Imagine...all the possibilities of using music in your classroom.
You've got the Eye of the Tiger and pumped to use it.
That Baroque music is burning a hole in your pocket but you're just not sure how to implement it and when.
You've come to the right place.
Ages ago (last November), I had some people asking me about how I use music in my classroom. I wrote a post about it (not much of a post for real!) and linked to a shortened list of songs and playlists that I use in my room. Sad to say that the post was not very thorough as I must have been one tired girl that day...I'm sure all of you can relate! ;) I'm here to remedy that today.
Today I am taking this opportunity to explain WHAT music I use, HOW I use it, and WHEN I play it. To be completely honest, yesterday's post about two essentials in my classroom, should've definitely included this third one. I cannot live without my music in my classroom!! :)
What do you play your music on?
First, I have my music in several spots for multiple reasons. Inevitably, when you are in need of technology, you know something will go wrong. Therefore, I have back ups. My go-to is an iPod Nano docked in a speaker system that stays in my classroom all year. I LOVE my stereo/speaker system because it can get quite loud and sometimes I use that to my advantage. (Quite possibly my neighbor next door may not love that feature...but lucky for me she has never complained.) It was a much needed purchase several years ago from Walmart so I'm not sure they are still around or even available. My other sources of music come from either my iPad linked to a speaker my Smartboard speakers.
How is your music organized?
All of my school music is divided into playlist by their purpose. When I started teaching, I just played my music but not on playlists (think changing 10 cds a day). Ugh. Glad technology is on my side now. So. Much. Easier. After going through a training and thinking more purposefully about my music, I spent that summer making cds for each playlist. I narrowed it down to about 7 cds plus a few compilation discs. (Kids nowadays will never know our struggles. ha!) Still a lot of changing...while trying to do a little thing like teaching and orchestrating my classroom exactly how I wanted.
Then came the iPod and playlists. Now my music is divided into my core purposes and organized into playlists with these headings.
Anchor
Soothe
Energize
Focus
Orchestrate
Over time, some of my songs that were originally on the Orchestrate list (or others), made their way onto the Anchor playlist because the purpose changed and the beauty of playlists...they can be often modified without having to remake cds. I am constantly updating and revamping playlists to keep them current, fresh, purposeful and most importantly, appropriate.
What do these words/playlist titles mean?
Anchor-Songs that have one specific purpose. These songs are only played for the task/activity/moment each time.
For example....these are some ways I use Anchor songs on my playlist.
ABC123 by Jackson 5-Spelling...Every Monday and Friday, I start that song and my kids know to get out spelling papers, pencils, and privacy folders. They put names on their paper and immediately when that song ends, I press stop and start my spelling pre- or post- test.
Carwash by Rose Royce...Clean up. Every time I need my students to clean up, whether it's after indoor recess, workstations, an activity, I turn on the song and without saying anything, they know it's time to clean up.
Return to Pooh's Corner by Kenny Loggins...At the end of the day the students transition back from their intervention classes. During this time we are doing assignment books and talking about homefun. This song lets them know it's time to calmly and quietly get books filled out and ready for going home. If talking gets louder, so too does the music. Grab their attention...and then turn the music to a softer volume. Their voices should match the level of the music (or be off completely).
Soothe-Music that has words and/or instrumentals to be used during quiet times but not complete silence. The songs on my Soothe playlist can play during times like a quiet art/craft lesson, during Math manipulative exploration, and/or free thinking at desks.
I will put on my Soothe playlist during a time when I want students working but they are not being assessed or doing any formal instruction. The volume of the music should match the volume of talking in the room. The quieter the music, the softer the voices.
Energize-Music to use during brain breaks, transitions, and/or state changes. This music is typically upbeat and played at a louder level. I use my Energize songs during desk clean out, after we've been sitting for extended time (think writing or long Math instruction), a day without any breaks or outdoor recess (get the blood pumping), and/or if I notice a lull in the room...students not responding after a long weekend or on a Monday (we've all been there!). I will play some loud energizing music and have student wiggle and giggle and dance or do push ups and sit ups and jumping jacks. Anything. Truly.
