What To Do With THAT Class: argumentative

The helpless feeling you get when nothing you do seems to work with that one class can be absolutely horrible. Over the years I've had classes that leave me in tears, fill me with dread, make me want to take a sick day, or just leave me feeling like I have no idea what I'm doing. It's disconcerting at best, and can leave you completely miserable if you let it get the best of you. A few years ago I started a series sharing some strategies that have helped me improve my ability to work with some challenging classes with various difficulties- now I have another to add to the series! Today I'm focusing on classes that are constantly arguing, with each other and with you.

When I first started this series years ago I shared my advice to keep those challenging groups from making you miserable- if you haven't already, I encourage you to read that post by clicking here. Hopefully the solutions I'm sharing today will help you improve your relationship with your tough class, but that process is going to take time and you need to make sure you keep the situation manageable (for you and your students) in the meantime.

One of the points I shared in that post is to be prepared with a plan B, C, D, and E. There's a good chance the first strategy you try won't work! Remember that this is a process, and a very important one at that. Don't give up.

Argumentative

Sometimes you just get a mix of students in a class that really just does not get along, or has a lot of students in it that can very easily be set off by small annoyances. At any moment in the lesson, it can instantly go from completely calm to a full-on screaming match, seemingly out of nowhere. When you have short class periods like we do for music, this can be especially difficult because there's not enough time to really help mediate and talk through every disagreement to fully resolve it and still have time to actually teach the lesson!

tip #1: keep it moving Sometimes distraction can be enough to "power through" and keep everyone engaged and productive without even giving them a chance to get a word in! Making sure there is some type of activity that you can start immediately as students are entering (I use these student-led warmups) and having your entire lesson completely memorized so you can seamlessly transition between activities with no down time (and I mean not even a second to pause and think) can help prevent arguments from even starting.

tip #2: avoid conversation To go along with the last point, having students be engaged in active participation and giving them as little time when they are supposed to be sitting and listening to you (or another student) as possible can help prevent a lot of arguments. Limiting verbal directions/ instruction can also help a lot with avoiding the feeling of a power struggle (which can lead students to start arguing with the teacher). Model and have them copy, point to a word on the board and jump in, start with a familiar activity you've already practiced and go from there, or use silent gestures to get students doing what they need to do.

If you want a specific example of a lesson that works this way, here is one of my new favorites for upper elementary called the Team Rhythm Challenge.

tip #3: opportunity for expression A lot of times the easiest way to help students move forward when they get upset about something is for them to have a chance to tell you what happened/ what they're thinking. But if you have this type of argumentative group, letting them speak in front of everyone else will probably result in the whole lesson dissolving into an argument. Instead I have blank notecards and sticky note pads with pencils in a few different strategic places around the classroom, where they can be away from the rest of the class, that I show them to use to write down what's bothering them and give to me silently. I try to quickly skim it when they hand me a paper and follow up, either immediately if needed or I tell them I'll talk to them later and put it in my pocket. In that case I either talk to them at the end of class when everyone is lining up or, more likely with an argumentative class I'm trying to keep on task, I'll go find them in their homeroom later to talk to them. 

tip #4: catch the good This can be really helpful for a lot of different difficult class dynamics but catching them being successful and giving them positive reinforcement for that can help them want to continue working together to do well. Again, the warmups I do at the beginning of class can be a great opportunity to get them doing something simple enough that they can do successfully and I can immediately reinforce. Having something visual to recognize things the whole class does well like my letter system (see this post) is important here so you can give that positive reinforcement without having to stop and talk, which we already know we're trying to avoid.

tip #5: practice listening to each other It may take some time to get to a place where you can do this successfully, but the first step to helping students learn to interact with each other more positively is to learn how to listen to each other, and circle discussions are perfect for that. With groups that are really argumentative, I use a lot of quick, easy questions as prompts- nothing that would get too serious- to practice only speaking when it's your turn. See my discussion of community-building circles in this post for more details on how I do these.

tip #6: use catch phrases The "we listen and we don't judge" trend came in super handy for me this past school year with the couple of really argumentative classes I had. Having a catch phrase like that that you can repeat as a reminder for students not to get caught up in an argument can be really helpful. I found that, especially with one that students had already heard on social media, after I used it a few times they started saying it to themselves and to each other whenever someone would get upset at someone over a minor annoyance, and it became a strategy for self-regulation!

I hope these suggestions help you find a positive way forward together! They may not ever be the easiest class to teach, but if you continue to make it a priority to improve the class for everyone involved, you're bound to see positive changes over time!

