Recorder Madness Begins: Winter BA Recorder Stations

My students recorder orders arrived this week (ssshhh...I haven't told the kids they are here yet!!  They are bursting at the seams to get their hands on their recorders).

I was reflecting on how I introduce recorders and thought that I should create some more activities for just B and A, without adding the G, to build a better foundation, especially for those kids who struggle with the motor skill of changing fingers.  We use the Recorder Karate method, but they jump right into BAG right away, and I was thinking some kids would benefit from having just B and A to work with. 

So, coming to you tonight is a Winter Themed BA recorder set.  These are set up to be used in center rotations, allowing the teacher to work with a small group privately.  I also personally add in an iPad station to my cycles.

Included in the set are:

Color By Note: A winter worksheet, for your students to color. Each piece of the picture has a B or on it. Students are given directions to color each pitch a specific color. This activity focuses on the notes we are isolating in our recorder playing.

Winter Composition: Students write a very simple BA melody by choosing to write a B or an A on the staff provided on each snowflake.  They also write the fingering for each note on the recorder picture below the snowflake.   They then practice performing it.  A recorder fingering chart is also provided.

Partner Evaluation: Students have a checklist and provide each other 1 or 2 positive comments and 1 or 2 constructive comments on the notes that they are working on.

Rhythm Performance Practice: Students practice rhythm patterns on B, then A, then combinations of B and A.

I print these out and glue the station cover page on the front of file folders.  I then glue the worksheet (one copy) on the inside of the folder and laminate it.  Then, when I make copies for each station, I place them in each file folder and as students rotate stations, they know to look for the folder of their next activity.

You could also use these as individual whole class activities or at home extensions of the lessons you are teaching.

Hope this simplified set is helpful and your kids enjoy working in recorder centers as much as mine do.  I'm planned and ready.  Recorders here we come!

Treble in the Classroom Sale for 100 Followers

The Treble in the Classroom Store is allllll on sale through Wednesday in celebration of our 100th follower on Teachers Pay Teachers.  Stock up on all kinds of goodies at discounted prices in celebration!

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Ostinato Cards

I just finished a new set of Thanksgiving Ostinato Cards for this upcoming holiday season.

I try to incorporate holiday pieces in my classroom, while keeping the focus on the musical skills I am working on with my classes.  This activity helps to do just that.

Included in this set are 10 ostinato card sets (picture and text on one card, corresponding rhythm on another).  These cards can be printed back to back to be used as flippable flash cards or they can be kept separate for matching activities. 

Ideas for the card are included, such as:
*Ostinato Speech Ensembles
*Instrumental Ostinato Ensembles
*Word Chain Arrangements
*Matching Games

These simple cards can be used in many ways and minimal preparation is needed!  The included patterns use quarter notes, quarter rests, half notes, and eighth notes.  Half note patterns could be removed for students who have not learned them yet!

Download this set for a quick Thanksgiving music room activity.

Listen to Myself Challenge

Make Moments Matter Blog has created a linky party for reflecting on what we hear ourselves saying in our classroom and what we'd like to hear ourselves say more to our students.  I've been reflecting on this a lot as of late, especially as my formal observation process just occurred, so I thought it'd be a great time to share.  I'm excited to see what others have to share in this department too.

1.  Hey Ho Look at Me, Sing Your Name and Tell Me....
I start each class with each student singing to share about themselves.  It gives them a chance to practice improvising solo singing in their head voices, to practice singing in front of others, and helps me to know them on a personal level much better.  It also helps me remember and practice each student's name daily while giving them feedback on their singing.  The kids enjoy sharing and have developed great classroom culture through this process.  We know that in our room, we encourage each other as we are trying to develop into the best musicians we can each personally be.  I love hearing my students' spontaneous outbursts of applause for a student who has finally found their head voice. 

I ask questions ranging from "tell me what you did this weekend" to "tell me what color your toothbrush is" to "tell me what you're thankful for."  I model and share my answer first, and then we go around the circle.  I am always amazed that no matter the grade, tons of hands rise up to volunteer to start.  This quick activity (they are so used to this that we get done in under 2 minutes in our quick whip around) is powerful musically and culturally. 

2.  What do you think about our performance?
I've been really working with my kids on having them reflect and critique themselves.  I think peer feedback is often more powerful or as powerful as teacher feedback.  I want my kids to develop musical independence, so that as they practice at home or when they leave the elementary classroom, they know how to increase the proficiency of their performance personally. 

I am always surprised by how tough they are on themselves, and how insightful they are.  I know that has developed over time as I have nurtured their critiquing and reflecting abilities from a young age, yet their meaningful feedback to themselves and for others really has helped my students develop. 

We are really being encouraged to develop higher level thinking and questioning in our students.  Using this strategy for providing feedback is helping me to nurture this with my kids.  It isn't easy.  There are many times as the "all knowing teacher" that I want to jump in and tell my kids what to do or fix.  However, I need to continue to stop myself from doing that first, and allow my kids to come up with our areas for growth first, with me providing any missed ideas later.

3.  I'm glad you're here!
So many of our kids are coming from tough home situations that are beyond anything we could ever fathom.  Just being that nurturing, encouraging voice to many kids can make a huge difference in their lives.  This year, I've been trying to celebrate each student, making them feel valued this year, even the trying ones.  There are some kids that this is very easy for, and others that this is more stretching for.  I have reflected recently that so many of our kids are carrying heavy baggage that we might not even know about.  Supporting them and building them up through music, can be life giving and light giving for these kids!  I know the teachers who invested in me and built me up, made a huge difference in my life!



4.  Listening and Responding to Student Driven Ideas and Questions
One thing I want to continue working on is making my classroom learning more student driven.  I want my students to be inquisitive and lead our learning.  If students want to rearrange an ensemble to hear how it sounds, I want to make time to do that.  If my kids want to try a different mallet technique, I want them to explore that.  I want to continue to strive to put the students in the drivers' seat in a focused way throughout this year and beyond. 

Staff Twister Mania

My 3rd graders have been excited and inquisitive as we have been learning to identify the notes on the music staff.

To review in a more kinesthetic way, today we created a human staff. I taped 5 lines across the music room floor. 

First, we stepped in each line, saying its name as we moved. Then, we went back and stepped on the spaces in order. 

After mastering that, I'd say a note and the students would become the note. We discussed that some letters had two options for locations. 

Then, we added the twister piece. I'd say a body limb and a note.  For example, I said right hand on b. Then I might add left foot on e, and so on. We usually started fresh after 4 commands or so, so that no one was falling on the floor. 

Hope this review idea sparks some ideas for you! 

Great iPad App Discovery: Stick Pick

I'm taking an iPad class the first three weekends in November.  Though in the past, I've focused on iPad apps that are music focused, I'm learning about a lot of apps outside of the music realm that can be awesome resources in the music room.  I'll be sharing them in the days and weeks to come.  

Tonight, I want to share the Stick Pick App.  This app allows teachers to store the traditional "popsickle stick" class names in the iPad.  For those of us in the music realm who have 20+ classes, it makes this technique manageable since the sticks are stored digitally.  It allows you to keep track of who you have called on and it allows you to differentiate questions for students based on Bloom's Taxonomy.  I've wanted to use the sticks for calling on students before, but had no way to keep hundreds of sticks organized.  Love this app!  Hope you do too!

 

Treble in the Classroom is Now On Facebook!

Treble in the Classroom is now on Facebook.  Like the facebook page to stay updated with facebook friend only freebies coming in December, and other great resources and ideas!  Can't wait to connect with you in new ways.  Click here to visit the new facebook page.  More fun to come.
 

Thanks for your "likes!"