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Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

Sing With Your Students!

Yes, you read that correctly.

Sing with your students! 

Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!

Oh, there are so many reasons! 

Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!

Music, as well as most of the creative arts, activate both sides of the brain, enhancing learning! There are many, many studies that prove this, in many ways. Singing is a great way to "wake up" the brain and start the day!
 

Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!
There are many links between music instruction and academic achievement.  I'm not expecting you to take over the music teacher's job by any means, but including music in your classroom will help make that connection! (Of course, the music teacher is a great resource for including music in the classroom!)


Singing strengthens learning and memory. I'll bet there are certain commercials you've been known to sing along with, yet at no point did you make the effort to learn those words! My generation can sing the whole Brady Bunch theme song or the Gilligan's Island theme songs without even thinking about it! Imagine if those words were important learning concepts! (Remember Schoolhouse Rock?)

Music lowers stress and increases happiness! Music brings out feelings, doesn't it? Are there certain songs you hear that bring out those happy feelings, just by hearing them? As the happy feelings rise, the stressed feelings go away!
 
Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!
Humans connect with music! Think about some of those happy times in your life with other people. I'm willing to bet, there was music in the background! Parties just aren't fun without good music!
 
Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!
Singing as a group increases social interaction! I've actually read that when people sing together as a group, their hearts start to beat as one. I've sung with many choruses, (as well as many students) and I'm pretty sure that really happens! Music makes a connection!

Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!
Singing increases vocabulary! Don't be afraid to encourage children to sing certain songs because they won't understand the vocabulary. After a couple of times through, they'll figure it out, won't they? (Of course, monitor what they sing, as we all know there are some words we DON'T want in their vocabulary!)
 
Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!
Music Sources for the Classroom: What to sing with your students? Here are a few ideas:
 
Let them make up their own songs! We all know they are more likely to want to sing it if it's theirs!  Some hints:
  • Have them stick to a simple tune that everyone knows, such as Happy Birthday or Row, Row, Row Your Boat.
  • Discuss the important information that needs to be in the song. 
  • Encourage them to make up gestures to go with their song!
Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!
But I can't sing!  I have two suggestions:

  • Use recorded music. (See Youtube!)
  • Sing anyway! Seriously, it's not really about you or about the quality of the music. It's about the group experience. Let them see you having fun, and they'll have fun, too! (Plus, you might have some budding vocalists in your class, and you're giving them an opportunity to shine!) Seriously, it's not about you!
One last hint: children's voices are higher than most adults. You may want to sing in your range, but it's about the kids. Most children's voices land on the treble staff. (Between "middle C" and the second space from the top.) Stay out of the "basement" for the sake of the kids!


Sing With Your Students! Research on the brain and learning tell us that singing is a great way to enhance learning. Plus, it's fun!


The Power of Music

 Last week I had a great experience, and it was a great reminder of the Power of Music.

 I went out to the San Francisco area to visit my amazing daughter (and her amazing husband), and we went on the San Francisco Love Tour.

Listening to music of the 60s reminded me of how valuable music can be in the classroom. This post has suggestions on creating learning songs for the students, (even if you're not musical) and 3 songs!

Yes, that's my daughter and I standing by our tour bus. It was quite the adventure riding in this delightfully painted "hippie van" Volkswagen Bus! We rode around the city of San Francisco, learning about the culture, and reminiscing about the hippies of the 60s and the Summer of Love,


Listening to music of the 60s reminded me of how valuable music can be in the classroom. This post has suggestions on creating learning songs for the students, (even if you're not musical) and 3 songs!

Yes, that's the back of my head riding "shotgun!"
While we were in the "hippie van" we listened to music of the 60s.  

Now this blog post will change from a story about my tour to a reminder of the power of music and its connection with memory with learners.

Listening to music of the 60s reminded me of how valuable music can be in the classroom. This post has suggestions on creating learning songs for the students, (even if you're not musical) and 3 songs!
The classic San Francisco pose, but next to a "hippie van."

I hate to give away my age, but all that music I heard in that hippie van was music I grew up with. Most of it I hadn't heard in close to 50 years, yet I remembered pretty much every single word!
 

Listening to music of the 60s reminded me of how valuable music can be in the classroom. This post has suggestions on creating learning songs for the students, (even if you're not musical) and 3 songs!
Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and a member of the Grateful Dead in the famous Haight Ashbury section of San Francisco

This was a great reminder of the power of music and its connection to memory! Here are a few examples of how I've used that power in the classroom to help the kiddos remember important information. I've taken simple songs (in the public domain, of course, to avoid copyright laws!) I've changed the words to something I want them to remember, and voila! We have a learning experience! It's fun to sing these songs during morning meeting, or between lessons. If you build a collection of learning songs, make a book for the children to read during reading time. (If you work with little ones, you'll be hearing them sing, even if it's "silent reading!")

