHqfNPY09uKHwPDUHGsVCFseSVPH4Fy7-eRSSwUp0M63wDi6K9_cpeULiDGWF9ELupOA41l36HgyQZuLLtCYNuWyHFBcmjA3fo/s1280/virtual+shopping+list+monitor.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5377iGsB94qyT-BKlqoW47Fhbgoqg11GNsWDVNnQ4cqHqfNPY09uKHwPDUHGsVCFseSVPH4Fy7-eRSSwUp0M63wDi6K9_cpeULiDGWF9ELupOA41l36HgyQZuLLtCYNuWyHFBcmjA3fo/s640/virtual+shopping+list+monitor.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is so great to be able to see my students' faces when we do our virtual class meetings. However, when I need to share my screen I have to choose between looking at the meeting or looking at the document I'm sharing. It's important to keep an eye on the meeting in order to monitor the chat and look for students who may be raising their hand for clarification. But then I can't see the song or presentation that I'm sharing with the class. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The solution is to hook up a second monitor so that you can have the meeting on one screen and the presentation on the other. I know many teachers who use a TV as their second monitor. However, since I have small children at home I can't work in the living room where the TV is. For me, it made the most sense to purchase a second monitor for my workspace.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBItZBM-0lMg7H36clH5IEnyGnbZ_ZCU3nLX9zvep0SdT4Tr_YMWgn9QaD_zfoj1kfSDxK4ZZysktGbSp4lJscxaJqGB8aKCoZ1MzlKiiMW_rdKcU9YQZEPs2rIoo-nXuxqFaAUd2589k/s1280/virtual+shopping+list+backdrop.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBItZBM-0lMg7H36clH5IEnyGnbZ_ZCU3nLX9zvep0SdT4Tr_YMWgn9QaD_zfoj1kfSDxK4ZZysktGbSp4lJscxaJqGB8aKCoZ1MzlKiiMW_rdKcU9YQZEPs2rIoo-nXuxqFaAUd2589k/s640/virtual+shopping+list+backdrop.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'll admit it: my husband and I are pack rats. My "home office" (read: small desk that I've had since childhood) is up against the wall in a cluttered room full of children's clothes, board games, workout gear, my husband's recording equipment, and so much other <strike>junk</strike> useful stuff.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One way I was able to adapt my cluttered space to make it more useful with working from home was by turning my desk around. Now I have a plain wall behind me for filming teaching videos and participating in Zoom conferences. To jazz it up a little, I decided to purchase a wall tapestry to hang on the plain wall. Now I have the option to use a simple white background or a nice nature scene when I need to be on camera.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4-tIy1TyEKTySNj7KWUuR8W-NjqwHb8llFwhJmDRuu88zPAI5gl-lM-Bor84pwhqp4T4vm5xTqHHPXCxuulTANf4Se7YItW9gzklA9-lwS63v0c71sF8SVG8NbEe31BCMG4UPHcWalo/s1280/virtual+shopping+list+stylus.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4-tIy1TyEKTySNj7KWUuR8W-NjqwHb8llFwhJmDRuu88zPAI5gl-lM-Bor84pwhqp4T4vm5xTqHHPXCxuulTANf4Se7YItW9gzklA9-lwS63v0c71sF8SVG8NbEe31BCMG4UPHcWalo/s640/virtual+shopping+list+stylus.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am lucky to have a touchscreen device provided by my school system which functions as a laptop or a tablet. It's extremely versatile and I love using it as a tablet, especially to screen share with students and use tools like a virtual white board. However, writing with your index finger is clunky at best, so this year I will be investing in a stylus pen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0et1zOT_ZTXbcZiT-W3oEekUJZgmiMANjECHcNC_6SFgzHbzRI_Y3MYQGC8eZcKEERIjYuG_A5zbkpEZP8K0BiM8lgSprSvv-y9LLd7YI39b30BwJwUwXIDlsYoA4Jz6itye-xED2to/s1280/virtual+shopping+list+ring+light.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0et1zOT_ZTXbcZiT-W3oEekUJZgmiMANjECHcNC_6SFgzHbzRI_Y3MYQGC8eZcKEERIjYuG_A5zbkpEZP8K0BiM8lgSprSvv-y9LLd7YI39b30BwJwUwXIDlsYoA4Jz6itye-xED2to/s640/virtual+shopping+list+ring+light.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A major downside to having my workspace in the basement is the lack of natural lighting. With only the overhead light available in the room, I look like a dimly-lit pink blob. But with one click of the ring light, I can be in a video and look like a normal human!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREo7AwOByY6q2YRdsX9xs6fk1UfUCNE5x89at_iZ3RCf5BiJ_1K_IpiD2EagCSwm_Kk9GgzU25Cvifm0B1xBZo5Rww4CVMEPuqbJi2ilz-TWL-iMLa5I1IkTMRgn0u8vjMVBkUaTxzlw/s1280/virtual+shopping+list+glasses.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREo7AwOByY6q2YRdsX9xs6fk1UfUCNE5x89at_iZ3RCf5BiJ_1K_IpiD2EagCSwm_Kk9GgzU25Cvifm0B1xBZo5Rww4CVMEPuqbJi2ilz-TWL-iMLa5I1IkTMRgn0u8vjMVBkUaTxzlw/s640/virtual+shopping+list+glasses.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One thing I learned from doing online grad school in July was that the blue light from my screens was really affecting me. I was getting headaches every afternoon and it was taking me hours to fall asleep every night! Fortunately, most devices have an option in the screen settings to reduce blue light automatically. However, that does affect the tint of colors on the screen. Many people opt to wear blue light filtering glasses instead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">None of us knows exactly how long this virtual learning situation will last. But, as usual, I plan to be prepared for anything. And also as usual, I prepared by doing some online shopping! If you're interested in the specific items I've been shopping for, the following are paid Amazon affiliate links for the things on this list:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=muswitmrstan-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B015WCV70W&asins=B015WCV70W&linkId=773c82ccd282e8733b2d21f3c6da5cd9&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7_AckaQc8tTYaMW__G0jVyu-Ohk2S80rfOBFH9_ZJpgkAEBDAcxN4vefV5XhD8h8CaiTAW2FgZxNYqDuDik-hXc-n5GosIruz0G_N02Hf09Gt3IFQJ86HjM4rPtI6Ltk5Q5qtzu7vQ8/s1600/signaure15.png" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-56045220141343132642020-08-03T21:47:00.002-04:002020-08-04T00:11:55.204-04:00Zoomerangs!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOEAlMZR3OI-CZA8J2QuaweToKepUnlEagKQFFgPLKjRMzT4KRelrqzB1WQzrDYGTwW9qez89gl2rdO3QmZMTzYpzrKv1DGD0Mv__G44URHfXXyhIFvzkafEpIo__2U5cxuicVeyPMks/s1280/Zoomerangs%2521.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOEAlMZR3OI-CZA8J2QuaweToKepUnlEagKQFFgPLKjRMzT4KRelrqzB1WQzrDYGTwW9qez89gl2rdO3QmZMTzYpzrKv1DGD0Mv__G44URHfXXyhIFvzkafEpIo__2U5cxuicVeyPMks/w500-h281/Zoomerangs%2521.png" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I signed up<span style="font-family: inherit;"> for the </span>Kod<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">á</span>ly<span style="font-family: inherit;"> m</span>asters degree program from the American Kod<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">á</span>ly Institute four years ago, I had no idea that I would be completing my final semester over Zoom! It was somewhat surreal, after three summers of intensive work with my cohort, to finish our program as tiny squares on a screen. But we made it, and learned a lot from our professors during this bizarre time of pandemic learning. I am actually quite grateful to have had this experience of online learning from a student's perspective, because now I feel like I understand a little bit more about what my students need from me when we return to school virtually in the fall. