Goodbye July...ALOHA August!

Can it be possible???  July is nearly over???

I have teamed up with 40 fabulous stores for...

This is a FABULOUS 4 day event that is full of sweet deals, savings and 4 amazing giveaways!

Here's a peek at what you are being treated to...

Each day a new 'deal' will be posted by the 40 participating stores! 

Be sure to visit their Facebook, Instagram and/or Pinterest accounts to find the daily deals and codes you will use in the TPT search engine to find the sweet deals!
(you can also find the codes on the pictures at the bottom of this post)

In addition, you can find the links to all the participating stores below...as well as 4 rafflecopters!

YES!

That is right...4 rafflecopters!

Each rafflecopter is for a $50 TPT gift certificate!

Think of all the wonderful resources you could score with that...and just in time for Back To School!

Please visit each rafflecopter and enter! 
Each one will generate a winner- and yes- you can win more than 1!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here is a clickable list of all the participating stores!

An InLinkz Link-up

The deal for Thursday, July 31st is already posted:

It includes a set of binder covers that I made for a PreK teacher in my building who is moving to Kindergarten this year. I am doing all her room decor in this bee theme and I think it is BEE-u-tiful!

 spines included!

Check back each day on Facebook to see what the deal of the day is! 

 Enjoy the deals, samples and good luck on the giveaway!

And most importantly, we all send our best wishes for a successful school year!

Music Washes Away from the Soul the Dust of Everyday Life {Music Room Theme}

I love, love, loved my bulletin boards from last year.

I think having a board with the lines and spaces labeled up at the front of the room was really helpful, especially while students were playing recorders.

I loved my quote board a lot. I know it was over the head of my little ones, but I explained what it meant to my 3rd-5th grades and I think it was great for showing them that I truly believe that each student plays a crucial part in my classroom, and that even if THEY feel they are not good at music, they should still participate because they do add something so special. 

I almost wanted to just leave these boards up for this coming year, but I think the kids love it to have something new and exciting on the walls when they come in, and I love having a fresh look.

I have been on the search all summer for something that would inspire me when I entered my classroom.

Here are my inspiration pictures and quotes:

In my search for music and ocean pictures and quotes, I came across an article with this title: 

"Music is like the ocean, it does not belong to any one race or culture"

I loved that too, but wanted to simplify it a bit more to "Music is like the ocean, it belongs to everyone"

So there was my inspiration to build my theme around for my room. I love it! Then I remembered I had already done this set of posters for the new Core Arts Music Standards: 

So since I already had purchased all the nautical clip art and backgrounds, I thought I would put them to good use in my new room theme.

I knew I wanted another lines and spaces bulletin board, so I came up with "Sailing Through the Staff". I had also thought about "Boats are Sailing in their Place, on a Line or in a Space", but it was a little too much like last year. 

I'm going to show you how I set up this board for anyone who wants some ideas:

Here's what my room looks like after the summer. Luckily, I was able to leave my velcro circle and board spots on the floor and everything is relatively in its place on my shelves.

                        

To start off with I added my background to the bulletin board, stapling it into place. You can use butcher paper or fabric, but I used a $1.00 plastic tablecloth from Dollar Tree. I get more variety in colors that way!

For the staff lines, I used streamers or crepe paper. Instead of stapling it right away, I begin by taping it. I just kind of eyeball it and I was actually covering up the folds from the tablecloth and it worked out perfectly. Once the staff lines are taped, I added the boats and lifesavers with double stick tape.

(ok, so funny note about these pictures- I had my laptop set up on video because I was going to do a whole tutorial. Then my laptop died and I left my cord at home, and what I had recorded the volume was way too quiet. But I took some screenshots from it and figured I could just write out the directions!) Such is life!

Once I saw everything was where I wanted it to be, I would staple the streamers into place and cut off anything that was hanging over the edge of the board (including the tape). 

           

Next, I lifted up all of the boats that were on a line and put a staple behind them to help keep the streamers in place. This bulletin board is by a door to the outside and when the band teacher comes in my room via that door on a windy day, it can send things flying, so I have to make sure everything on this board is really nailed down.

Last year I didn't staple my birds in place and they stayed for pretty much the whole year. I would have one fly off every now and then, so this year, I put double sided tape on the back of the boats and lifesavers and one staple per picture. I really don't like to see a lot of staples, so I do everything I can to hide them.