If you have any suggestions of your own or questions you'd like to ask about this topic, please leave them in the comments below. I highly recommend taking a look at all of my previous posts in this series here for more tips on working with other types of difficult classes right here. And if you'd like to read more about how I handle "behavior management" as a whole, here are all my top posts on the topic.

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Songs and Dances from Around the World for Every Grade

Over the last few weeks I've been sharing the songs and dances my K-6 elementary students have performed in our annual International Music Festival, and today I'm compiling them all for easy reference! If you're looking for something to add to your concert, informance, or your general music classes, I highly recommend all of these!

In each of these lists I've noted the specific grade level I use each piece with as well as a brief description of what students do/ how I arrange the song, but obviously these can be adapted for different grade levels, equipment/ instruments, etc so I highly recommend looking through all of them to see what might fit your needs.

Kindergarten / 1st grade: Native American, Bolivia, Colombia, and Syria

 2nd / 3rd grade: Maori New Zealand, India, and Philippines

4th / 5th / 6th grade: Japan, Korea, Mozambique, and Brazil

I hope you find some new songs and dances to teach your students! If you're unsure about how to teach music from unfamiliar cultures, or want to see more of my lesson plans with music from around the world, check out all my posts on the topic here. If you have any questions or other songs you'd add to the list, leave a comment below! I love hearing from you!

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Team Rhythm Challenge

I am so excited to be able to share this new lesson plan that I came up with for the end of the school year with my most challenging 4th and 5th grade classes that I knew were not going to want to listen to ANYTHING I had to say or want to do anything that felt like "work", but also would dissolve into chaos if we were just playing freeze dance or something the whole period. I already have so many ideas for ways to adapt this game for band, orchestra, or choir classes in middle or even high school, and it's a great way to review rhythm notation and music vocabulary for whatever they're working on! Introducing: the Team Rhythm Challenge!

I knew I needed to come up with a lesson that would be engaging, require as few directions from me as possible, have some level of friendly, low-stakes competition, and also get the kids to work together in teams. What I came up with was the idea of the Team Rhythm Challenge, and it kept even my most difficult classes engaged the entire lesson on their very last day of music class before summer (so I think that's saying something).

Setup

Before class, I set out a music stand at the end of each row of seats. My students sit in 6 rows that I label as "color teams" (read more about all the ways I use them in this post) so each team got one music stand at the end of the row. I rarely use music stands in my general music classes- they're mostly in the room for the band and orchestra to use- so this immediately piqued their interest when they walked in and saw something new. I also had a scoreboard at the front of the room to keep track of points, so they knew something was about to go down!

Process

The primary goal was for me to give as few verbal directions as possible, so that I wouldn't have to bother getting their attention. I put the basic directions on the board, told them at the beginning that they will win the most points for their team if they paid attention, then breezed through the game without stopping to wait for anyone. They figured out pretty quickly that they would lose if they weren't paying attention, so they did!

The basic idea of the game is that each team has a rhythm that they have to count, then count and clap, then count and clap with a dynamic marking, then play with the same dynamics on an instrument, then play as an ostinato with a track. They get 1 minute to practice with their team before each level, and they can earn 1 point for doing it correctly. The team with the most points at the end wins the challenge. Here's a sped-up re-enactment of how I ran it to avoid verbal directions as much as possible and keep things moving quickly: 

There are so many ways to adapt this game and customize it for whatever vocabulary and notation students are reviewing! I will definitely be keeping this for right before breaks with my older students. If you want the full details on all the different ways to play the game, plus all the slides and print-outs I used, you can get those here. 

What are your most successful lessons for the end of the school year with upper elementary/ middle school classes? It can be tricky to find something that they will get excited about but this one was a huge success! If you have any ideas or questions please leave a comment below.

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World Music Performance Pieces: upper elementary

I've been doing a school-wide International Music Festival, where every grade level performs music and dance from a different country, for a few years now, and it is probably my favorite performance event I've ever done but it is a lot to put together! Although for the most part each grade studies the same culture each year to fit in with the skills and concepts they are learning in general music, each year I change at least some of the pieces so it's never the exact same program. Here are the performance pieces I have used over the years with my upper elementary grades- each of these would work well as part of any concert, informance, or program on their own, or you can use this list to put together your own International Music Festival!

I'm listing the pieces by culture/ country below, with the grade level I used them with in parentheses. Obviously many of these could be done with different grades as well, not just the ones I use them with!

