Music Teacher Planner Setup 2026-2027

I get questions all the time about the supplies I use to set up my teacher planner, so today I'm giving you a full update on everything I'm using for the upcoming school year. The nice thing is most things I use for many years so I get my money's worth, and every year I tweak a few little things here and there so I still get to enjoy the fun of putting together a fresh new planner every summer!

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1. Cover and discs

You can get hard covers like the one I have from a few different places but the one I have right now is from The Happy Planner. Honestly when my planner cover starts to get beat up after several years and it needs to be replaced, I look for one from any brand that I can find on clearance and get that one! This one is pretty similar to the one I'm using. I love these Happy Planner Rainbow Expander Metal Discs. The colors are just so fun and because they are metal they are so sturdy! I've been using them for several years now with very little sign of wear.

2. Paper

You don't have to have a fancy hard cover or rainbow colored discs to set up a teacher planner like this, but you will definitely need a hole punch to be able to put your papers into a discbound planner! Someone gave me the hole punch I'm using now from The Happy Planner but I used this one, which is much cheaper, for years with no issues.

This may surprise you but I think the biggest difference between a printable planner that feels cheap and one that feels professional is the paper. If you get 24lb paper to print at home you will notice a huge difference, and it's really not that much more expensive! Here's the paper I'm using right now.

You can also definitely have your planner pages printed- I used to have mine printed at Staples and they always came out great- but it is nice to be able to print at home and have the flexibility to just print out a page or two here and there whenever I need it without having to leave the house, and it ends up being cheaper. I use HP's instant ink service so it sends me new ink cartridges whenever I need them-  here's a link to get 1 month free if you want to try it too.

3. Folders and pockets

I find it really helpful to have a double-sided folder and a zippered pocket in the front of my planner. I got a new folder this summer from this accessory pack but you can use any letter size folder! I haven't found any other zippered pockets as good as this Arc Clear Zippered Pocket and it's so nice to keep my favorite Frixion Erasable Pens, some stamps, and address labels in there. I keep a Staples Clear Pocket in the back too for my choir sheet music.

4. Tabs and bookmarks

If there's one thing I've used longer than anything else (and probably will still be using 10 years from now) it's this pack of  Rainbow Paper Tabs. They are essentially sticky notes in the shape of tabs so I just write the section name on it and stick it where I want each section to begin (you can see them along the side in the photo above). They hold up shockingly well as well!

And I made my own bookmark to hold some sticky notes to use in my planner years ago that I am still using today- it's basically just a laminated piece of scrapbook paper cut to size with holes punched to add to my planner, but here is my Bookmark/ Sticky Note Dashboard DIY tutorial if you want all the details.

I also started using a plastic bookmark from The Happy Planner a few years ago that someone gave me and it is finally wearing down so this year I got a new one in the same accessory pack I got the folder from. I keep the DIY one in the current month, and the plastic one in the current week. 

I hope this helps if you are thinking about setting up your own planner like mine- I absolutely love it and have been using it with pretty much the same setup for over a decade now! Please let me know if you have any questions, I'm happy to help. Happy planning!

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Things to Put on Your Elementary Music Amazon Wishlist 2026

Have you ever thought about putting together an Amazon wishlist for your classroom but then just couldn't come up with what to ask for? It's silly because obviously there's tons of things we're lacking and can't get school funding for, but I find often in the moment it's hard to come up with stuff to ask for, especially as a music teacher, because usually the prices and selection for instruments and other elementary music specific things on Amazon are not as good as other vendors. I shared some favorites to add to your Amazon wishlist a few years ago, but since then I've found more things that I've added to my list! Here's a list of things to consider adding to your elementary music classroom Amazon wishlist.

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noise-canceling headphones

If you get one thing from this list, make it these! They are affordable and super effective- they have been a game-changer for my classroom this year! Instead of getting dysregulated when they are thrown off by the noise level, so many of my students have been able to continue participating fully in the lesson simply by wearing one of these headphones. Read more about how I use them (including my favorite storage method) in this post.

plastic clipboards

I used the woodchip clipboards I found in my classroom when I arrived for years and finally switched to these a few years ago and my students and I are universally so much happier with these! Students would inevitably doodle all over the old woodchip ones, but they really can't mark these plastic ones up, especially with pencil. And the colors match perfectly with the rest of my decor and my color team organizational system, so they look so much nicer.