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4enOOZ77yOykWxxi34Z7PEukECiQU25SycUcLOggbEDPZtQuXROqRxW7NLDRarXTangxADfx92dJ3jhay7dtMK6OxzE9pJYFX6he1xmw2D_8mY6XGV8zUWKMWLuS_dkV9jnLQTcKRQU/s1280/Presentation1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4enOOZ77yOykWxxi34Z7PEukECiQU25SycUcLOggbEDPZtQuXROqRxW7NLDRarXTangxADfx92dJ3jhay7dtMK6OxzE9pJYFX6he1xmw2D_8mY6XGV8zUWKMWLuS_dkV9jnLQTcKRQU/w625-h351/Presentation1.png" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of my classes, Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs, was particularly eye-opening when we had a special guest teacher, <a href="https://www.roberthitz.com/" target="_blank">Robert Hitz</a>. He specializes in improvisation and creativity and absolutely leaned in to the challenge of teaching us via Zoom. He even coined the term "Zoomerang" to refer to music games played remotely via video conference.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Improvisation can be a scary thing for many students. Doing so over Zoom can feel even more daunting when everyone else is muted and you're just singing into the void. However, Robert facilitated an enlightening session where we got to have some fun shenanigans. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not going to lie: even with crazy lag times and poor audio quality, it felt good to be making music with my classmates again! I think that many of these activities can be modified and used with our elementary students and I'm looking forward to trying. Here's a recap of what we did:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Layered Ostinati</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To play this game, everyone had to - gasp - turn ON their microphones! We embraced the inevitable fact that it would be messy and not sync with our classmates. One person started by creating an ostinato (we used a mix of vocal improv, hand clapping, and instruments) and after a phrase or two, they would add another person into the groove. We kept adding people until everyone was doing their own thing at the same time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Some things to consider:</i> Obviously with the lag on Zoom you never really sync up with the rest of the group. The audio mix is wonky and you will only be able to hear a few people at any given time. It's not going to sound like a virtual choir, and that's OK. The important thing is to focus on the other people that you can hear and keep the music going. It might also be helpful to create the order of people ahead of time and type it in the chat, so participants will know when to join in with their ostinato.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Sound Relays</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This activity isn't as affected by the inevitable Zoom lag because players take turns. One person improvises a phrase and then calls on someone else to unmute and respond with a new sound inspired by the one that came before it. Then they call on another person who responds with something related, and this continues until everyone has had a turn.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Some things to consider: </i>I am 100% planning on using this one in my virtual teaching this fall. It is so empowering for students to be in charge of their music making with this kind of improvisation. For people who crave a bit more structure, like me, you could set it up as a rhythm or melodic improv activity and play it kind of like telephone. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>In my version</i>, Student A would create a four beat rhythm pattern. Then, Student B would repeat that rhythm pattern and create a new one. Student C repeats B's pattern and creates their own. And so on, and so on... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyqcqYum_tNjVkluTVgVfCLTSTmFrmDa6hpamKIMJd7959hyphenhyphendOhR6JutaeA03XxsjJOgeEaX4qwTdnu2P2-9Fin7VsaiWG9Pla1O_906GthGIFIT3dcKDvNk_ELQ3l4_fkV9vpInlMNQ/s1280/relay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyqcqYum_tNjVkluTVgVfCLTSTmFrmDa6hpamKIMJd7959hyphenhyphendOhR6JutaeA03XxsjJOgeEaX4qwTdnu2P2-9Fin7VsaiWG9Pla1O_906GthGIFIT3dcKDvNk_ELQ3l4_fkV9vpInlMNQ/s640/relay.png" width="640" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Alien Language</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My entire cohort was CRACKING UP when we played this one. An improv classic whether online or off, in Alien Language you form a small group and speak to each other with entirely made-up sounds. We modified this for Zoom by only having a group of three or four participants playing the game while everyone else stayed on mute (and died of laughter.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Some things to consider:</i> This could be a really fun ice breaker. There's no wrong way to talk like an alien! The only challenge would be the maturity level of the group, because my cohort of 30-something-year-olds could barely keep it together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img alt="Friendly alien | Free SVG" height="186" src="https://freesvg.org/img/Friendly-Alien.png" width="200" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Student-Generated Games</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The culminating activity involved breakout rooms, my new favorite Zoom feature. We were randomly split into small groups and Robert sent us a list of motivating quotes and reflections about music. We were tasked with the job of taking one quote and using it to make up our own improv game to play.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My group used this quote: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d2146048-7fff-35d8-3895-1fd73003edfe"><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes – Ah, that is where the art resides!" ~ Arthur Schnabel</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We decided to create a variation on the relay game we played earlier in the session, but we intentionally left rests and spaces in between sounds. It was interesting to hear how our patterns complemented and inspired each others'. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Takeaways From My Experience with Robert</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am so glad I got to participate in this session. Now I feel much more confident in the possibility of collaborative music making over Zoom. Last Spring, most of my live teaching sessions were just me singing while the rest of the class was muted and hopefully singing along with me in their homes. Now I feel like I can really open it up to include more students creating and improvising!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.roberthitz.com/" target="_blank">To see more from Robert Hitz, please visit his website here.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7_AckaQc8tTYaMW__G0jVyu-Ohk2S80rfOBFH9_ZJpgkAEBDAcxN4vefV5XhD8h8CaiTAW2FgZxNYqDuDik-hXc-n5GosIruz0G_N02Hf09Gt3IFQJ86HjM4rPtI6Ltk5Q5qtzu7vQ8/s1600/signaure15.png" /></div>Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-26815842713535530772018-02-19T15:44:00.001-05:002020-07-27T14:22:19.942-04:00Left Hand on Top!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
