Dollar Days of Summer - Week 3

Thanks for joining Cori from Rhythm and Bloom and I for week 3 of Dollar Days of Summer. You can check in each week on my blog or on our Facebook pages (Rhythm and Bloom and Lindsay's Kodaly Inpsired Classroom) to see what will be the dollar deal of the week. This is a great way to stock up for next and snag some great deals!

If you missed the excitement last week, when you visit my store, you will see a "Dollar Days of Summer" banner. If you click on the banner, you will see the item in my store that is discounted to $1 for that week!

You can find all the participating deals by visiting my blog every Sunday/Monday of the summer. I will have a linky party at the bottom of my blog post with links to all the $1 deals. 

Needing a little lesson planning inspiration? This third week of June, my $1 deal will be my Kindergarten Lesson Plan Day 2. (Lesson #1 is a forever freebie here)

Hopefully these lessons will give you fresh ideas that your kiddos will love as well as give you a peek into how I set up my lessons, transition between activities, teach beginning of the year procedures, and more. Each lesson is scripted out so that you can see exactly how I would teach each lesson, the key questions I would ask my students, etc.

 

Each lesson includes all of the songs that I use unless they are copyrighted and then I have usually included a link to where you can find that song or listening example.

        

Cori's set this week is her Music Performance Self Evaluations for K-3:

She says "I think that one of the most valuable parts of a student performance is self reflection; I love to read their thoughts and I always want to hear how they think I can improve. I've collected this set includes 8 worksheets that vary in difficulty for your kindergarten through third grade students. All you have to do is print and you will be so amazed at what they have to say!

Here are some sample pages:

Are you a seller on TPT and would like to link up? Here are the details:

1) Choose one item from your store (regular price $5 or less), mark it down to $1, and add a link below. You can link directly to the item on TPT or you can write a blog post about your awesome resource and link up with the blog post address. You do not have to have a blog to participate.

2) There will be 20 open spots each week and they are first come, first serve. 

3) If you link up, share a link to my blog post with the link up on your social media to help others find out about these incredible deals!

Link up below:

An InLinkz Link-up

Dollar Days of Summer - Week 2

Thanks for joining Cori from Rhythm and Bloom and I for week 2 of Dollar Days of Summer. You can check in each week on my blog or on our Facebook pages (Rhythm and Bloom and Lindsay's Kodaly Inpsired Classroom) to see what will be the dollar deal of the week. This is a great way to stock up for next and snag some great deals!

If you missed the excitement last week, when you visit my store, you will see a "Dollar Days of Summer" banner. If you click on the banner, you will see the item in my store that is discounted to $1 for that week!

You can find all the participating deals by visiting my blog every Sunday/Monday of the summer. I will have a linky party at the bottom of my blog post with links to all the $1 deals. 

This second week of June, my $1 deal will be my Ta and Titi Set of my Telephone Rhythm game: 

This game can be played as a whole class game. You could also use it in centers or as a great way to get them quiet and still working on music as they are lined up waiting for their teacher.

I couldn't decide when I was making the set if I should use cell phone or "old fashioned" telephones, so I included both. Print the set you think your students will enjoy most! If you grab my bundle, each concept is a different color to help you keep the cards straight. :)

          

Cori's set this week is her See Saw set:

She says "This engaging activity is an Orff arrangement and rhythm composition for first or second grade. It is a group project I use at the end of first grade to review quarter note, two eighth notes, and quarter rest using fun playground 2 beat rhythms."

     

Are you a seller on TPT and would like to link up? Here are the details:

1) Choose one item from your store (regular price $5 or less), mark it down to $1, and add a link below. You can link directly to the item on TPT or you can write a blog post about your awesome resource and link up with the blog post address. You do not have to have a blog to participate.

2) There will be 20 open spots each week and they are first come, first serve. 

3) If you link up, please share a link to my blog post with the link up on your social media to help others find out about these incredible deals!