batteries

Yes, my school office does have batteries, but having a big set in my classroom is so much easier, especially when I have battery operated keyboards that might run out of batteries in the middle of the lesson! 

felt squares

If you use dry erase staff boards to have students notate things, you know how annoying the erasers can be. Plus, like the old clipboards I mentioned before, kids doodle on the wooden side all the time! I saw a few teacher creators online talking about using these felt squares as erasers for dry erase boards and they have been great! Plus, once again, I love that they come in all different colors so I can match them with my color teams.

dry erase markers

This is another one of those practical things that can run out quickly and it's nice to have a set on hand so I can easily replace them when they dry out. This specific size of dry erase marker has been perfect for students to use on individual dry erase boards. Here's an example of the most common way I use dry erase staff boards if you haven't used them much before.

bean bags

These beanbags from Bear Paw Creek are definitely the most well-made ones I've found, they come in my rainbow team colors, and they are super affordable so they're another great item to get from your Amazon wishlist! I got 2 of these sets to have a set of 24 which covers most of my classes, and they have held up well for years now and still look brand new. Here's my post on how I use beanbags if you need more ideas.

cups

I've shared about my favorite cup games to use with upper elementary before, and I am often asked about what type of cup I use- these are the ones. I actually got mine at IKEA years ago and you can still get similar ones there, but they don't make them in the bright rainbow colors like they used to and frankly, I don't like their new colors at all. These are basically the same thing and still very affordable. Besides using them for cup games, I use these all over my classroom to organize supplies like crayons, pencils, and other small items so stock up!

I hope this gives you some helpful ideas to set up a wishlist of your own! If you haven't seen it already, go check out my first Amazon wishlist post for more ideas. And if you have other things you've gotten and loved, let me know in the comments!

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World Cup / Soccer Themed Elementary Music Lesson Activities

My students have been buzzing about the world cup the last few weeks and I'm thrilled they're so much more aware of it this time than my students have been in the past! With all the excitement around this major worldwide sporting event I knew I had to add in some soccer and world cup themed lesson activities before the end of the school year. Even if you're on summer break these would be perfect to start off the year in the fall, or use any time to grab your little soccer fans' attention!

Rhythm Play-Alongs

Of course my go-to easy option for tying in a certain theme is to use play-along videos, and there are some great ones for different rhythm elements out there! For example this one is super easy with just quarter notes and barred eighth notes, this one includes triplets, this one uses eighth-sixteenth combinations, this one has barred sixteenth notes, and this one includes eighth rests (but the first 2/3 of it only uses quarter notes/ rests and barred eighth notes if you want something easier).

Dance / Steady Beat Movement

I use the world cup theme songs from over the years for movement activities and dance games all the time because they are upbeat, school-appropriate, and the lyrics are always positive and energizing. I use them to practice steady beat by having students take turns coming up with a motion to do on the beat for the rest of the class to copy, or use the songs to play a game of freeze dance. There are lots of great ones but my favorites are Dai Dai from 2026, Waka Waka from 2010, and Dreamers from 2022. I've also used this dance tutorial video to get my older students dancing!

Instruments / Ensemble Playing

Another easy way to use the World Cup theme songs is as a backing track for instrument playing. Split the class up into small groups and give each group a different classroom instrument to play. For younger students point to or hold up pictures of the instruments to have them play the steady beat with the music, and for older students give each group an ostinato to play on your cue, layering them on top of each other (you could either do this by rote or have them read from notation). This is a great way to practice proper classroom instrument technique, ensemble listening/ playing, following a conductor, and if they're reading from notation, practice reading rhythms as well.

Vocabulary Review

All you need is a little soccer plushie and you can review any vocabulary you want! Write the vocabulary words on the board and have students stand at a distance and throw the plushie at the board. Whatever word or symbol they hit closest to they have to identify/ explain. Split the class into teams and have them take turns to earn points!

Music Around the World

The World Cup is a great jumping off point for exploring music from the countries they see represented in the tournament! I have units on several countries participating in the world cup this year that you could dive into, or just pull out a song or activity to add to your lessons: Korea, Japan, Colombia, Brazil, and New Zealand. I also have individual songs and lesson activities from many of the other participating countries- search by country on this page.

I hope this gives you some ideas to incorporate the World Cup into your elementary music lessons! Of course I'm sure there are plenty of other ways to tie into the soccer theme- I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments as well. And if you want to incorporate other sports, check out my previous posts on lessons using football, baseball, and ice skating themes!

