Welcome!

This blog has been created so others can follow my adventures of returning to a music classroom! I spent my first year out of college as a Middle School Band Director, then as the Music Associate at my church for five years. During that time I decided to make a change and began pursuing my Master's in Library Science. I spent five years as the Media Specialist at a primary school and deeply desired to return to my true calling. I've been given that chance in two elementary schools and I am really excited!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Oh it's not May YET!?!

Well, after logging in and looking quickly through my reading list, I see that I am not the only music teacher that has had a terrible week.  National tragedy, spring fever and a 6 year old (in my home) that is trying to "sow his oats" has made this week almost too much for this teacher mama!  Thankfully, we are all 4 well, safe, alive and happy...though mama and daddy are a little tired.

All 3rd, 4th and 5th graders have been working on the recorder.  I hope that the parents are enjoying the expereince a little than a few weeks ago!  I know the students are having a blast!!  Almost everyone has earned their white belt and I have a few students that will be playing for their orange and green belts this week.  I LOVE being able to really see and hear where all students are almost every week.

In other grades - 2nd graders will be composing songs using low, middle and high pitches this week.  The small glocks will have E (low), G (middle) and high (A).  They will be using quarter notes and rests and eighth notes to create a 4 or 8 beat melody.

Kinders and firsties are working on program music.  The firsties are going on "Our Trip Around the World" - their social studies unit for this last quarter focuses on cultures of other countries, so we thought it would be fun to tie that into our program.  Hoping that singing songs and learning about different cultures might "stick". We will be traveling to Kenya, Australia, Japan, Germany and Mexico.  Our first song will be "It's a Small World".

So that's a brief insight into what's going on in my classroom from now until June 6...which feels like it is getting farther away instead of closer...sigh.