Link up below:

An InLinkz Link-up

Dollar Days of Summer- Week 1 (6/5-6/11)

I am teaming up with Cori from Rhythm and Bloom to host Dollar Days of Summer. Check in each week on my blog or on our Facebook pages (Rhythm and Bloom and Lindsay's Kodaly Inpsired Classroom) to see what will be the dollar deal of the week. This is a great way to stock up for next and snag some great deals!

When you visit my store, you will see a "Dollar Days of Summer" banner (shown below). If you click on the banner, you will see the item in my store that is discounted to $1 for that week!

You can find all the participating deals by visiting my blog every Sunday of the summer. I will have a linky party at the bottom of my blog post with links to all the $1 deals. 

This first week of June, my $1 deal is my Four Voices Posters, Cards, and Assessments. I use this at the beginning of the year with my kindergarten at then continue to refer to them throughout the grade and in various grade levels. My poster set expanded from four voices (speaking, whisper, calling/shouting, singing) to five or six voices (humming and inner hearing) at the request of other music teachers. 

Here are some examples of the posters:

It also includes cards that can be used in centers or small groups like these:

One of my favorite parts of this set is the quick assessment that I use with my kindergarten after presenting and practicing four voices:

My co-host, Cori's, dollar deal this week is her Nutcracker Listening Journal & Fact Sheets. This listening journal is a unique and memorable addition for a Nutcracker unit. Her students love following along with the music and the story in their journals, and they are always so excited to share their completed work with their families!

Are you a seller on TPT and would like to link up? Here are the details:

1) Choose one item from your store (regular price $5 or less), mark it down to $1, and add a link below. You can link directly to the item on TPT or you can write a blog post about your awesome resource and link up with the blog post address. You do not have to have a blog to participate.

2) There will be 20 open spots each week and they are first come, first serve. 

3) If you link up, please share a link to my blog post with the link up on your social media to help others find out about these incredible deals!

Link up below:

An InLinkz Link-up

Don't let "that kid" take the joy out of teaching

"That kid". Most teachers have had or currently have one. A child who seems to take so much more attention, love, and energy than everyone else in the class combined. If you are a music teacher, or another specialist who sees multiple classes is a day, maybe you have a few of them scattered throughout your week.

As a teacher we WANT to help them. We think of countless interventions, talk to their classroom teacher, SPED teachers, counselor, their parents, and maybe even the principle trying to find ways to help that kid succeed in our class. Maybe you feel like you are really consistent, but you are constantly dealing with behavior issues with the same few kids. Or maybe you are trying out new ideas and strategies every few weeks to see if SOMETHING will work. It is exhausting. You lay awake thinking about what you can do different. Maybe you go home and cry. I've been there before.

Here's my advice: STOP LETTING THAT KID STEAL ALL YOUR TIME AND ENERGY.

Don't let "that kid" take the joy out of teaching for you. When we spend all our time focusing on one student, we can often lose sight of the rest of the class.

There are a lot of kids who DO care. So many kids cannot wait to get to music. If I miss the opportunity to make the most of it for THEM, I am doing those kids a huge disservice. 

I know we think, "If I can just get this one kid to do the right thing," then we will be able to get so much more done. 

We've all heard the saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink." There are kids who are THIRSTING for your attention. They are ready to sing and play and learn with you. Lead them. Inspire them. Invest in them. The others may follow. Or they may not, but I can guarantee that you will no longer feel like a babysitter. You WILL feel like you are making a difference. You will re-find your joy and passion for teaching. Those kids who are ready will be right there with you.

I have found in my own classroom, when I spend all my energy on the challenging kiddos, I am drained. I have nothing left to give. If I invest that energy into the kids who are eager to learn, I am so much happier, and there are actually LESS behavior problems because those kids see everyone else having a great time and they want to be a part of it. If they are slowing you down, have them sit and learn by watching for a bit, but don't waste your class time dealing with it. 

Close your eyes and think about the kids in your class (or classes) who cannot wait to be in your room. 

Repeat after me. "This week, I am going to focus on them for a change". Don't let them fall through the cracks because you are too busy with the kids who aren't ready to learn. Invest in the ones who are.

Then report back and let me know how you feel about it. I feel my happiest teaching when I am thinking about how I spend my energy and focusing on the good!