Japan (4th grade)

• Akatonbo (students sing the song, first together and then in a round, while playing different triple meter ostinato patterns on various instruments- I use things like finger cymbals, tone blocks, hand drums, and metallophones- along with other color instruments in between sections- I use ocean drums, wind chimes, etc)
• Sakura (students sing the song while some play different ostinato patterns on percussion and barred instruments and some play harmony on recorder- link includes arrangement)
• Tokyo Ondo (students stand in a circle (or two concentric circles if the group is large) and do the Tokyo Ondo dance with this track)

Korea (4th grade)

• Arirang (students sing the song, first together and then in a round, while playing different triple meter ostinato patterns on various instruments- I use things like finger cymbals, tone blocks, hand drums, and metallophones- along with other color instruments in between sections- I use ocean drums, wind chimes, etc)
• Buchaechum (students each hold 2 fans and do some basic moves with the linked recording)
• Janggu (students play the introduction and basic janggu drum rhythm pattern with the linked recording, using a mallet and rhythm stick on boxes)

Mozambique (5th grade)

• Timbila (students gradually layer in repeated lines similar to the linked recording on bass, alto, and soprano xylophones)
• Bombela (students sit in a circle and pass beanbags on the beat while singing, each verse the passing pattern gets gradually more difficult)

Brazil (6th grade)

• Batucada (students stand in rows by instrument and step in place on the beat while playing some characteristic ostinato patterns on guiro, tamborine, tube shaker, tubano drums with the carrying strap, and agogo bells)
• Escatumbararibe (students sit in a circle and do the cup passing game demonstrated in the linked video while singing the song)
• Tambores (students stand in rows facing a partner and sing while doing the clapping game demonstrated in the linked recording, with 3 different versions gradually increasing in difficulty)

If you have other songs or musical performances you've done representing these cultures, or other ways you've used these songs, I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below! I've split up my lists of performance pieces I use in my K-6 International Music Festival into grade spans- here are the pieces I use with K-1/ early childhood, and here are the pieces I use with 2nd and 3rd grades. And if you are thinking about putting together a similar program, you can find all the information on what I do and how I do it, from logistics to teaching to stage setup, in this post:

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World Music Performance Pieces: elementary middle grades

I've been doing a school-wide International Music Festival, where every grade level performs music and dance from a different country, for a few years now, and it is probably my favorite performance event I've ever done but it is a lot to put together! Although for the most part each grade studies the same culture each year to fit in with the skills and concepts they are learning in general music, each year I change at least some of the pieces so it's never the exact same program. Here are the performance pieces I have used over the years with my middle elementary grades- each of these would work well as part of any concert, informance, or program on their own, or you can use this list to put together your own International Music Festival!

I'm listing the pieces by culture/ country below, with the grade level I used them with in parentheses. Obviously many of these could be done with different grades as well, not just the ones I use them with!

Maori New Zealand (2nd grade)

• E Papa Waiari (students sit in rows facing a partner and do a different tititorea stick pattern with each verse, stopping to sing the last repeated line with the recording before changing patterns)
• Hine E Hine (students stand spread out, each holding one poi rope, and do some basic repeated moves with the poi with the recording, singing along with the repeated A section)
• Tutira Mai (students stand in rows and sing while doing the motions as shown in the linked video)

India (2nd grade)

• Kochu Poocha (students stand and sing while doing the motions as shown in the linked video. I've also had them sing while doing a clapping pattern facing a partner)
• Chakkardi Bhammardi (students stand in a circle each holding 2 sticks and do the stick game as shown in the video)

Philippines (3rd grade)

• Tinikling (students stand in rows between jump bands and do the basic tinikling step with the music as shown in the video, with one student holds the bands on each end of each pair of bands, sitting on the floor as shown with the poles)
• Bahay Kubo (half of the students sing the chorus while the other half plays a harmony line on recorder, then they swap parts)
• Magtanim Ay Di Biro (students sing the song while doing motions to show the lyrics, similar to the linked video, in the A section, then face a partner and do a simple clapping pattern with the beat for the B section)

If you have other songs or musical performances you've done representing these cultures, or other ways you've used these songs, I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below! I've split up my lists of performance pieces I use in my K-6 International Music Festival into grade spans- here are the pieces I use with K-1/ early childhood, and check back for the pieces I use with upper elementary/ middle school. And if you are thinking about putting together a similar program, you can find all the information on what I do and how I do it, from logistics to teaching to stage setup, in this post:

Read more "World Music Performance Pieces: elementary middle grades"

World Music Performance Pieces: early childhood

I've been doing a school-wide International Music Festival, where every grade level performs music and dance from a different country, for a few years now, and it is probably my favorite performance event I've ever done but it is a lot to put together! Although for the most part each grade studies the same culture each year to fit in with the skills and concepts they are learning in general music, each year I change at least some of the pieces so it's never the exact same program. Here are the performance pieces I have used over the years with my youngest grades- each of these would work well as part of any concert, informance, or program on their own, or you can use this list to put together your own International Music Festival!