For many elementary music teachers, the new calendar year coincides with the start of a unit on playing the recorder. If you're like me, you teach recorders to third graders for several reasons: as a way to reinforce their knowledge of absolute note names, to prepare them for band instruments they can play in the future, and to get their hands on an affordable, accessible, rewarding musical instrument.</div>
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One of the biggest hurdles I find when teaching recorder is getting my students to remember which hand goes on top of the instrument. Despite posting reminders around my classroom, there's always a few students who instinctively use their right hand when playing B-A-G. I recently polled the members of a music teachers facebook group to see how they model the left hand for their students.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8sBVpbGx9UCqnRBrY00pZZushwcOrynrgUWdFii47MB15nmfQGifOJY0Od7sD1JBdUPhzqGLTXzxWkt6_nchFKtC4DXG9YqLy5JlIIdYr8iT4Hwxy63VNbE1WBcy8rir380wLpeix0E/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-19+at+3.17.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="445" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8sBVpbGx9UCqnRBrY00pZZushwcOrynrgUWdFii47MB15nmfQGifOJY0Od7sD1JBdUPhzqGLTXzxWkt6_nchFKtC4DXG9YqLy5JlIIdYr8iT4Hwxy63VNbE1WBcy8rir380wLpeix0E/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-02-19+at+3.17.56+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The results were clear that most teachers value modeling the proper technique. What do we do, then, for the kids who still just don't "get it" and can't remember which hand to use? As a way to help them remember (and hopefully get the correct posture into their muscle memory), I created "Left Hand on Top" wristbands! You can download them for free in my store:</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Left-Hand-on-Top-Wristbands-3662861" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeNMYmK2yoMsTFvX38ldWARfva-OXifxm8uKgOuSBoCiDo4Q1ijxXn9t2zBAdSqi9W_mgFC0NoNmM-nP-8TIz6egPnrfFn40OnDolYjVrf4C6m0I9E5iOUzv-kXvqPFQq9YY23q3SU_M/s400/cover.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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After using them for a few years, I've found a few tricks that help me to use them most effectively. It's all about preparation. On the day that I introduce the wristbands, I want to be able to quickly and efficiently get one on each child. I have to be the one to place it on each wrist because otherwise they will inevitably end up on the wrong side.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIuGFIKI8mv0mkABjOempdZDy_I6VZwE6flJvtBFv4ddVGnhJBOSoT5Gz8IH9OrXka5QDV-RpLcx0MINRgbxTboYJiTebfaINwyB6y1ObYoy5qSxCXxNyx5UD5mJqUVJhOFwLOuhkcuo/s1600/20180215_111734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIuGFIKI8mv0mkABjOempdZDy_I6VZwE6flJvtBFv4ddVGnhJBOSoT5Gz8IH9OrXka5QDV-RpLcx0MINRgbxTboYJiTebfaINwyB6y1ObYoy5qSxCXxNyx5UD5mJqUVJhOFwLOuhkcuo/s320/20180215_111734.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In order to prep them as much as possible, I cut them all out ahead of time and place a piece of clear tape on each one so it's ready. All I have to do is wrap it around the child's wrist and it's done. But what do you do with 25 paper wristbands that each have a piece of tape hanging off of them? This year I came up with a system to store the wristbands that already have tape on them so that they are ready to peel and stick: I attach them all to the clear plastic cover of a three ring binder!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROTXxBsTP84uqEmHN68KoTPjO1vCa3HbDkCRXs5_s194Kj3MGzF0Bg8touaiIpvqNE7C480ymQuLf33Cb54z7nvaxCvDTi2AR1D6SEwQd1PqJN5evChOH_np99z8qF66JXjcMpECXuP0/s1600/20180215_111803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhROTXxBsTP84uqEmHN68KoTPjO1vCa3HbDkCRXs5_s194Kj3MGzF0Bg8touaiIpvqNE7C480ymQuLf33Cb54z7nvaxCvDTi2AR1D6SEwQd1PqJN5evChOH_np99z8qF66JXjcMpECXuP0/s320/20180215_111803.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Before the class comes in, I just bring the binder over to my classroom door. I have them line up outside my room and announce that today they will be entering "Club Recorder." It is a very exclusive club and to be a member they must wear their exclusive recorder wristband. Then I instruct them to hold out their left hand and tape a wristband on each student as they enter the room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIVggBDmRBP305zEZ9Xxp3ErVlqMjVcS14vRErJphoHROVb0pVJOZjbiRVraOd_UyIAem-WWJIbV_ZEJ9WlSgR0y4ZN9y6oD3p_gsB2g6lOCDqKT9bTkOTH-J5lNHOvxFx6pVXpYI0Bs/s1600/20180215_112507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIVggBDmRBP305zEZ9Xxp3ErVlqMjVcS14vRErJphoHROVb0pVJOZjbiRVraOd_UyIAem-WWJIbV_ZEJ9WlSgR0y4ZN9y6oD3p_gsB2g6lOCDqKT9bTkOTH-J5lNHOvxFx6pVXpYI0Bs/s320/20180215_112507.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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My students are always excited when they get to be part of an "exclusive club" and they love having the wristbands. When taping them on, I make sure to wrap the wristband so that the blank side gets covered up and the words are on the outer portion. For most kids, they only need the physical experience of wearing the wristband once to remember the proper hand position. For others, I will save extras in case they need to wear it during the next class. Works like a charm!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7_AckaQc8tTYaMW__G0jVyu-Ohk2S80rfOBFH9_ZJpgkAEBDAcxN4vefV5XhD8h8CaiTAW2FgZxNYqDuDik-hXc-n5GosIruz0G_N02Hf09Gt3IFQJ86HjM4rPtI6Ltk5Q5qtzu7vQ8/s1600/signaure15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7_AckaQc8tTYaMW__G0jVyu-Ohk2S80rfOBFH9_ZJpgkAEBDAcxN4vefV5XhD8h8CaiTAW2FgZxNYqDuDik-hXc-n5GosIruz0G_N02Hf09Gt3IFQJ86HjM4rPtI6Ltk5Q5qtzu7vQ8/s1600/signaure15.png" /></a></div>
Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-41292377552025548132018-02-16T07:05:00.000-05:002018-02-16T07:05:10.416-05:00Bounce High, Bounce Low: A Favorite Game to Teach La<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3ewCZ_WF5p81K8F4gu30iPfmUBvmMg9O-pfaiUCNR-hK0XQX8xjHpRFflyg_h_fUS6CczPAmx75Sn0L-gnjCFAUIrJyHCqbX3KRbZ1ZF599AMg2QnNDPv4QNPlxjhH3Fh1oYCDxl-yg/s1600/bonceheader.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3ewCZ_WF5p81K8F4gu30iPfmUBvmMg9O-pfaiUCNR-hK0XQX8xjHpRFflyg_h_fUS6CczPAmx75Sn0L-gnjCFAUIrJyHCqbX3KRbZ1ZF599AMg2QnNDPv4QNPlxjhH3Fh1oYCDxl-yg/s640/bonceheader.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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This time of year, my first graders are usually getting ready to add <i>la</i> to their melodic arsenal. They've been practicing <i>so-mi</i> songs for a while and it's time for the next step in their learning sequence. Since I completed my Kodály Level I last summer, I learned a lot about selecting quality songs to prepare, present, and practice <i>la</i>. I'm writing about one of my favorites today:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntjpPhGywWMTM-MBHHDskM906uIzTMLn2yclnVntG_lppYMboiUOgqgvGSxdpu-wxvXMX_EbUhmfEmwC41WNQ4bfjfY6EK65WKjbOM7T6EyvGV6GLngGtNnTFJ-PV6d_ElSBGPwFcudo/s1600/bounce+high+bounce+low.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="1600" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntjpPhGywWMTM-MBHHDskM906uIzTMLn2yclnVntG_lppYMboiUOgqgvGSxdpu-wxvXMX_EbUhmfEmwC41WNQ4bfjfY6EK65WKjbOM7T6EyvGV6GLngGtNnTFJ-PV6d_ElSBGPwFcudo/s640/bounce+high+bounce+low.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Prepare</h3>