I use this one around Earth Day.


I use this one around Day 100.


 This one can be used any time of year!


https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Seven-Continents-Song-for-Learning-About-Our-World-5308695?utm_source=blog%20post%20Music%20and%20Memory&utm_campaign=Seven%20Continents%20Song

When I worked with older children, they made up their own songs as part of research projects. I had to caution them to use simple tunes rather than the popular songs they wanted to use, but they appreciated the simple tunes once they got going. 

Here's a great list of children's songs in the Public Domain to choose from! Best Known Public Domain Children's Songs.


How do you use music in the classroom?


The Power of Music! Listening to music of the 60s reminded me of how valuable music can be in the classroom. This post has suggestions on creating learning songs for the students, (even if you're not musical) and 3 freebie songs.


Celebrating Kwanzaa

What do you know about Kwanzaa?

Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.

Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966 as a way for African Americans to celebrate their African heritage.

Kwanzaa starts on December 26th and continues until January 1st. Each of the 7 days is dedicated to a principle:
 
Day 1: unity
Day 2: self-determination
Day 3: collective work or responsibility
Day 4: cooperative economics
Day 5: purpose
Day 6: creativity
Day 7: faith

On each of the 7 days, those celebrating Kwanzaa light a candle on a special wooden candelabra called a Kinara. (Image is a link to Amazon.)

Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.
Here are some books to help your students learn more about the celebration of Kwanzaa: (Each image is a link to Amazon for more information.)

Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.      Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.      Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.      Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.     Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.      Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.     

Since Kwanzaa is a cultural celebration, it's important to include music as part of the celebration! Here are some examples of music that celebrate the culture of Kwanzaa! 

Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.      Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.     Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.      Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.      

Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their homes with homemade arts and crafts, and focus on the three colors of Kwanzaa: red, green, and black.

Food is also an important component of any cultural celebration! Typically a feast happens on the sixth evening of Kwanzaa. Typical foods served might include collard greens, corn, sweet potato pie, fried okra, catfish, jerk chicken, yams, and bananas.
Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.
Another tradition that comes with Kwanzaa is the passing of the unity cup. Celebrants each take a sip from the cup and wish for unity and togetherness.

Although the holiday was created for African Americans to celebrate their African culture, one does not have to be African American to celebrate the concepts of unity and togetherness!

 
Here's a fun digital resource that includes Kwanzaa and several other December holidays!
 
 
Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.

or try this collection of informational reads along with a 


Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.



 

Celebrate Kwanzaa: This blog post shares information, traditions, and resources to learn about how Kwanzaa is celebrated.


Three Things to Do When a Student Gets Frustrated

School can be very frustrating. 
Some children find school frustrating once in a while, 
and others find school frustrating quite often.

Three Things to Do When a Student Gets Frustrated: students can get frustrated over many things from math problems to social issues. Here are three things teachers can do to help frustrated students.

Frustration happens often with math concepts, but it can happen in many areas of the curriculum as well in social issues. No matter what causes the frustration, here are a few things a teacher can do if a child becomes frustrated.
Three Things to Do When a Student Gets Frustrated: students can get frustrated over many things from math problems to social issues. Here are three things teachers can do to help frustrated students.
1. Show some empathy! 

Seriously, we've all been there!

I'll bet you could easily name at least 5 things that you found frustrating in your past. Here are a few of mine: sports, (That should count as 5 by itself!) making friends, (I was painfully shy as a child.) teaching, (As much as I love it, we all know it has its frustrating moments!) parenting, (Who really knows all the answers?) and relationships! I often told students about how I was expected to play sports, but was horrible, no matter how I tried. 

It's pretty tough for children to feel frustrated in school. It matters to them that we care. It might also help to remind them of times when they had successes after working hard on something!

Three Things to Do When a Student Gets Frustrated: students can get frustrated over many things from math problems to social issues. Here are three things teachers can do to help frustrated students.

2. Practice stress relief strategies! 

When something is causing stress, the kiddos need to release that stress! 

Here are some of my favorites for children:
-deep breathing
-exercise (Don't you love Go Noodle?)
-music
-a snack
-coloring
-laughter

Three Things to Do When a Student Gets Frustrated: students can get frustrated over many things from math problems to social issues. Here are three things teachers can do to help frustrated students.

3. Put it to the side. 

If something is frustrating you, or a child, it's not always best to keep drilling that concept at that moment. The brain often works better by putting it aside. 