 For the finishing touches, I added 2 borders (one was a sparkly pink, the other was navy with white polka dots) clouds, 2-3 inch letter die cuts and a light house.

Here's the final result:

If you would like these ready made printables for your board, you can purchase them here. I am working on a music room decor bundle that I will add to as I complete each thing. It is available here.

So far it includes this bulletin board kit, binder covers, and the NCCAS Music Standards Poster Set.

Here's a peak at what I am working on next:

 I knew I wanted to save one bulletin board for Solfa Street. Then I thought, "Why not make it SOLFA SEA!?!?!" 

I am not done with the bulletin board yet, but I plan on going to my school to crank it out later this afternoon.

Then I have one big bulletin board where I will put the "Music Washes Away..." or "Music is like the ocean..." quote. Still haven't decided. Let me know which one you think I should do in the comments below!

Teaching Tips from the Trenches

As I enter my 5th year teaching, I am always so thankful for the previous experiences I have had. Each year gets easier, my classroom management gets better, planning takes less time, and I get a little more organized.

While I am no where near "master teacher" with tons of experience, I have grown a lot since my first year teaching and I wanted to help new teachers in any way I could.

I thought I would create a "linky party" so that any teacher (no matter your teaching experience) can link up and share some "Teaching Tips from the Trenches"!

Think through every procedure WAY before kids enter your room that first day of class. I remember my first year teaching one of my three principals asked me how I would have my students enter the classroom. How would they come in? Where would they go once they were in? 

Each year I have done things a bit differently, but the number one thing for sure is that you have to have a game plan. 

Last year, I had "room positions" that we practiced at the beginning of the year. I found these posters for FREE here. I printed them on colored paper and tweaked a few of them to fit my needs with a sharpie.

 

They say "board spots", which are assigned numbered spots in front of my board, "circle spots" (not assigned, but I usually have students move to the same color they sit on for board spots so it limits their choices), "reading corner", "scatter spots", "partner spots", and this year I need to add one for "longways sets". Click here to read and see more pictures of my "room positions".

After these are learned, I can have my students enter with specific instruction of "go to your circle spot", etc.

Up until this year I did not have music playing when my kids entered, because I thought they would just go crazy. I tried it with kindergarten this past year and gave an instruction to "hop like a bunny", "gallop like a horse" etc. into the room and follow my circle on the floor round and around until the music stopped. When the music stopped they had to sit on the spot they landed on. It was quick, easy, joyful, and it set the tone for having a fun day in music. I only saw them once a month, so it was very easy to select a brand new song and action for them to enter to each time and tie it into the songs we would be doing that day. I am hoping to continue this tradition with Kindergarten this coming year who I will now be seeing 3 times a week since we now have full day Kindergarten in my building as well as with first grade, since that is what they have come to know and expect from last year.

Getting back to planning out procedures- here are some things you need to set an expectation for and practice with students that first day of class:

- Entering the room

- Finding their seat (assigned? I always have assigned seats). 

- Raising hands to talk

- Getting out and putting away instruments- I have one row go at a time, they pick up their instrument in a way that will not make sound. They "make a loop and return to the group" going around the class back to their seat so that they are not cutting off those in line. If your instruments have a specific place, you need to train your students to put things back in the correct places.

- Resting position for instruments

- Bathroom, drinks, kleenexes

- Drills - we practice fire, tornado, lock down, and shelter in place (which is for chemical spills or something of that nature

- Transitioning to different formations in the room

- Lining up

- Exiting quietly

What other procedures do you go over that first day? Thinking through all of these things in advance will help you be so much more successful and confident with your students!

Are you a teacher blogger? I'd love for you to link up and share a teaching tip (or more!) from the trenches!

Here's how:

#1: Save the "Teaching Tips from the Trenches" image somewhere to your computer to put into your blog post.

#2: Blog about a teaching tip (or a few). Then link the linky party image to my blog post.

#3: Click "add your link" button on my page below, add the information, and you're done! 
#4: Make sure to check back and stop by all of the other blogs that link up to get their great ideas. It would be a lovely gesture to leave a comment on at least one blog post!

An InLinkz Link-up

Dazzling Discipline

I am linking up with Aileen Miracle at Mrs. Miracle's Music Room to bring you some ideas for Dazzling Discipline this school year.