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What To Do With Those Beanbags

If you are starting a new job in a new classroom and suddenly find yourself with a bin full of beanbags you don't know what to do with, or you have had them for a while and feel like you're not getting as much use out of them as you should, this post is for you! In this post you'll find tips for managing their use with students, plus plenty of ways to use them in lessons from Kindergarten through 6th grade!

1. Management tips

One of the most common issues that can turn a fun movement prop into a headache is the immediate tossing and playing around that happens when you're passing them out. Now you can't give directions for the activity because they're only paying attention to the beanbag in their hands, after you just told them to leave it on the floor! Here are a few ways I avoid that problem depending on the age of the students, situation, and honestly my mood at the time:

1) I give all of my instructions, including having students practice any movements we need to work on before we start the actual activity, before handing out the beanbags. This strategy is one I use pretty much every time- once the beanbags are in front of them their brains just aren't going to be as focused as they are when they're motivated to want to get one! I explain what we are doing and have them practice any specific moves in the air with an imaginary beanbags, then quickly hand them out and jump right into it before anything gets out of hand.

2) Tell students to treat the beanbags like instruments: if you play (touch) before I say, you'll make the instrument (beanbag) go away! I use this especially with my younger grades by having them put their hands in their laps while sitting on the floor and setting the beanbags down on the floor in front of them so they don't touch them at all until we're ready to begin.

3) Give them some time to explore. For middle grades sometimes I find the best strategy is to give them what they want: time to explore what the beanbag feels like and have some fun with it before I ask them to only use it in the specific way I want. Any time I do this I tell them they can "test them out" until I turn off the lights, then give them a minute before I turn off the lights and have them set the beanbags down. 

2. Lesson Ideas

Early Childhood/ Adaptive music: I discovered a new favorite use for my beanbags this year: using them as quieter, safer, sturdier alternatives to egg shakers! I had some students who were new to our building and were very impulsive with any objects they were given at the beginning of the year, so even a pretty sturdy plastic egg shaker was likely to get broken, but they really did respond well to the egg shaker songs I had so I wanted to be able to continue them without breaking any more instruments. My beanbags were a perfect substitute that gave them a chance to practice following directions and responding to the music by shaking with the steady beat etc, as well as add in other fun ways to use them like tossing them or tapping them on our knees, without worrying about anything breaking.

1st/ 2nd grade: With lower elementary grades, bean bags are a great way to mix up steady beat movement activities. Even though steady beat is mainly a focus in my Kindergarten curriculum, it's one of those things students still need a lot of regular practice with, especially in 1st and 2nd grade! But they don't want to just repeat the songs they did in Kindergarten. I use them most often by turning on a track with a clear beat and asking students to take turns suggesting a way to use the beanbags on the beat- usually tapping a specific body part like knees, tummy, head, or shoulder, but sometimes other moves like passing it back and forth between their hands etc.

3rd/4th grade: With my middle grades I use beanbags to practice showing duple and triple meter. By this age they can usually control it pretty well while tossing the beanbags so they can still catch them and keep them in their own space, so I will have students do a "left hand- right hand- toss" movement sequence with a triple meter song, or pass them back and forth between their two hands for a duple meter song to feel the difference between the two meters. The tossing adds a level of challenge that is just right for this age!

5th grade: I have 2 beanbag passing games that are always a huge hit with my 5th graders: Bhombela and Take Five. Bhombela is a song from southern Africa including Mozambique so I use it in my unit with 5th grade on Mozambique, and the jazz song Take Five is a great way to introduce uncommon time signatures. Check the linked videos for demonstrations of how to use the beanbags with each of these songs.

6th grade: I use one other beanbag passing game in 6th grade that is also a big hit and is perfect for introducing dotted quarter/ single eighth rhythms: Al Citron. This is another activity that is the perfect level of challenge for this age group to keep students engaged and motivated to repeat it over and over again, which is just what I want when I need students to get used to a new rhythm! 

If you've found it difficult to teach passing games, here is my post explaining the strategies I started using a few years ago that made all the difference in the world for getting students to be successful with passing games!

I hope this gives you some fresh ideas to help you use your beanbags (or maybe inspire you to get some for your classroom)! They are an excellent kid-friendly, cost-effective tool for teaching steady beat, form, meter, and rhythm. And if you have more beanbag activities you love to use in music lessons, please let me know in the comments!

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