I may be a choir nerd who never played a sport (except grudgingly in gym class), but I love the Olympics. Maybe it's because I secretly wanted to be an ice skater (quite a feat living in the desert as a kid), but nonetheless, I love both the summer and winter Olympics. So when the… Continue reading The Greatest Winter Olympics Music Lessons
Category: Elementary Music
Everything about teaching elementary music! Instruments, classroom management, songs, etc.
The Best Classroom Management Tools (that you already have!)
When it comes to teaching.... There's a lot going on. So if there is anything that I can use that will help my day run more smoothly, I am going to take it. In this post, I’m sharing some of the classroom management tools that help my day go more smoothly– and most of these… Continue reading The Best Classroom Management Tools (that you already have!)
Classroom Management for Elementary Music Teachers
Classroom management is a term used to describe keeping a classroom full of children functioning throughout the day. This includes all of the rituals, routines, structure, and more that allows you to keep your classroom running. But classroom management for elementary music teachers is a a little bit different than for classroom teachers, so after… Continue reading Classroom Management for Elementary Music Teachers
Best Nutcracker Elementary Music Lessons for the Holiday Season
When it comes to December, every elementary music teacher has The Nutcracker on repeat. This is for good reason-- Tchaikovsky’s ballet is absolutely beautiful and has some incredible music. After reading this article, you’ll have 4 (new!) Nutcracker music lessons to use with your general music class. Before we get started, I wanted to mention… Continue reading Best Nutcracker Elementary Music Lessons for the Holiday Season
9 Thanksgiving Music Lessons for Elementary Music Class
With all of the holidays that happen at the end of the year, I have to say, Thanksgiving definitely gets looked over. The fact that the stores were already covered in Christmas decor by mid-October suggest that. In my elementary music lessons, I definitely look over Thanksgiving. I see my students for a week at… Continue reading 9 Thanksgiving Music Lessons for Elementary Music Class
The Best Drum Dream Girl Elementary Music Lessons
I am always looking for books to incorporate into my elementary music classes. I found Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle by accident one day-- I think that it was on display in our library. As soon as I picked it up, I knew it was a gem. Since then, I’ve used it many different… Continue reading The Best Drum Dream Girl Elementary Music Lessons
Favorite Folk Songs for Hispanic Heritage Month
One of my favorite things about music is that it can transport you all around the world and help you to learn about different cultures. We are always striving to do this in my elementary music classroom. Although I use songs from different cultures all year round, I love any excuse to highlight a culture!… Continue reading Favorite Folk Songs for Hispanic Heritage Month
How to Teach Rhythm in Elementary Music
If you are a new elementary music teacher, chances are one of the first things you want to teach is rhythm. But you can’t use the same method as your music theory teacher used in college-- I mean, these are five year olds! So how do you ACTUALLY teach rhythm in elementary music? It’s part… Continue reading How to Teach Rhythm in Elementary Music
What do I teach in elementary music?
If you’re a first year elementary music teacher, you are probably wondering one big question: What do I actually teach?! Of course, you know that you need to teach rhythm and melody but… What else? What rhythms? What melodies? What other things? In what order? In this blog post, we’re going to talk all about… Continue reading What do I teach in elementary music?
4 Most Helpful Tips for the Beginning of the Year in Elementary Music
Have you ever heard someone say teachers don't smile until Christmas? Well, don't fall for it. But they say that because the beginning of the year is the most important part-- it sets the tone for the rest of the year. I would venture to say the first few weeks of elementary music are the… Continue reading 4 Most Helpful Tips for the Beginning of the Year in Elementary Music