Focus-This is softer (almost silent) music played just above the hum of the computers and lights in the classroom. It's used during silent focused times such as formal assessments, writing tasks, or guided reading (when I want my other friends silent while I meet with my groups). I play Baroque music during this time not just any classical music. Research has shown the number of beats in Baroque music is equal to a calm heartbeat of 60-80 beats per minute. Students can think, respond, and react with more awareness in a calm state. This Focus music helps students achieve that.
Orchestrate-My favorite. These songs can be used to build rapport, set the tone, help with transitions, played during group activities/teambuilders. This music tends to be more upbeat but does not have to be fast or loud. In my classroom, I play everything from The Beatles Yellow Submarine to put papers in mailboxes to We Can Work It Out (by The Beatles again) when solving a Math problem together. I like to play theme songs from kid shows or movies to help build rapport and create sense of team within our class community. Each year the class dynamics change and new songs make the list which helps to keep my playlists fresh...especially the Orchestrate playlist where it seems to have a little more flexibility in what I add to it. Again, the volume of music should match the desired volume of noise in the room.
What songs do you play?
I love to play both common kid songs and current "real world" songs. Most kids I find are not walking around singing "Wheels on the Bus" anymore in first grade. That being said, they get so much job when I turn on new music that they think is only in their world. Making that connection allows them to buy into what I do a little more. Think "Let It Go" when it first came out. If you were like me, the first time you put it on in your class, it was for pure shock value. What?!? My teacher knows this song? And within 5 seconds the entire class was then singing along. Love. Love. Love. You didn't replay the song 100 times in your room, but a couple more throughout the year because you knew the pure joy they got from letting it go. (I had to.) ;)
I tell parents this every fall since the first year I started teaching and I will continue to tell them until the day I retire...I am super picky about the music I not only play but recommend to others. Before any song makes my playlist cut, I research the lyrics and sometimes even the meaning or background to ensure that it is safe and appropriate for children to listen to. Long before I had kids, it was worse. My theory is...if I don't feel comfortable driving in a car listening to my own children singing those words, I absolutely will not play them in my classroom. Hence the reason for such scrutiny when picking songs. I had loosened up (a bit) three kids later but my standards in my classroom have not changed.
However, I have a few exceptions.....
There are a few absolutely timeless songs that are perfect for many occasions in the class. For example...I love the song Imagine by once again The Beatles. I love to play it in my class and expose my students to it. However, there is ONE word..."No he_ _ below us..." Fill in the blank. Every single time I play this song (because yes, I still play it) I coincidentally always happen to either turn it down and give an instructional reminder or say something with the volume down so that word is never heard in my classroom. Never in all my years has a kid ever caught on. Phew!! I make it look like a pure coincidence that I have decided to talk at that moment. The minute I make a big deal out of it, I have piqued their interest and they will want to know what I'm hiding. This is my little teaching trick when playing music. ;)
I think making those exceptions and songs can work for you without sacrificing your standards.
Here is a very basic list of my songs. A lot of my songs on this list are dated...I know. I enjoy exposing my students to a mix from Enya to The Beatles to Jennifer Lopez to current Disney tv shows. So while some of them are dated, they still are purposeful.
I left a spot on the list for "Your Ideas" because this was a resource I shared with my colleagues for them to add their own music to as well. I kept it on there in case you wanted to do the same. :)
Tomorrow I will share a sneak peek into my day and WHEN I play these songs.
A sampling of my day in music if you will.
In addition, I am nearing the one year anniversary of when I began this blog. It has been a bumpy and sometimes nonexistent blog to say the least this entire year, but I have no regrets. Thrilled I took this on and excited to share more on Wednesday about this past year and what I have been working on.
Stay tuned...
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