I'm listing the pieces by culture/ country below, with the grade level I used them with in parentheses. Obviously many of these could be done with different grades as well, not just the ones I use them with!

Native American (Kindergarten)

• Water Song (students play the steady beat on rhythm sticks and turn each of the 4 directions to sing it 4 times)
• Navajo Happy Song (students sit in rows with their feet under them and their knees touching to do the different patting patterns mentioned in the link while singing)
• Iroquois Ho Ho Watanay (students pretend to rock a baby on the beat while singing)
• Sioux Epanay (students do a basic intertribal step in a circle while a few students play the steady beat on a gathering drum in the middle of the circle)

Bolivia (1st grade)

• Mi Gallito (students face a partner and do a simple 3-beat clapping pattern while they sing- I have them clap their own hands, touch the backs of one hand with their partners', then palms of the same hands, then repeat with the other side)
• La Mariposa (students do a circle dance with a recording while each holding a scarf and singing along on the chorus- the link has a full explanation of the moves that they do with each part of the song as well as links to recordings)
• Carnavalito (students do the dance in rows with a recording)
• Boquita Colorada (I have done this 2 ways- 1) students do the line dance with the recording and sing with the "lai lai" section, or 2) students play simple ostinati on percussion instruments like shakers, rhythm sticks, guiros, and drums)

Colombia (1st grade)

• Vallenato (students play simple ostinati on percussion instruments like drums, guiros, and ridged rhythm sticks with the linked recording)
• Juguemos en el Bosque (students sing and play the circle game)

Syria (lower elementary self-contained special needs)

• Tiri Tiri Ya-as Fura (non-verbal students do motions to show the lyrics of the song with the steady beat of the recording)
• Fiane Sheschra (students play different ostinati for each section of the music on hand drums with the recording)

It would be too much to put everything in one post so check back for future posts with lists of performance pieces I use with older grades in my K-6 International Music Festival! If you have other songs or musical performances you've done representing these cultures, or other ways you've used these songs, I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below. And if you are thinking about putting together a similar program, you can find all the information on what I do and how I do it, from logistics to teaching to stage setup, in this post:

Read more "World Music Performance Pieces: early childhood"

Stretchy Band Songs and Activities for the End of the School Year

I have discovered a new favorite lesson activity to add to my list of things to do at the end of the school year, especially with the younger grades but honestly with the older ones too: the stretchy band! If you're looking for engaging activities to keep students from bouncing off the walls that can also be used to review musical concepts at the end of the school year, I highly recommend these.

I bought a stretchy band years ago with the intention of using it with my Kindergarten and self-contained classes, and then proceeded to leave it sitting in my classroom until this year. Every time I had the idea that maybe I would pull it out and use it, I just didn't feel confident that I had a clear idea of how to actually do it! If you're like me and haven't used a stretchy band in class before, I can assure you it is just as fun as they say it is and these activities are all beginner friendly. If you don't know what a stretchy band is, here is one you can get from Bear Paw Creek.

To get set up, I have students sit in a circle on the floor and tell everyone to keep their hands in their lap, then I get out the stretchy band and lay it out flat in a circle inside where they are sitting before having everyone grab the part in front of them with two hands and hold it down in their laps. I have 3 rules for using the stretchy band safely:

1) keep two hands on the band until I tell you to let go

2) don't jerk it around

3) stay sitting (not lying down) while holding it

1. Stretchy Band Song

For first time users I think this is the best one. The song explicitly tells you what to do with the band so you can focus on making sure students are using it correctly and not worry about remembering the words to the song or what comes next- just turn on the recording and follow along! It's also a great way for students to quickly experience the different ways you can use the band so it's a great way for them to practice using the stretchy band as well. Of course once they've learned the moves you can have everyone sing along as well. This activity is really a way to practice how to use the stretchy band and showing steady beat.