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This is a great song to prepare <i>la</i>. For those of you who are not familiar with the Kodály method, there are three stages to learning a new concept: prepare, present, and practice. During the prepare stage, the students are playing games and singing songs that include the new concept but they haven't made it conscious yet. The prepare stage is all about exposure and aural immersion. When preparing a new concept, I like to use songs that invite lots and lots of repetition, and it doesn't get much more repetitive than Bounce High, Bounce Low! </div>
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For this stage, I like to play the classic playground game, Over Under. Any time I can bring a playground ball into my music room, my kids go nuts! (When I taught on a cart, I would modify this by playing using something smaller like a tennis ball and they still loved it.) My musical version is slightly different from the traditional game. Here's a video version of the original:</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w-EkRQWgFUw/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w-EkRQWgFUw?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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The object of the game is for the students to pass the ball backwards around the entire circle without dropping it. Have students stand in a large circle, all facing the same direction. Make sure there is plenty of room between each child. Choose one student to hold the ball to start. The students will pass the ball on the second and fourth beat of each measure (either on a <i>la</i> or on a <i>mi</i>.) If passing on the high note, the student must pass it over her head, and if passing on the low note, the student must pass it between her legs. The student behind her needs to be paying attention and ready to catch it because otherwise it's easy to drop the ball in this game- literally!</div>
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A common pitfall with this game is that the students get so excited about passing the ball that they forget to match it up with the pitches as they go. I will assist with the singing or play the pitches on a melodic instrument so that they can clearly hear how it is meant to align. If they start passing slowly I slow the tempo of the song to match. Likewise, if they are in a groove and passing faster, I will sing faster to match.</div>
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Once a class has mastered the large circle formation, I will let them play it competitively. I will break the class up into two or three teams and give each team a ball. Instead of standing in a circle they stand in a line and the object is to get the ball from the front to the back. </div>
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For an added level of complexity, you can lengthen this game: when the ball gets to the back of the line, the last person has to run up to the front and start it over again. This continues until every player on the team has had a turn to be up front. </div>
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This can get chaotic with different teams singing the songs at different tempi, so if the noise is too much for your class, you can have each team go one at a time and use a timer to see which team can perform it the fastest.</div>
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Present</h3>
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After several weeks of singing a variety of songs that include <i>la</i>, it's time to formally present the concept. In my Kodály level I class, I learned that a good song for presenting a concept needs to meet certain criteria. First, it should contain mostly known concepts. In this case, the known melodic material is <i>so</i> and <i>mi</i>. There should only be one instance of the new note, preferably appearing close to the end of the song. Since Bounce High, Bounce Low is such a short song, it doesn't fit this criterion perfectly, but I've had success using it nonetheless. (Some other good <i>la</i> present songs: Bell Horses, Snail Snail, Lucy Locket, Hickety Tickety Bumble Bee.)</div>
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When the new note occurs, it should be surrounded by its closest known neighboring pitch. This means that songs including the<i> mi-la</i> leap are too difficult to use for present songs. It's best to find songs that go from <i>so</i> to <i>la</i> directly. </div>
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Once your kiddos know the song very well (and after playing the game for a few weeks, they definitely will!) they are ready for the present lesson. You start by deriving the rhythm on the board. For this reason, you always want to pick songs with familiar rhythms when doing a formal present lesson. My first graders learned ta and ta-ti at the beginning of the school year, so this song meets the criteria perfectly. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXPQlGTlbUfO6wwwssUTrHRAe9oWlxi0W-GzBsPV6Qp28hgYLkre94PcJu4jrcAcXAAW7-VRVA1KzT53PzUX2T_N4EnP66gpUmRGpwDKiPS1_0sKS2RPbxDnXbr8cXBlQbv0kb8-KlVg/s1600/bounce3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1220" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXPQlGTlbUfO6wwwssUTrHRAe9oWlxi0W-GzBsPV6Qp28hgYLkre94PcJu4jrcAcXAAW7-VRVA1KzT53PzUX2T_N4EnP66gpUmRGpwDKiPS1_0sKS2RPbxDnXbr8cXBlQbv0kb8-KlVg/s400/bounce3.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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After they derive the rhythm, you will add the solfege pitches underneath. You always want to go from the known to the unknown: first finding all the <i>sos</i> and <i>mis</i>, and then finding the new note. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLgE0fo8WlxDd0mKUwt7siVwXgJb-3vSJLJxL0txD-YWF0JEPk-U7BcbrWyVFqghLM_spchtPS2gOPpc9I50nAApJEfF1pJxq7c-dkCEZSYVtqr8C2SmCpAl8QoxuEBIqs1GZxkH-Mv0/s1600/bounce4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="1189" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLgE0fo8WlxDd0mKUwt7siVwXgJb-3vSJLJxL0txD-YWF0JEPk-U7BcbrWyVFqghLM_spchtPS2gOPpc9I50nAApJEfF1pJxq7c-dkCEZSYVtqr8C2SmCpAl8QoxuEBIqs1GZxkH-Mv0/s400/bounce4.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The students should be able to aurally distinguish the fact that the new note is higher than <i>so</i>. At this point, you give the new note a name, <i>la,</i> and show the students how to label it and sing it. I also use this time to teach the Curwen hand sign that goes with it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUtdNIpig3maX-E2-HhygpWVn5Fk7d2fAPMn0-XqYR7gP6viqGxWKQ-KkBWc9S0d9beBvEOw5bMLBPTzVGA-vDRshqFtsbnVtLSC72_55SWaPZ2TWYC1mhtDoAtAuUkQpzZe0zred4pg/s1600/bounce5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="1189" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUtdNIpig3maX-E2-HhygpWVn5Fk7d2fAPMn0-XqYR7gP6viqGxWKQ-KkBWc9S0d9beBvEOw5bMLBPTzVGA-vDRshqFtsbnVtLSC72_55SWaPZ2TWYC1mhtDoAtAuUkQpzZe0zred4pg/s400/bounce5.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Practice</h3>