Know your students names! This can be especially tricky when you are starting at a new school and have to learn the entire school ASAP. Since this last year I taught 1st-5th and this coming year they are adding PreK and Kindergarten to my mix, I will have to learn names for all of the PreK, Kindergarten and 1st Grade. I have a TERRIBLE memory and I know it can sometimes take a while, but you need to learn names just as quickly as you can. It is much more powerful when you are trying to connect with or correct a student if you are able to use their names. To do this I play lots of name games at the beginning of the year. Here are a couple of my favorites: 

Another thing that is a "MUST HAVE" in learning student names is a seating chart. Those first few times when they come into music I am singing hello to each student and looking at their name and the student when I sing and for some reason that seating chart really helps me to remember names based on their placement.

Be Ready for the Students 

This is not always easy when you have one grade leaving and the next at the door, but your room and materials need to be set and ready for the next group to walk in the door. If that means they are waiting in the hallway for an extra 30 seconds so that you can go to your computer and switch from the 4th grade slides to the 3rd grade slides and find the first song on itunes that they will be moving to, so be it. It is worth it to not have students sitting and waiting DURING class. 

I get all my materials for my morning up on my computer or set in my room in the morning before my classes start and I do the same thing over my lunch for my afternoon classed. Every second is important so having everything in place from the time students walk in the door will help you to not waste any class time. My board spots are numbered and I also have certain jobs assigned to a few of them, so that if I say "lights", "door" or "projector", that a student is on top of it and it is one less thing that I have to do. This also helps with multiple students volunteering to help do something.

Planning: 

Thing through each of the steps you students will need to do to be successful at a game or activity. I remember being in a workshop with Andrew Ellingsen and something as simple as telling us to point our shoes in the direction we were going to move in the circle immediately took care of anyone going the wrong way.

Lesson plans need to be well thought out, include a variety of songs and activities, and transitions should help weave you songs together and eliminate a lot of the talking or off task behaviors that can happen between songs.

Here are a few of my favorite transitions.

Music room rules and procedures: Last year I came up with a set of music room rules that spelled out "MUSIC". 

My rules are:

M - Make good choices

U- Use kind words

S- Show respect to classmates, teacher, and music (I love that this includes showing respect to the music, and it helps when kids think it's ok to sing less than their best)

I- Involve yourself

C- Care for our room and instruments

The rules are on posters that I display at the front of my room: 

Find them on my TPT store.

To accompany each of these rules I created a song based on a familiar folk songs. I display these using my projector at the beginning of the year and whenever they need the reminder until they are all memorized.

Singing the songs is so much more joyful and memorable than sitting there on the first week of school and talking through your classroom rules. Then later when I see a student not making good choices, I only have to hum or sing "Make good choices, make good choices...." and they get themselves back on track.

I have them available in a bird theme as well:

Find them on my TPT store.

Routines: From day one we practice all of the music room procedures. It is important to set the expectations, and be firm in your expectations. My first year I was a real softy. I got walked all over because I did not follow through with my consequences each time. There can be no exceptions. When something is not as you expect it should be, students need to be reminded of the rules and procedures and practice again until they accomplish the task appropriately. Most classes get the idea pretty quick that THEY would much rather play then practice entering or transitioning quietly.

When you are having repeated behavior problems from a student...

The first step is to remain calm. Under no circumstance should a child ever see you escalate because of their behavior. It truly just fuels the fire. 

When I start to see something going astray, here are some things I do:

1) Move closer to the area where the issue is. Sometimes proximity will be enough to correct it. Tapping a student on the back may be a good reminder as you are walking around the classroom.

2) Make eye contact with the student and with the students around them. If one student is trying to pull in more, you can often make it stop by giving a stern eye to the students who they are trying to engage with.

3) Verbally acknowledge the appropriate behaviors you are seeing from others.

4) Give a verbal cue to the offender. Whether it is just their name or a reminder of what they should be doing.

5) If the behavior continues, I give the student two choices I can live with "You may participate appropriately with the group, or you can learn by sitting out and watching others participate appropriately. You pick." Then I turn away. I do not stand and wait for their answer. If they choose to participate appropriately, I may say something like "Good choice" a few minutes later where only they can hear it.

6) If the student does not make a choice, it then becomes my choice and it may not be the same for every student. This is where you really have to know your kids. For some kids it may be sitting out, for others it may be a visit with their classroom teacher, or a phone call home.

On my summer "to do" list is to read this book

I think that it will give me some great tools to add to my classroom management toolbox.

What are your best strategies for Dazzling Discipline? I'd love to hear them below!