2. Put It In

This song is a good next step for younger students, and besides using the basic movements as the first song and continuing to review steady beat, it also gives students the opportunity to create and improvise by coming up with their own additional verses. I don't use a recording for this one- I sing while the students move when I first introduce it, then I teach students the song and we all sing together, stopping to choose new verses after each repetition of the chorus.

3. Show Form

Here is where I have really found the stretchy band to be versatile and effective for a broad range of ages: I've realized it's a fun and easy way to review form by doing different moves for different sections. I've done this with songs that we sang earlier in the school year, or with listening examples with older students. For example I used the stretchy band with "Shoemaker's Dance" with 1st grade to review same and different sections by having students wind, pull, and tap on their knees with the A section, and pass the band around the circle with the B section. I used it with "Sleigh Ride" with 5th grade to review Rondo form by having students move the band up, down, left, and right on the beat for the A section, move in and out on the beat for the B section, and tap on their knees with alternating hands and pull back for the whip, then pass around the circle for the C section. You can really do this with any form and it's a great way to mix it up at the end of the year.

4. Show Rhythm

The stretchy band is also a fun way to review rhythms at the end of the year too- take any song that you used to introduce or practice new rhythm elements during the year (or teach them a new one) and add a specific motion with the band that shows that rhythm that you do every time you sing it. For example I reviewed half notes with 2nd grade with "Who's That" by having them slowly lift the band up and then down with each pair of half notes, I similarly had 3rd grade students lift the band slowly up and down with the pair of whole notes at the end of "I Got a Letter", and had 4th graders tap on their knees with alternating hands to show the sixteenth notes in "Ding Dong".

There are plenty more fun ways to use the stretchy band, but those are my favorite ways to use it with different grade levels at the end of the school year! If you're finishing out the school year right now like I am I hope this helps give you some fresh ideas to close out the year. 

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International Music Festival Teacher's Guide

I've been doing a school-wide International Music Festival, where every grade level performs music and dance from a different country, for a few years now, and it is probably my favorite performance event I've ever done. It's very rewarding and a lot of fun but it also took a lot to figure out how to put together a production where every student in the school is performing for each other, including singing, instruments, props, and more! If you would like to try doing something similar in your school, here's everything you need to know about how I do mine.

In this post I'm sharing an overview of all the pieces that come together to make this production a reality. I'll be putting together more detailed posts on specific steps in the process in the future, and I'll link those in the relevant sections below as they're published, so keep an eye out for those coming soon!

1. Program

The basic idea of the program is for each grade to share a couple of songs/ dances from a specific country/ people group. This idea came up initially because I have always done an in-depth unit in the spring on a specific culture's music in each grade- I choose the country of focus and the specific literature they learn based on the music curriculum goals. This blog post explains how I design those units, along with the specific lesson plans I use for each grade. Although I don't completely change the program each year, I do try to make sure I don't do the exact same program 2 years in a row- usually there are a few songs that stay the same and the rest of them are either a different culture altogether or different songs from the same culture.

2. Planning the logistics

The biggest puzzle for me was figuring out the logistics of how to manage all the instruments and equipment and set up the performance to flow smoothly between grade levels. I've found having everyone sit in the gym in a round, going in grade level order around the perimeter of the gym with everyone facing in, works best. Each grade sits in the formation of their first song to watch the grades before them so when it's their turn they are ready to go, and I leave the middle of the gym open for some songs/ dances that need more room.

To make that setup work, I try not to have any grades sharing instruments/ supplies. I write down the number of students in each grade and how many of each prop/ instrument I will need for their performances to make sure I have enough and figure out what instruments to use for the different grade levels' song arrangements. Some years I've borrowed instruments from my colleagues to make sure I have enough, and some years I've changed the instrumentation of a song (like using rhythm sticks instead of tone blocks, or using a different type of drum) so that there are enough to go around. 

3. Teaching

In the 4-6 week units leading up to the International Music Festival, students learn about a much bigger picture of the music and the culture itself (see this blog post for more details). But in terms of the actual performance literature, I always make sure I've figured out the logistics and supplies mentioned in the previous point before I start teaching, and plan instrumental arrangements and physical setup based on those logistics.

With entire grade levels performing, I usually try to have a few students from each class playing each instrument. I try to make my arrangements based on how many of each instrument I have, adding or changing parts to fit the number of students in that grade. If I don't have enough for the whole grade to play together, I'll have each class take turns playing, but I try to make it flow together in one cohesive performance by having students hand over to the other class one instrument at a time while the other instruments are playing etc. Whatever we're doing to put the classes together, I make sure to practice it that way in their music classes so they know what to do.