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The final step in the sequence is to practice the new note. With Bounce High, Bounce Low, I like to take advantage of the fact that a bouncy ball fits perfectly like a note on the staff! I use it as iconic notation and show a large ball for quarter note and two smaller balls for paired eighth notes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWdzffgNVtmhOWP7UH0nfOAxs2u_kFNtx8HONycnp31augeX8BX_iqhnI3lpTLr435jCHLtdjT8YwQW4EosCOffLKny0sNHtB850kd43po-8NUG8FYsSS8HBquioEQlRq74l16PYuhMQ/s1600/bounce1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWdzffgNVtmhOWP7UH0nfOAxs2u_kFNtx8HONycnp31augeX8BX_iqhnI3lpTLr435jCHLtdjT8YwQW4EosCOffLKny0sNHtB850kd43po-8NUG8FYsSS8HBquioEQlRq74l16PYuhMQ/s640/bounce1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_GIonuTNcNU8KIPrngYVpbAGwtbskaIkNxjANqlPfBuB5da1ALdB2J0FE2C5qdIYw3j4eySlCqwV47ZH2G4GN4yVWk_wulVBSINehGAyoEfzrgOBwZJRQV_yFZ-EJTfZNysToNlBtII/s1600/bounce2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_GIonuTNcNU8KIPrngYVpbAGwtbskaIkNxjANqlPfBuB5da1ALdB2J0FE2C5qdIYw3j4eySlCqwV47ZH2G4GN4yVWk_wulVBSINehGAyoEfzrgOBwZJRQV_yFZ-EJTfZNysToNlBtII/s640/bounce2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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There's plenty of other ways to practice <i>la</i> as well: reading and writing the note, singing solfa games, improvising on instruments, playing a melodic ostinato, etc. This is the stage in the process where small group centers and individual work can be used to reinforce learning as well.</div>
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Have fun teaching musical concepts through this great game!</div>
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Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-21707456332573218002018-02-05T13:52:00.000-05:002018-02-05T23:15:14.448-05:00Teaching Melodic Contour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hello all, it's great to be back! I came back to work from maternity leave a few weeks ago. Baby Tanenblatt was born in October and is absolutely perfect. Now I'm learning how to navigate life as a working mom and every day certainly brings its new challenges. </div>
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One of my favorite ways to tackle challenging teaching situations is through collaboration, and this month I'm collaborating with some fantastic music teachers to share our favorite tools for teaching melodic concepts. Today I'm going to share with you some of my favorite tricks for teaching melodic contour. Please note that this post contains Amazon affiliate links and I receive a small commission from items purchased through the links.</div>
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When teaching melodic contour, I find that a lot of young students get confused with the language. They hear high and low and confuse it with loud and soft. By actively engaging them in listening and singing, I find that this confusion generally clears up after a few lessons. I usually use a combination of the tools listed below to help my students understand what upward and downward melodic direction really means.</div>
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<b>Slide Whistle</b></h3>
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My slide whistle has been one of my favorite additions to my classroom this year. I introduced it to my Kindergarteners at the beginning of this school year and their faces just lit up the first time they heard it! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvExXg-BZ7_2MmFIGfalMSSmM_cJDRHd2DY5Btbxd8_85BPxVW6V8JlfEia0cR-Nu6SFoA8oxuyra5koXILyXa0tItaOjHHMK8v9elVzuB1J3W996Rr5IeurmOrXgSpCAgiy_BM1B6rA/s1600/20180202_163747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvExXg-BZ7_2MmFIGfalMSSmM_cJDRHd2DY5Btbxd8_85BPxVW6V8JlfEia0cR-Nu6SFoA8oxuyra5koXILyXa0tItaOjHHMK8v9elVzuB1J3W996Rr5IeurmOrXgSpCAgiy_BM1B6rA/s320/20180202_163747.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Students always love listening to patterns that I play. I will play a glissando on the whistle and then ask the students to show the direction that the melody is going. Once I feel like they all understand the difference between upwards and downwards motion, I make each example more complicated, involving lots of high and low leaps. I ask students to act them out by standing/sitting or waving their arms to show the high and low sounds. If you're looking for an inexpensive slide whistle to play, you can try this one: </div>
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Pitched Percussion</h3>
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I love to use my pitched percussion instruments to reinforce melodic contour as well. I love to use Boomwhackers for this: I'll line up eight kids each with one scale degree and have them play up and down the major scale. We compare the size of the tubes to the pitch they produce to tie-in to the science of sound. I make them wait and only tap their tube when someone points to them, so one person gets to be the conductor and the eight kids playing love to "be a note" and play on their turn. We will do this along with simple songs that outline the steps to the major scale, such as The Snowman, Ebeneezer Sneezer, and Down, Down, Yellow and Brown. If you don't have Boomwhackers, the same thing can be done with handbells or tone bars.</div>
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Vocal Exploration</h3>
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A great way to help students make a visual connection is by displaying vocal explorations. A friend of mine gave me these great pathways that she made out of paper and I have fun going "old school" using them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AQrCPa7wYNZxAFugUFLF-1oP31rFXnVs9JkvbxfXnbVLczPIwEgw52cG-qkxNRRqAFxhy6NN5Yq3Wj90-q2RSNY2k2ToMyjcu-uVTHiTzf7-0OLA0q-J-irScKCDx_8PbWfe_xMdc00/s1600/20180202_163652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AQrCPa7wYNZxAFugUFLF-1oP31rFXnVs9JkvbxfXnbVLczPIwEgw52cG-qkxNRRqAFxhy6NN5Yq3Wj90-q2RSNY2k2ToMyjcu-uVTHiTzf7-0OLA0q-J-irScKCDx_8PbWfe_xMdc00/s320/20180202_163652.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I typically designate one student to be the leader and he or she will guide us through singing the shape. I usually have students singing along on a neutral vowel, such as "oo." I will have my leader use a pointer or hold a manipulative (for example, a big foam snowflake in the winter time) to show where we are along the line.</div>
