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 Students often go through the school day thinking the worst about themselves because of their peers, family, and sometimes even their teachers. I make it a goal in my classroom for each and every student to know that THEY MATTER.  At the beginning of every Show Choir season, my students break out into small groups to get to know each other. In these groups, students complete team building tasks, create warm-ups, and complete a scavenger hunt full of information about each student.  It is my goal for students to leave each school day knowing that they are important and have a purpose. Mental health is everything and students need to be aware of that.
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 All Around the Kitchen During my student teaching, I was introduced to "All Around the Kitchen," a song by Pete Seeger. This song encourages movement within the music classroom, and any classroom really. It is perfect for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten aged students. Think "Simon Says," but in song form.  All around the kitchen! cocka-doodle-doodle doo All around the kitchen! cocka-doodle-doodle doo Now stop right still cocka-doodle-doodle doo And put your hands on your hips cocka-doodle-doodle doo And let your right foot slip cocka-doodle-doodle doo (repeat chorus) The song goes on an on, representing a multitude of zoo and farm animals. It gets the students thinking about what animal they are in that exact moment. "All Around the Kitchen" is definitely a student favorite! Source:  American Folk Songs for Children, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1948
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 Do you find yourself doing the same vocal warm-ups everyday in rehearsal? Try out this assignment. You and your students will thank me later! In March, 2020; I had to quickly think of a way to keep my students singing and engaged in music. I knew I also needed updated vocal warm-ups for the following year, so why not have my students research new ones for me?  Students were instructed to fi nd or create a vocal warm-up that they would like to see implemented in rehearsal. It could be something that they found on YouTube, SmartMusic (which has a free trial for students right now, so go explore and have fun with it!), or something that they created themselves. To encourage academic integrity, students had to state in their paper where they found the warm-up, why they chose it, and how it could be used in class. My students simply amazed me with their findings! Over the summer, I worked HARD to learn the piano parts, and low and behold, their excitement this school year was...
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  This workshop in Fort Worth, Texas brought me so many new ideas and techniques to implement in my classroom. Before I get into that though, a clinician's breakout session at this conference discussed "Teaching Music. Teaching Life. Honoring the Great Teachers in My Life." It really got me thinking, what made me want to become a teacher? Who had that special impact on me that really changed my life? One person came to mind. Gayle Weaver. Mrs. Weaver was my music teacher in high school She gave me tools in life that has helped me not only face success, but happiness as well. As a teacher, she had the power of great teaching that stays with you for a lifetime. She passed on a genuine love and enthusiasm for making beautiful music that is both authentic and contagious. Maybe the most important thing a music teacher can give. The music room was always my safe place. It was the place I could go to be myself, to talk to others, to express my ideas and goals in life, and to rea...
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Location: Fort Worth, TX, USA
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