I also think through the physical setup based on the space they have in the gym, and have them practice performing in that setup, whether that's who is in which row, or who is partnered with who. I have found I can do things to save space (which is always at a premium with our average size gym) like having students perform a circle game or dance in concentric circles, so I always make sure to practice everything that way in class as well.

The other element I make sure to rehearse in class is the transition between songs and how to get ready to begin and end their performance. Depending on the grade level they are usually using different instruments/ props/ formations for their 2 songs, so it's important to talk through and practice actually moving between the 2 formations, switching props, etc, including where they will get everything from during the performance and where they'll put everything after they're done.

4. Setup

The most labor-intensive part of putting on the festival is physically setting up the space. I preset all the props and instruments in the gym the night before and morning of the festival so that when each grade walks in, they can go to their area, get their supplies/ instruments, and be ready to go. Obviously every year is a little different depending on what students are performing, but here's a view of what my setup looked like this year as an example:

5. Communication

Because of space I didn't invite families to come to the festival until last year, but it has been awesome to be able to invite families the last couple of years. We set up chairs all around the perimeter of the gym, up against the wall, and families sit in any of those seats so they're behind the students (I try to point out to them that they should probably sit on opposite side from their child so they can see their performance from the front). 

The biggest factor in making sure everything goes smoothly during the festival is letting all the staff know in advance what the setup will look like and what supplies/ formation each grade level will have. I set up a google doc with a map of where each class sits and a brief description of what they will be doing and what instruments/ equipment they need and when ("2nd grade will be sitting in 2 rows, each student facing 1 partner, with a pair of sticks in front of each student and a poi rope behind each student. Please help collect the sticks back in the box when students stand up and move to the center with their poi."). I include specific, concrete things staff can do or keep an eye out for so they know how to help. In our school all non-homeroom teaching staff are assigned to a homeroom to sit with and help with at all assemblies, so they stay with the same class for the festival as well. I try to make sure it's nothing staff need to feel like they're having to prepare for, but feel like they know how to help guide students correctly so it's not chaotic when there's only one of me to help get them set up in the beginning.

I hope this helps you think through your own production and maybe consider doing an International Music Festival yourself! I know other music teachers have done similar events, and I'd love to hear what you do and how you organize yours in the comments as well. I will be sharing more details in future posts but if you have any questions please leave those in the comments as well!

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New Ideas I Loved This Year

After teaching elementary music for almost 2 decades there are a lot of things that I can do on autopilot. I definitely have to think about a lot less things than I did my first year of teaching! But I also would get completely bored if I didn't mix things up, and of course every year bring fresh challenges and ever-changing students to teach. Here are the new things I did this school year that I loved. 

1. Djembe storage

I found myself with a very good problem this fall: I got one more set of the rainbow-colored djembes I love to use with my younger students to get a class set, and the storage setup I had been using no longer fit the extra instruments! My solution: by storing half of them upside down, they take up less shelf space and I can fit them all neatly in the same shelves.

2. Teaching passing games

I was so thrilled with this idea I already wrote an entire post on the topic but honestly, this has been maybe the most exciting new idea of the year for me. After years of struggling to get students to be successful with passing games, I realized that if I have them start in small groups and then gradually increase the group size until they are doing it with the full class, they are much more successful! Read about the full strategy and how I run it in my classes in the post below:

3. "Hip and Hop Don't Stop"

I excitedly bought this book several years ago knowing it would be perfect to teach fast and slow in place of the tired old tortoise and the hare story, and just never got my act together and it sat in my closet. This year I finally pulled it out and put some lessons together and they went just as well as I thought they would, PLUS I was able to bring some hip-hop skills into my Kindergarten curriculum in an authentic way. Click below to see the lesson plans I used:

4. Algonquin Water Song

Finding Native American music I can comfortably and confidently teach my students has always been challenging. When I came across this song that was specifically written to be sung by anyone, whether indigenous or not, that is also simple to learn, I was thrilled. I used it this year with Kindergarten, including for their performance in my annual International Music Festival, and it has been the perfect addition to our repertoire. Click below to learn more about the song:

5. "I Got a Letter"

This song is actually an old favorite from my first couple of years of teaching that I brought back, but the lesson plans I did to build community at the beginning of the year while introducing new rhythms to my 3rd graders were new, and they were so successful my students still talk about those lessons. Click below for the full lesson plans:

6. Taking personal days for myself

Some of you are probably going to shake your head in disbelief, and some of you are going to nod in understanding. This year, my 18th year of teaching, was the first time I took a personal day for myself. Don't get me wrong, I have used my personal days in the past, but only to take care of my kids when they've been sick or needed to go to the doctor. This year I felt myself getting pushed to the brink of burnout and I took a personal day to rest. I took another half personal day the afternoon after my morning concert to avoid pushing myself too much as well. I think this is a testament both to just how taxing this school year has been for me, but also to what I'm learning from the younger teachers entering the profession. I think there is definitely a balance we need to strike, but us "veterans" can learn a thing or two from the new teachers about keeping an eye on our own mental health and giving ourselves a break when we need one. 