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I've been keeping these red shapes attached to my dry erase board with magnets and when they're not in use, I just push them off to the side. Then, my older students all want to know what those big red things are for and we have fun playing with them, too!</div>
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If you are more interested in a high-tech version, there are lots of vocal explorations available for download on TpT that you can project. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyOCHhxxYuAJxMdJ1ThSw_iouH5n0HadEShdEgSAwtK6wDAbUQx7ENsWBOKAh9Iz7UmVZj-b4naDHqgGX9vYH2MLLmZzwtDQpTbu5JqvkWH4KK5UO-Z0AHCoy1UrjkI07VIExhPye1ZI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-05+at+1.16.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="666" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyOCHhxxYuAJxMdJ1ThSw_iouH5n0HadEShdEgSAwtK6wDAbUQx7ENsWBOKAh9Iz7UmVZj-b4naDHqgGX9vYH2MLLmZzwtDQpTbu5JqvkWH4KK5UO-Z0AHCoy1UrjkI07VIExhPye1ZI/s200/Screen+Shot+2018-02-05+at+1.16.12+PM.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58APt_uHl1Vsqkz12ZUSk1LhRKw4NMxXXEmdslTPZag5FUxKc_uI5sIu5IK8J0PQ5Tpom6acNpMACbviNYkeBjOoSGf8KYbvgWM_-oOUZMwsus9uo0PZKAgIYjQtCPa6bCXMYcXZC3hs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-05+at+1.16.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="665" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58APt_uHl1Vsqkz12ZUSk1LhRKw4NMxXXEmdslTPZag5FUxKc_uI5sIu5IK8J0PQ5Tpom6acNpMACbviNYkeBjOoSGf8KYbvgWM_-oOUZMwsus9uo0PZKAgIYjQtCPa6bCXMYcXZC3hs/s200/Screen+Shot+2018-02-05+at+1.16.29+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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One of my favorites is <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Flying-Freddie-Vocal-Explorations-1999498" target="_blank">Flying Freddie</a>, an animated version where students can follow the little aviator as his airplane goes up and down.</div>
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Otamatone</h3>
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OK, I will admit that I have a bit of an impulse shopping problem. I saw a video demonstration of this little guy last year and just had to have it for my classroom:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4g0zlzTQHbAeyJ5CECN-WLWJSYey3KrjR9Q07Psh96ruCcA5AB-mKmfojVpXR6KaP6hnn1hR2kceK5Py3W1kL6oVVyOt-GQgRM9_II8sKp6CAvCPsnMlGqWUiRKZdz-vFqvFdY5D1uI/s1600/20180202_163550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4g0zlzTQHbAeyJ5CECN-WLWJSYey3KrjR9Q07Psh96ruCcA5AB-mKmfojVpXR6KaP6hnn1hR2kceK5Py3W1kL6oVVyOt-GQgRM9_II8sKp6CAvCPsnMlGqWUiRKZdz-vFqvFdY5D1uI/s320/20180202_163550.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It's an electronic instrument and has a crazy sounding timbre that kids love. You can play melodies on the neck of the instrument and it has a little switch on the back to change between low, medium, and high octaves. You can play distinct notes or glide up and down to create a flowy melody. Students can listen and respond by stretching up high or down low. No written explanation can really do this thing justice, so here's a video demonstration by the manufacturer:<br />
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The Otamatone is a fun teaching tool and also a great behavior incentive: as soon as students hear it they all immediately want to get their hands on it! (Can you blame them?) I'll announce to a class that when they line up, I'm looking for three students who walk calmly and quietly to their spot in line. Those three will get to play a short melody for their peers.<br />
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If you are as crazy as I am, you can get one on Amazon. There's several different sizes and colors available. This is the one I use:<br />
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Yarn Composition/Improvisation</h3>
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A few weeks ago, my local Kodály chapter, <a href="https://musikchapter.weebly.com/" target="_blank">MUSIK</a>, hosted a free workshop at Loyola University. One of the presenters was the incomparable Amy Weishaar who shared a breadth of information on creating multisensory lessons for students with learning disabilities. One of the greatest takeaways for me was a demonstration that she led using yarn to compose and improvise. Every student gets a length of yarn to show their melody and she also suggests giving each child a felt square for a backing so it has something to cling to. </div>
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After children have created their melody, they can sing it or play it on an instrument, exploring the high and low sounds they can produce. She suggested using the black keys of a piano keyboard so that it will be a pentatonic melody. You could also do this the opposite way and sing/play a melody, then ask the students to manipulate the yarn to show what they heard.</div>
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I hope this collection of ideas sparks something new for you. It's always great to find new ways to teach a basic concept like melodic direction. Do you have another kinesthetic, aural, or visual way to teach melodic direction? Please share in the comments!</div>
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Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-48074473192151633802017-09-18T19:09:00.002-04:002017-09-18T19:10:02.272-04:00Arrrrr Ye Ready to Talk Like a Pirate?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Tomorrow is my favorite holiday: International Talk Like a Pirate Day! (It's a <a href="http://talklikeapirate.com/wordpress/" target="_blank">real thing</a>, I swear!) </div>
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I love pirates (and really any excuse to dress up and speak in a funny accent) so I usually bring the celebration into my classroom for the week and make sure all of my lessons are infused with a certain amount of pirattitude.</div>
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This year I've added a few new pirate activities to my arsenal, which the kids at my new school have loved so far. I'll share three new pirate activities with you today:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pass the Parrot</b></span></div>
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This is based on a folk dance, "The Chair and Broom." I read about it recently on facebook and also got to try at a Kodály workshop a few years ago. I'm told that the source is an out-of-print book called Backwoods Heritage by Martha Riley. It is a partner mixer dance, which means that as students go through they will end up with different partners each time. It's a great beginning folk dance and great for socialization. </div>
