March Madness

Where has the time gone?  Apparently March flew by so fast that I didn't have time to blog.  Ugh....and I thought I was getting better :)   Oh well.  Spring Break was much welcomed this month.  While I had high hopes of getting a lot accomplished, productivity was at an all time low....and that's o.k.

 With school resuming, so has the busyness.  Programs are on the horizon, testing is grueling, and end-of-the-year crunches are in full swing.   Life has become a little more stressful recently.  As for now, I'm holding my breath until the end of May when I can relax again.   Glancing back at my March happenings, 2nd graders were introduced to W. A. Mozart. After much explanation about "composers" vs. "presidents," they enjoyed making their scarves dance around to some of Mozart's pieces.  Eyes got bright when they recognized "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" from the cartoon, Little Einsteins.  Following our movement activity, we created a Mozart Fact Flipbook (made by Jena Hudson.)   The kids enjoyed learning all about Mozart and having something to take home and share with their families.  It was a really fun project for us to do together :)
 

 In 1st grade, students have been working on MSL for a while.  Though already familiar with "Twenty-Four Robbers" from our curriculum CDs, the 

 kids were recently introduced to the song on the staff.   Practicing our solfege and rhythms, I used a fun assessment worksheet to check for understanding.  This was a great resource to send home as well.  Many times, parents don't realize what their children are actually learning in music class.  I believe sending things home occasionally can help solidify the importance of music in the curriculum AND help families understand music isn't just a blow off class. 

As with many of our songs and games,
children joined along on Orff instruments.  Twenty-Four Robbers has an Orff arrangement included that can be modified depending on the level of your students.

Older students (grades 4-6) have just began working on recorder.  They've been looking forward to it all year long.  I use the Recorder Karate program, and my kids LOVE it!  The thrill of earning a belt for their instrument makes this a successful system for my students.  I converted one of my magnetic chalkboards into our progress board on a Friday afternoon so when the kids came in on the following Monday, they were eager to begin learning recorder.  I use the current girl and boy clipart to add each student's name on front, and a magnet on back.  When they play off each song, they are able to easily move their "person" to the corresponding color on the board.  It's the highlight of their year, and exciting for me to see their note reading confidence.

What's happening in your music room this month?   I'd love to hear about your programs and ideas.