Of course there are lots of other small things but that's a roundup of the highlights of new things I've tried this year in my classroom. What about you? If you haven't already, I encourage you to reflect on the new things you've tried this year, whether they were completely successful or not. It makes me feel proud to realize all the new things I've tried this year and now I'll remember to keep the successes for next year! Maybe you'll find some inspiration from my list to try in your classrooms next year. If you have any new ideas you've tried this year please leave them in the comments so we can all get fresh ideas from each other too!

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Favorite Lessons for Teaching Dotted Quarter / Single Eighth Notes

The last couple of years I have finally found some successful lesson plans for introducing and practicing dotted quarter - single eighth note rhythms I like using with my 6th graders. This is a pretty advanced rhythm pattern and it has taken me a long time to find lesson activities that help students successfully read and perform the rhythm while also having fun! Here is the lesson I use to introduce this rhythm pattern to my 6th graders in the fall that helps them be successful with it the rest of the school year.

By the time I introduce dotted quarter and single eighth notes in 6th grade, they already know quarter notes, eighth notes, the single eighth- quarter- eighth "syncopa" pattern, and dotted half notes, so they have all the building blocks to understand the concept. But I've found it's still quite challenging to get students to really be fluent with the rhythm and be able to decode it from notation as well.

The biggest key to success has been finding a song that gets students to feel the beat while performing and hearing the rhythm pattern over and over, and for that I have found "Acitrón de un Fandango" (aka

"Al Citron") to be the key to success. If you haven't heard of this Mexican passing game song, you can read more about the song, including the various versions of the lyrics and translations, here. This is a clear recording by native speakers (although honestly I don't play any recordings with my 6th graders because they're more likely to roll their eyes if I do). The basic idea is to pass something around the circle on the beat until you get to the last 3 beats of the verse, where you tap back and forth before passing- here's a video showing the game:

As with most singing games with upper elementary/ middle school grades, I start by challenging them with the game first before I have them sing. First I have them practice passing bean bags or rhythm sticks around the circle on the beat while I sing. Once they can do that and they've heard the song a few times, I tell them to tap back and forth on "triqui triqui tran", and continue to have them focus on just passing. Once they can do that, we go back and I up the ante by telling them they have to be able to sing while doing the passing (this way they are less focused on being self conscious about singing and more focused on showing off that they can beat the challenge)- I teach them the song and then we add it back to the game. Obviously once they can do that then we repeat it and try to increase the speed, then we make it a game where if you mess up, you sit out, and the circle gets smaller until there are only 2 students left standing!

As a sidenote: I finally this school year figured out how to make this game, and all the other passing games I've used in the past, successful again after finding them frustratingly difficult post-pandemic. I wrote an entire post about my process here but basically I found that having them practice the passing game in smaller groups first and then gradually making the circles bigger works. Now I am enjoying teaching passing games like this one again! 

Once they have sung the song many times and felt the beat with it in their bodies, I ask students to tell me how many beats the word "un" is in the first line where we sing "un fandango". I have them pat the beat while I slowly sing it so they can see where the notes fall with the beat, and eventually they figure out that it is 1.5 beats long. Then I introduce the dotted quarter note, reminding them what they learned about how dotted notes work when they learned dotted half notes in 4th grade. From there it's an easy final step to figure out how many beats the next syllable is and recall the single eighth note they learned in 5th grade with the "syncopa" pattern.

Once they've been introduced to the notation and they've thought through how many beats each note is in the melody, I have half of the class pat the beat while the sing, while the other half of the class claps the rhythm while they sing. Once they can do that, we remove the singing so they are just clapping and patting. 

