Giveaway!

Guess what?!? I've gotten together with a bunch of music sellers on TeachersPayTeachers to give away TWO $50 gift cards!! This is perfect timing to stock up on stuff to survive the end of the year, or start getting ready for next year! I'm linking up with Music With Mrs. Tanenblatt to share some of my picks to use all this free TpT money on...

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Planner Tour: 2015-2016 teacher and home planner

I am so excited I can hardly contain myself: my 2015-2016 planner is printed, assembled, and ready for use! I have been working hard on updating my planner for the next school year for months now, and I am so thrilled with the results. It may seem early to be talking about next school year, but I use a lot of my summer to plan out the upcoming school...

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How I Set Up My Planner: 2015-16 teacher and home planner

Guys, I can't even begin to describe how excited I am. I have my 2015-16 planner printed and in my hands!! Although I'm going to be deviating slightly from my usual "Mommy Monday" and "Teacher Tuesday" posts this week, I decided to share these posts in these slots because my planner is THE single most important thing that I use to organize my life...

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Teacher Tuesday: centers as music class incentives

I'm returning to the topic of behavior management today to tell you about the incentives that I use in my classroom. I have already written about my individualized system that I use to reinforce positive behavior with "happy notes"- you can read more about those in this post (and you really should, if you haven't yet, because those little notes have...

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Mommy Monday: updated art corner for preschoolers

I'm excited to share a quick, easy, and super-cheap update I made to my preschooler girls' art corner! Let's take a look at the "before": Obviously, the only change I made was to add the containers hanging on the wall, but let me tell you, it has made a huge difference! Two things changed since I first had everything stored in the tub under...

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Teacher Tuesday: lesson ideas for teaching rhythm

Welcome back to Teacher Tuesday! Today I'm sharing my favorite ways to teach rhythm in a full-class lesson setting. Obviously rhythm is something that comes up in almost every song that we learn in class, but these are my favorite activities to use when we are really focusing on a particular rhythm. 1. Ostinato Composition I think of composition...

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Mommy Monday: what to get a single mom for her birthday

So today is my birthday! Happy Birthday to me!! :D I am off spending the day with my family so I'm sticking around for long, but I did want to share something that my parents have started doing for me for my birthday that I LOVE and I think almost all single mothers of young children would appreciate: take their kids shopping. Go to the dollar...

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Teacher Tuesday: center ideas for teaching rhythm

In the next few weeks I want to share some of my favorite ways to teach rhythm. Today, I'll be focusing on ideas that I use in small groups or centers. I have had a few times this year when a class, after going through the usual lessons to learn a new rhythm, just isn't getting it. I have spent an entire class period working in centers to reinforce...

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Mommy Monday: interactive meals for family fun

Today I want to share with you a mealtime favorite in my house: what I call "interactive meals". Basically I'm talking about a meal that requires participants to make choices and customize their dish at the table. I have found these meals to be perfect for toddlers, because it gives them control over what they eat without becoming a short-order cook,...

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