If possible, leave it until the next day. A good night's sleep will give the brain the chance to process the information and make sense of it all. More often than not, a quick review will bring those favorite words of a teacher, "Oh, now I get it!"

The brain really does go to work when the body sleeps, and often works things out by the next day!



Three Things to Do When a Student Gets Frustrated: students can get frustrated over many things from math problems to social issues. Here are three things teachers can do to help frustrated students.


Ten Classroom Management Tips with the Brain in Mind

Science has done a whole lot of research lately, and I'm absolutely fascinated by it all. Most important, scientists have been coming to conclusions that most teachers already knew about. Now there's evidence to back it up!
Ten Classroom Management Tips with The Brain in Mind: These tips are research based, and will help teachers manage their classrooms and ensure learning will happen!

Here are some brain based ideas to help keep them learning in your classroom:
Ten Classroom Management Tips with The Brain in Mind: These tips are research based, and will help teachers manage their classrooms and ensure learning will happen!

1. Pick your battles!  Many kids struggle to behave at school. If we call them on every one of those misbehaviors, learning would never happen! It's important to choose which behaviors are most important to correct so that learning will happen.
Ten Classroom Management Tips with The Brain in Mind: These tips are research based, and will help teachers manage their classrooms and ensure learning will happen!

2. Encourage failure! It's hard for so many kids, but as we know, failure is part of growing. It's important to make failure an every day part of the classroom. It's important that children see us fail, and we need to model what to do when failure happens. I often say things to my students such as, "Thank you for making that mistake! Now we all know how to work around this challenge!" (See this post: The Importance of Failure!)
Ten Classroom Management Tips with The Brain in Mind: These tips are research based, and will help teachers manage their classrooms and ensure learning will happen!


3. Take care of your own needs! If you've ever gone on a plane, you've heard the "put your own oxygen mask on first, then assist children," speech. We can't help children if our own needs are compromised. Take care of yourself!
Ten Classroom Management Tips with The Brain in Mind: These tips are research based, and will help teachers manage their classrooms and ensure learning will happen!
 
4. Model respectful, kind behavior! The best way to teach children to be respectful is to show them how to be respectful. When you are respectful and kind to children, you build a rapport with them, which makes them more likely to listen to what you have to say, and learn from you!
Ten Classroom Management Tips with The Brain in Mind: These tips are research based, and will help teachers manage their classrooms and ensure learning will happen!
 

5. Be firm and consistent! Being respectful doesn't mean let them get away with inappropriate behaviors! It's important to speak firmly when unwanted behaviors happen, and remind them each time the unwanted behaviors return. No need to be nasty about it, but acknowledge it.
Ten Classroom Management Tips with The Brain in Mind: These tips are research based, and will help teachers manage their classrooms and ensure learning will happen!


6. Be clear about expectations! As mentioned above, communicating appropriate behaviors is essential! If you don't communicate what you expect, they won't know what to do, and might show a variety of unexpected behaviors! See this post: Quick, Easy, Honest Feedback!)
Ten Classroom Management Tips with The Brain in Mind: These tips are research based, and will help teachers manage their classrooms and ensure learning will happen!


7. Make sure you're working at the student's level! If the work is too hard for the child, the child will become frustrated and act out. If the work is too easy for the child, the child won't be learning a whole lot and could become restless. As teachers, we know what a balancing act it is to work all students at their own levels, but with a lot of tricks up your sleeve, it can be done!
 
8. Keep a sense of humor! Keeping a sense of humor in the classroom helps to keep a good rapport between teacher and student, and keeps them interested in what's going on in class. Plus, laughter is a great stress reliever! (See this post: Laughter is Truly the Best Medicine!)

Ten Classroom Management Tips with The Brain in Mind: These tips are research based, and will help teachers manage their classrooms and ensure learning will happen!

9. Keep your lessons engaging!  No matter how smart the kiddos are, or how clever the materials might be, if you don't portray a positive energy for the subject matter, you'll be wasting your time! Teachers need to be entertainers, in addition to everything else they do!
Ten Classroom Management Tips with The Brain in Mind: These tips are research based, and will help teachers manage their classrooms and ensure learning will happen!


10. Integrate the Arts! I can't even begin to tell you how much I've read about the connections between the arts and learning! I'm not just talking about letting them draw.(Although that's a good start!) Including music, movement, as well as the visual arts will help the learning happen in the classroom!
 
Ten Classroom Management Tips with The Brain in Mind: These tips are research based, and will help teachers manage their classrooms and ensure learning will happen!

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