Over the next few lessons we practice the rhythm and notation more with other songs and with rhythm play-alongs that include the new rhythm. My favorite videos to use for this are:

Autumn Trail by Ready Go Music

Game On by Ready Go Music

Of course there are lots of other great songs with dotted quarter/ single eighth notes that we use to practice them throughout the year, but this is definitely my favorite song to use to introduce them and it has finally helped my students be successful with the new rhythm! What is your favorite song for introducing this tricky rhythm pattern? I'd love to hear more of your favorites in the comments below. And if you want to see my favorite lessons for teaching other specific rhythmic elements, you'll find them all in this post:

Read more "Favorite Lessons for Teaching Dotted Quarter / Single Eighth Notes"

Teaching Passing Games

Has anyone else found passing games harder and harder to teach the last 5 years or so? I don't remember it being this difficult for students to grasp when I started teaching, but the last several years it has been a struggle for my students to successfully do passing games and honestly, most of the time I've ended up having to move on without the class ever fully being able to do it correctly, which just leaves us all frustrated. This school year after talking to some of my elementary music colleagues I tried a new strategy to scaffold my instruction for passing games and it has been highly successful! I'm so relieved to have a way to make passing games fun and successful again. 

I have always loved including passing games as part of my elementary music lessons (I have a few of my favorites at the end of this post if you're interested). They are a great way to reinforce steady beat and meter, get older kids to sing while they're distracted with a different challenge, and foster teamwork. But the last several years I went from looking forward to teaching them to dreading them because every time it seemed like the lessons would end in frustration! My colleagues and I were commiserating about this back in the fall and together we came up with an idea to help students be more successful, and it has turned out to be genius.

I still start teaching passing games by showing them the movements/ song with all the students facing me and mirroring my movements. It's important for them to practice doing the movements and the song without the added confusion of having the people you're facing across the circle doing it "backwards", or the risk of the people next to you doing it wrong and messing you up!

The next step has been the key to my students' success: instead of moving to a circle with the full class to learn how to do it as a passing game, I have them get into small groups of 3-4 students (in my case, my color teams) and practice doing it in a tiny circle with just their small group. I am able to walk around and correct students without trying to correct the whole class at once, and once students in a group can all get it they can play without having to wait for the whole class to figure it out. 

I tell students when they start that they get to "level up" whenever they complete a level. Leveling up is just adding another group to theirs! So when I see 2 small groups are successfully doing the passing game, I tell one group to join the other to make a larger circle and try again. Adding the level of competition is definitely motivating for everyone, and the students who struggle are a lot less embarrassed and catch on more quickly because they don't have the entire class yelling at them for messing them up.

Because I can identify the students that are struggling more easily in small groups, I can not only help them more easily without correcting them in front of the whole class, but I can also strategically place myself next to them when they level up to the full class circle. I also have found the stronger students will do the same thing and intentionally put themselves next to the ones who are always late to pass etc to help keep them on the beat.

This has been a complete game-changer and I'm so happy to bring the fun back to our passing games again! If you haven't done them before I highly recommend giving some of these a try with your upper elementary students- because they reinforce steady beat they are a great way to experience new meters and rhythms or just add some interest to a song you want them to sing.

Escatumbararibe

Bhombela

Al Citron

Take Five

I've done plenty of others but those are some of my top favorites! If you want to see the full lesson plans for these, you can find them in the Organized Chaos General Music Curriculum. If you have other favorite passing games, or teaching hacks that have helped your students learn them, please leave them in the comments!

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Dance Playlist 2025

I love finding upbeat, school-appropriate, modern songs to use in my music classes for dance parties, slideshows, field day, and general merriment, and these last few years it has felt especially important to share with all the stress and negativity we're all dealing with. Here are my new picks for this year- be sure to check out my posts from previous years to find more awesome music my students and I love linked at the end of this post! 

This year, along with other random songs I've picked up this year, I've also included some songs from the 2025 MIOSM® song bracket because my students young and older can't seem to get enough of them! Don't miss the playlist at the end of this post that includes these songs plus all of my picks from previous years' playlists (this is year 10 of me putting these together, so there are a lot)! Can you believe this is our 10 year anniversary of the Organized Chaos Dance Playlist?!?

 

To make it easier to find all my dance party playlist songs in one place, I've put together a YouTube playlist with all of the songs from all of my previous year's lists including this one! Here's the link to the playlist.

If you've missed my playlists from previous years you can see those posts below! Happy dancing :)

Dance Playlist 2024

Dance Playlist 2023

Dance Playlist 2022

Dance Playlist 2021

Dance Playlist 2020

Dance Playlist 2019

Dance Playlist 2018

Dance Playlist 2017

Dance Playlist 2016

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