Managing Centers in Elementary Music

I love using centers in my elementary music classroom but it took me a while to figure out how to run them efficiently and effectively in my short, 30-minute class periods. Now they run like clockwork! Here's how I manage the logistics of centers to keep them running smoothly.1. Group sizeI've found groups of around 4 students to be the ideal size...

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Music In Our Schools Month® 2024: "I See Me in Music Education" Song Bracket

This year the theme for Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®) is "I See Me in Music Education". I have been doing a "musical March madness"-style song bracket, where students listen to different songs each day and vote on their favorites, for several years now, and for the last several years I've tried to tie the songs into the annual...

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Instrument Examples to Counter Stereotypes

One thing I have really focused on in recent years in my lessons on instruments of the orchestra is pushing back against common stereotypes with the examples I choose to share with my students. Any time I am teaching about an instrument, especially if it is an instrument that people tend to associate with a certain type of person, I try to find an...

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Rhythm Theme Elementary Choral Program

I don't do themes for my concerts very often- I find it too restrictive most of the time for me to get the perfect songs for my elementary choirs- but I just finished planning my upcoming spring concert with the theme of "rhythm" and I am so excited about it I had to share! If you are looking for a chorus program for your elementary choirs, or just...

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Top 10 Posts from 2023

I am so grateful for the opportunity to connect with other music teachers around the globe through my little corner of the internet, and it is such a good feeling when readers connect with something I've written. Each time a new calendar year rolls around, it's gratifying and fascinating to me to see which of the posts I wrote the past year have been...

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