So, well mainly school is going pretty well. I just have completed my 4th week of new lessons and am about embark on my 5th. I have done some really great new activities. I am really loving some of the new songs/games that are in the new Music Play 1st grade that I got (and so are the kids, yay). I have reorganized my 4th grade lessons and added more SMARTBoard lessons and they have been working well so far too! 5th graders have enjoyed my basic review activities (cup game for steady beat and rhythm, a musical spelling bee, and guess the meter) and tomorrow I embark on my 8 week African Drum Circle unit, which has always been fun and exciting. I am trying some new methods with my 3rd graders. I know that it is an overall academically weak group, so I am doing tons of extra prep for beginning recorders. We have colored in all the B's with purple, A's with green, and G's with yellow in "Give My Regards to Broadway" on the SMARTBoard, and then come up with 3 different body positions (one for B A & G) that we had to do while singing the song. Really helps to reinforce B A and G, actually anything that involves the SMARTBoard helps to reinforce anything!! Who did I leave out? 2nd grade is going well, nothing too eventful yet, other than that yesterday I began teaching songs for our first ever 2nd grade circus (interdisciplinary unit with the classroom, art, and phys ed). And, oh yes, the kinders. They are cute this year, mostly well behaved, and are eating up everything I have thrown out at them. Now if I could only learn their names!
So generally, my general music classes are going well. Chorus has been rocking too... my 4th graders are really picking up on harmonies and singing as an ensemble. They are eager to learn and already are starting with good habits and a nice head voice. My 5th graders love the repertoire I have picked for them, even the song I thought they would be iffy about (that I loved) they are obsessed with, thank goodness!
Even my lessons are going well (even that dreaded sax group had a good 2nd lesson this week). The big issue is the band program in general. Our band teacher (I only taught some of the lessons) has resigned for personal reasons and well now we are left without a band teacher and a concert in 9 weeks. I think we have a solution, but even though it does not directly involve me, somehow it involves me, and that stressed me out. Hopefully everything will be fine and the kids will be fine. Tomorrow, I am leading the 5th grade band rehearsal until someone else takes over next week. Shall be interesting....wish me luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment