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Music in the classroom

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Teaching music in the classroom is a fun and worthwhile task. However, it can be challenging at times. As a music teacher, or having an element of your work in the classroom to be to function as a music teacher, always have a game plan for every grade or skill level that you will work with. It is also good to have a backup plan in case the music lesson(s) in the classroom are too easy, or in case they are too hard for the class. The basics of music should be established first.

Although you are not an instructor of choir lessons, but are instead teaching music in the classroom, the voice can most certainly be used as an instrument—but you will want to focus the students energy on other instruments as well. The children can easily be taught the basics in drums, blocks, triangles and other percussion instruments, and even use their bodies to make music.

Here are some ideas to help you get started:
· Music in the classroom for kindergarten and first graders:
§ When teaching music in the classroom, start the kids out with basic scales. Associate a short lesson on scales with a run of the notes in their proper order—and then use a simple song that, as you will tell them “uses the notes in a different order” Explain that notes are mixed up together—and that is how music is composed.
§ As an example: use bells (or bottles with different levels of water tuned to the basic notes) that are lined up in the order of your basic scale. Then have the children line up with the bells and play their instrument, one ring (or gentle blow across the top of the bottle) at a time, first in order and then mixed up to make a simple song. Point to each child when it is his or her turn to ring his or her bell (or blow on his or her bottle) This is the best, first step to take when teaching music in the classroom.

§ As they get older, teaching music in the classroom, becomes more advanced. Include more percussion instruments with your lesson plans for music in the classroom —it seems like percussion instruments were made for teaching music in the classroom, especially to elementary students, they are easy and fun to use.
§ For example: have the children learn to keep rhythm. Using drums, wooden sticks, triangles, by clapping their hands or by stomping their feet to the rhythm of the music in the classroom. Use a “six-count” or “eight-count” beat and instruct the children to count along at first.
§ Once the students have learned to make music in the classroom and work without counting aloud—try to have them play using as complicated a piece as you feel they can handle.—Remember, they can use their voices, too!
§ The hardest part of teaching music in the classroom to older age groups is discerning what their musical skill levels are—where are they strongest and where are they weaker. Base your lesson plans for teaching music in the classroom accordingly. By the end of the school year for students in second grade—the children should have become considerably more advanced than they were when classes began.

Here are some basics for the beginning of the year for teaching music to elementary students:

· Have some basic lesson plans made for each age group that will help you assess quickly what skill level they are and how far you want to take them that year.
· Make lesson plans flexible—sometimes kids can unintentionally guide a class—especially in the fine arts—let your class “go off on a tangent” if it is helping make the class more fun.
· For recitals, presentations etc. plan to have the group perform at a skill level that is a little bit below their actual abilities. This way they will do especially good in the performance.
· Ask the children to practice at home. Sometimes, teaching music to elementary students it seems like you don not have enough time to work with the students one-on-one and you know that what they need is one-on-one attention. If they are allowed to take their percussion instruments home—ask them to practice as homework with a parent or guardian. If not, there are exercises that they can do at home like making their own drum. Practicing clapping or stomping to a certain rhythm etc. If you have an especially large class, try to rotate which children you are able to help individually during class time.

Teaching music in the classroom is a challenging but very rewarding thing to do. Your students will enjoy the challenges and the results!

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