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The setup is one longways set with three students sitting in chairs in a row at the head. The child in the center holds a parrot (I didn't have a good parrot toy available so we used my rubber chicken with great success.) When the music starts, she chooses to either pass the parrot to the person seated to her right or left. Whomever she gives it to is going to remain seated. The child in the center gets up with the <i>other</i> child (the one<i> not </i>holding the parrot) and they sashay together down to the bottom of the set. Then, the child remaining at the head holding the parrot slides into the middle seat and the next person standing in each line in the longways set comes forward and takes a seat. The center child passes the parrot and the dance continues. </div>
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Since the only dance move required is the sashay, it's pretty accessible for students of all ages. I did it with 2nd grade and higher today and everyone enjoyed it. It can be done to any jig. I forgot to bring my New England Dancing Masters CD to school today so I just pulled this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VR3SmuP9nc" target="_blank">Scottish jig medley </a>off YouTube and told the kids it was pirate music. They loved it! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Fire in the Hole!</b></span></div>
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For some rhythm review, I devised a simple game that uses flashcards and beanbags. I told the class that my rug was the pirate lagoon and we scattered rhythm flashcards all around the rug. One student would come stand on the edge of the rug and get to "fire the cannon," a.k.a. toss a beanbag onto the rug. Of course, before tossing it they had to shout "fire in the hole!" which made it infinitely more fun. When the beanbag landed on a card, the student had to pick it up, show it to the class and count us in as we all read it together. I used <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Black-White-Flashcards-Sixteenth-Notes-3395745" target="_blank">these black and white flashcards</a>, which I printed on colored paper and laminated.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Port Side Pirates!</b></span></div>
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I'm always looking to add more great illustrated children's books to my library and I recently discovered the delightful publisher, Barefoot Books. The great thing about Port Side Pirates is that the entire thing is a catchy song. It comes with a singalong CD, and what's even better is that the CD includes an instrumental-only track so that once your students know the song they can sing it themselves. The melody is also fully notated with sheet music and guitar tabs in the back of the book, which I love having for reference. </div>
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The song uses tons of really cool pirate vocabulary so I'd make sure to review things like port vs. starboard before singing and reading. If you want your own copy, it's available on Amazon. (Please note that this is an affiliate link, which means I receive a small commission off any purchases made by clicking below.)</div>
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I hope some of these pirate activities spark your interest! For more piratey fun, check out my TLAPD post from 2015: <a href="http://mrstanenblatt.blogspot.com/2015/09/piratical-fun-in-music-room.html">Piratical Fun in the Music Room</a>. </div>
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Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-59385357643743028352017-09-12T17:15:00.000-04:002017-09-12T17:15:27.239-04:00Back to School 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We're baaack! By now, I'm sure everybody is getting back into the swing of things and starting up their school routines again. In Maryland, the kids didn't go back until after labor day. I've only had about a week of classes at this point, but it's been quite a busy time for me. </div>
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I'm at a new school in a different county so I have lots of changes and adjustments to make... all good ones, though! I'm now teaching full time at one school, five days a week! No more traveling between schools or teaching on a cart. I am somewhat sad that I won't be posting too much in my "Music on Wheels" series anymore, but maybe I'll continue to add to it in the future if I can think of some helpful advice from my time teaching on a cart. </div>
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For now, I'm focusing on setting up my classroom, getting to know all 800+ of my new students, and starting the school year off on a positive note! In case you missed it, a few days ago I posted a live video on facebook with a tour of my new classroom setup. You can watch it <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mrstanenblatt/videos/vb.236650413175408/688336631340115" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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One more announcement: the other exciting thing happening this school year is my husband and I are expecting our first baby! </div>
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She's due in late October so this will definitely be a crazy school year as I prepare for my maternity leave. (The good kind of crazy, though!) Lots of exciting things going on in the upcoming months. I'll be sure to keep you posted about everything as this amazing school year unfolds.</div>
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Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-63117839537382122462017-03-22T05:30:00.000-04:002017-03-22T05:30:12.975-04:0031 Days of Rhythm: Engage Students with Rhythm Sudoku<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Can you believe that we are more than halfway through the month of March already? Spring is finally here and we are in the middle of celebrating Music in Our Schools Month! There is so much to be happy about! </div>
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For today's post, I'm going to share a brilliant idea that I learned about several years ago at a workshop: Rhythm Sudoku. </div>
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If you are anything like me, you probably first heard about Sudoku about eight years ago. Maybe you never really got into it because "math isn't your thing" (which is ironic because a Sudoku puzzle actually doesn't require any arithmetic.) Or maybe you have experience completing the puzzles and are wondering how on earth these number squares can relate to rhythm. </div>
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Either way, I'm happy to show you! In this post, I'll walk you through the steps required to make your own Rhythm Sudoku puzzle (or for those of you more results-oriented, you can <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rhythm-Sudoku-Interactive-PowerPoint-2630207" target="_blank">buy ready made ones in my store</a>. But that really does take all of the fun out of it, don't you think?)</div>
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A traditional Sudoku grid is 9x9, but we don't need to get quite so involved with ours! Let's make a 4x4 grid to start out. Once your puzzle is complete, you can think of it like a composition with four measures of four beats each.</div>
