Episodes

Get ready to step outside of the classroom and dive into a world of musical adventure. Whether you're looking to review note values with Four Square, get your students bouncing to the beat with Bouncy Ball Note Values, or sneaking around playing Hide and Seek, this podcast is the perfect resource for elementary music teachers who want to get their students moving, grooving, and learning about music in a fun and exciting way! Join us as we explore the best outdoor games to help your students lear...

5 May Storybooks to Engage & Entertain Your Students in the Music Classroom. Today we're going to be discussing five fantastic storybooks that you can use to engage and entertain your students in the music classroom this May. These books cover a range of topics, from Cinco de Mayo to Mother's Day to springtime adventures, and are sure to capture your students' imaginations. So without further ado, let's dive in! Book 1: "Cinco de Mayo - Senorita Mariposa, by Ben Gundersheimer This rhyming sto...

Welcome to the Move it Groove it podcast, where we explore creative ways to incorporate movement into your elementary music classroom. Today's episode is all about adding more movement to your lessons. First off, we'll be discussing the importance of movement for kids. Movement is not only a fun way to engage students but also helps with brain development, gross motor skills, and can even improve academic performance. Next up, we'll be talking about the use of scarves in your music lessons. Sc...

Concert season is approaching (or maybe it's already here for you). In this episode we'll help elementary music teachers navigate through the challenges of concert season. Today's episode will focus specifically on 3 strategies for managing your concert season. Here's a sneak peak Don't be afraid to ask for help. Concert season can be overwhelming, but you don't have to do everything alone. Consider reaching out to colleagues or parent-teacher organizations for support. Utilize stage hands. S...

Rules for activities during testing weeks: Review only Use your most fun activities No thinking involved High engagement Little to no talking Keep it quiet What to teach during testing week: Steady beat activities Fun manipulatives Centers Escape rooms Karaoke Day Movement meet and greet or clapping games Line dancing Mr. Henry’s 4 Corners Quiet games like whisper day, tip toe day, telephone, yoga poses What I shared: Get the concert season playbook here: https://storiesthatsi...

Seven Spring Storybook Lessons: Little Rabbit Foo Foo by Michael Rosen and Arthur Robins This storybook is great to teach: melody, instrument play, movement Good News, Bad News by Jeff Mack This storybook is great to teach: melody The Listening Walk by Paul Showers This storybook is great to teach: instrument play. Grab your worksheet here: Hoppity Skip Little Chick by Jo Brown This storybook is great to teach: movement Yellow Umbrella by Dong Il Sheen and Jae-Soo Liu This storybook is...

Join me as I interview Kevin & Leah Klein, authors of the brand new storybook, The Showdown Symphony. They've written an adorable new picture book that is Peter & the Wolf-esk, with a theme for each adorable animal and a full orchestration that accompanies this story. They created their project to be as multimodal as possible, with a book video version, an animated book video version, an ebook version, and an audio file version with music and narration. They hope to create an immersive experien...

Three Tips for Choosing Concert Rep Your Big Kids Will Connect With 3 Tips for Choosing Concert Rep: Let your students choose the music. Break out the cool manipulatives. Let them design the way they want to present the song. Episode quotes: [4:15] I started thinking about THAT class because you know, they're always in the back of your head - those kids that you just aren't connecting with, the ones that make you feel like a bad teacher. Even though you're really not a bad teacher, you're a ...

How to Use Your Spidey Sense to Help Your Exceptional Learners Feel Great in Your Music Classroom Tips for Using Your Spidey Senses: Always be watching your students’ expressions. Just because they can’t participate in the same way as your typical students doesn’t mean they are not attentive and enjoying themselves. Know what your students ARE capable of so you know when they’re engaged and can celebrate their achievements. Remember that students may not LOOK engaged or expressive but that do...

“We rise to great heights by a winding staircase of small steps.” - Francis Bacon Recognize that watching your exceptional learners take teeny tiny steps will be one of the most fulfilling and joyful parts of your job. Exceptional Learners function best in a classroom that is structured and consistent. They may just not like your class since it is so different from their “regular” classrooms. Remember they will not progress at the same pace as your typical students. Their progress is going ...

Five Life Lessons from Dr. Seuss: Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. Why fit in when you were born to stand out? You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. Today I shall behave as if this is the day that I will be remembered. Episode quotes: [4:48] Start a journal and...

Harmonizing Differences - Teaching Acceptance in the Music Classroom Through music, we can teach about different cultures, different religions, different socioeconomic statuses, peoples’ minds, and bodies that work differently from our own, people who eat differently, people who live differently. The possibilities are endless. Why should we bother teaching acceptance in the music room? Music is a universal language, so it lends itself to discussions about different people and cultures all over...

How to Celebrate Black History Month in the Music Classroom 3 Storybooks to Use During Black History Month Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford Charlie Parker played Be Bop by Chris Raschka Rap a Tap Tap, Here’s Bojangles, Think of That by Leo & Diane Dillon The titles above contain Amazon affiliate links. Stories That Sing earns a small percentage of sales. List of Black composers: Ignatius Sancho - Minuetto Number 2 - Decus Ensembles Chiquinha Gonzaga - Gaúcho Joshua Uzo...

The origin story of the Happy Music Teacher! In this episode I share what my classroom was like during my first few weeks of teaching and believe me, it wasn’t pretty. But I figured it out, and I want to help you figure it out too! My three secrets to figuring out how I wanted to manage behavior in my classroom: Read Harry Wong’s “The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher” Watch other teachers. Trial and error Episode quotes: [4:10] I knew things needed to change and I knew...

Five Steps to Start the Second Half of the School Year Off Right Get back into the routine with a fluffy lesson. Review your procedures and transitions - inside of an actual lesson if you can. Revamp and change the things that aren’t working - transitions, lessons, whatever. Review your seating chart and make changes if needed. Make a plan for the rest of the school year. Today’s tip: Teach a rest position for when your students are using instruments but not playing them so they can listen...

7 Types of Lesson Plans to Make the Second Half of Your Year So Much Fun Review Transitions and Procedures by incorporating them into your lessons. Icebreakers Form lessons All play around the circle using Orff instruments Review the last skill you were working on before break Do a movement activity that teaches a music skill Use body percussion or hand games. Today’s tip: Body percussion and hand games help your students work on hand-eye coordination, a skill they are still developing i...