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This will be the most time-consuming portion, but once you get the hang of creating them, you should be able to create a puzzle in a minute or two. </div>
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You have to select four different rhythms to use in your puzzle. Start plugging them in the grid wherever they fit. You can't have the same rhythm twice in any row or column. </div>
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Make sure you make note of what your completed puzzle looks like. Then, you can erase most of the rhythms so that your puzzle is ready! The more squares you erase, the more difficult your puzzle will be. For beginner level puzzles, I like to make it so that at least one row or column can be solved immediately.</div>
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Once you have created your puzzle, you are ready to share with your students. I like to create several puzzles of increasing difficulty levels to challenge my students as they are ready. Once they have solved the whole puzzle, they have a grid of music notation, which can be used for reading practice.</div>
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You can read them the "right way," as in read each beat from left to right. Or, for more crazy fun, you can read the lines backwards. Or you can read the columns going up or down. There are so many different combinations and ways to interact with the completed puzzle grid! It's a surefire way to keep kids curious and engaged while reciting rhythm syllables!</div>
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Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-79771861537840467862017-03-07T11:26:00.000-05:002018-02-11T10:24:08.081-05:0031 Days of Rhythm: Prepare Quarter Notes and Eighth Notes using In the Hall of the Mountain King<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
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This has to be one of my favorite pieces of music to use in my teaching. I love to use classical pieces that my students immediately recognize. They are so much more engaged when they've heard the piece in their lives already.<br />
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In this piece, there are just so many great musical concepts just waiting to be unpacked: tempo, dynamics, orchestral instruments, storytelling, pitch, and of course, rhythm. The clear rhythmic motive in this piece is so catchy and accessible for even my youngest students.<br />
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For our MIOSM blog series, I am sharing how I use this piece to prepare my young students for quarter note and barred eighth notes. Here are a few different tried-and-true ways to use it:</div>
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1. One of my favorite ways to introduce the piece is to play a recording of it while dramatically telling them the story of Peer Gynt’s attempt to flee from the trolls. I think that storytelling is one of the most overlooked aspects of our craft. It is arguably the oldest form of human expression, and I love being able to get my students' attention and help them hone their aural skills by telling them stories.</div>
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<span style="color: #999999;">(If your school and administration is super open-minded, perhaps you could also play them <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r__Dk4oWGJQ" target="_blank">this terrifying video</a>? Just kidding. Don’t show this video unless you want angry parents calling you demanding to know why you showed their child this demonic video in music class.) </span></div>
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Anyway, while I tell them the story, I begin chanting “tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe, troll” to the rhythm while our hero tries to escape. When the tempo and dynamics increase, I change it to “run run, run run, run run, troll!” It doesn’t take long before all of my students are chanting it along with me. Most are also singing along to the melody.</div>
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2. In a previous blog post, <a href="http://mrstanenblatt.blogspot.com/2014/10/listening-lessons-three-ways.html" target="_blank">Listening Lessons Three Ways</a>, I shared an awesome tool that was given to me by a former teacher: she calls it her "Marauders Map". It is actually two long paper rolls (they are a few feet wide and look great up on a chalkboard or dry erase board.) I start with the iconic notation and then when I'm ready to actually present quarter and eighth notes, I'll put the other one up side-by-side to compare.</div>
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3. In case you don't want to make your own map, here is a free printable/projectable one that I created using iconic notation:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ83OHCymbEx4io6H974aLA8BnX4dnZX5ICCGF_LjNTU2IYm_aAxlb0HIN_QdESzbAeHc_ncQ05Siugmx2MjGISgq5df3T2Y31d7uKGx4wgIoRpHg1sczenvdM08CRQvBxNtKhtAhFc9A/s1600/mountain+king+map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ83OHCymbEx4io6H974aLA8BnX4dnZX5ICCGF_LjNTU2IYm_aAxlb0HIN_QdESzbAeHc_ncQ05Siugmx2MjGISgq5df3T2Y31d7uKGx4wgIoRpHg1sczenvdM08CRQvBxNtKhtAhFc9A/s400/mountain+king+map.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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4. Another fun activity to do with “Mountain King” is compare it to Mary Had A Little Lamb. I challenge my students to see if they can sing the lyrics to “Mary Had A Little Lamb" to the melody of "Mountain King." The same can also be done using "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and it's fun to try and do the movements faster and faster with the accelerando in the piece.</div>
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5. One of the things that makes "In the Hall of the Mountain King" so accessible for students is the fact that it is so pervasive in popular culture. It's been covered and re-recorded by a number of popular artists and it is frequently heard in TV and movies. I've been told it is sampled in the song "Hair Up" from the new Trolls movie (how appropriate given the subject matter.)<br />
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No matter the source, there is a good chance that your students will recognize the tune when they hear it in class, and that is a great way to get them engaged in the lesson! </div>
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Rachel Tanenblatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02943900021541756257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-800846054248467305.post-26461508805263781152017-01-31T17:37:00.001-05:002017-01-31T17:37:50.596-05:00And the Zazzle winners are...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Congratulations to the three winners of my <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/mrstanenblatt*" target="_blank">Zazzle</a> Pin-to-Win contest! If you were a winner, check your email for the next step to claim your prize!</div>
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