Each Monday evening at 8PM EST, music teachers get together and share ideas about important topics within music education. It’s a great chance to interact directly with educators from all over the world and to get new tips and tricks to help you succeed in the classroom. The entire #musedchat discussion is organized and moderated by Joe Guarr.
Greetings! Amy from MI coming by for a bit before an early bedtime. Currently enjoying that brief moment btwn semesters where everything is up to date. #musedchat
A1: Depends on the class -
Choral rehearsals I plan out what rep I'm working on and sections of that rep, but big changes can happen in rehearsal. General music plans are much more structured. #musedchat
A1: always started big picture/performance. Then broke it down by how to get there. Then did aural assessment every day and adjusted. The end goal stayed the same, but the daily goal had to be fluid. #musedchat
A1: I do a mix of all three. I have a broad goal in mind, typically I then plan a lesson to help get closer to that goal. Often I then wing it as something comes up in class and we go off on a meaningful tangent. #musedchat
A1: Backwards planning. Start with SWBAT and figure out the process to get them there. Step by step plans using my SmartNB file to keep me on track #musedchat
A1.....a little of column and a little of column B? I've had great rehearsals approaching it like I'm a one day clinician *says while making detailed plans for the week... #musedchat
I usually work big to small. What does this group need from me this year? How can we address those needs during this concert cycle? How does each piece fit? Etc. on down #musedchat
A1: I do a mix. This year, I've gotten a lot more into weekly plans and priorities bc I have a co-teacher and student teacher, and I email those priorities to them. It's more a list of goals for the week that I want to accomplish. #musedchat
A1:cont. I need a certain amt of structured plans in order to feel comfortable enough to improv in the moment. If I don't have a plan I'm so stressed that I can be totally present #musedchat
SWBAT: Students will be able to...identify and describe where 'do' is on the staff in the song. Then fill in the music making/discovery that gets you there #musedchat
A1: Backwards planning as well. Even go as far as to count the exact number of rehearsals and sectionals before performances. From there I set assessments, due dates and then the plan to meet the goals. #musedchat
A1: Big picture with mindset towards the details in rehearsals. More planned in music theory. I’m with you, Joe - nothing has gone as planned in almost 20 years! #musedchat
A1: I do a mix. This year, I've gotten a lot more into weekly plans and priorities bc I have a co-teacher and student teacher, and I email those priorities to them. It's more a list of goals for the week that I want to accomplish. #musedchat
For band, I sometimes play recordings of a few pieces that all meet the needs of our goals and let the kids vote on which one they'd like to learn. Gives ownership and still working towards the goal #musedchat
We did a 'fail board' after sight reading last year. Recorded, listened, and listed all the issues. Posted the list, students got to cross them out as we fixed mistakes and improved #musedchat
A2: I tried to give my kids ownership in my 'spirit choir' but they usually just pick the ones I want to do anyway. I mean, I got an easy version of Toto's 'Africa,' and we can do the thunderstorm if we pick that... #musedchat
A2 I will say that this year, I let the 7th/8th grade bands choose their marches for festival. They sightread both pieces, listened to recordings and voted via Google Forms. #musedchat
A2.2 I've been thinking more recently of posting rehearsal schedules in advance. And maybe some sort of timeline....like in 2 weeks play this much with out stopping and establish dynamic contrast in the march. #musedchat
A2: Ss choose most all tunes with my guidance, but we’re talking 100 tunes between three bands! Ss run a debrief after every gig, recording session, trip, etc. Their feedback/perception/opinion matters! #musedchat
A2 when it comes to the repertoire I play them a selection that I think would be great to play and I take their feedback. Also I encourage them to check out https://t.co/OlMvXr4qaa to look for rep #musedchat
Usually had S’s pick from options. I would suggest a list of songs, we’d read them, then they would vote which ones they wanted to prepare for concert. #musedchat
A2: I track everything on google sheets. Our whole district tracks inventory for instrument and music in shared docs. It's very easy to collect student/parent info and many other pieces as it's accessible from anywhere. #musedchat
A2.1 we’d like to come up with a google sheet for music- 9 elementary schools and I am sure we’ve bought duplicates. We share tunes so it’d be great to have a list. #musedchat
A3: google sheets and google forms! I kept a spreadsheet with my library on it (always kept Festival Music highlighted). Kept a spreadsheet of inventory. Used google forms for personal instruments so I had make and serial numbers if needed #musedchat
A2: I have a spreadsheet with all my instruments listed with year purchased, serial number, case number, and condition of instrument. Just implemented a QR code sign out system to keep track of that as well. #musedchat
A2: I use curriculum books that I carry with me everywhere- even though it's ridiculously heavy now. I don't have a lot of instruments, but the bigger ones (ukes, guitars) I def know the count for. #musedchat
Google Sheet for the library is an ongoing project. Eventually I'd like to link rehearsal recordings to it as well. That's a long-term project though. #musedchat
Spreadsheets 4 life. Spent three days this summer putting music in non alphabetical order with a library number instead....so much easier to keep track and fit new music in. #musedchat
A2 spread sheet with all the instruments we own make model and serial number and which student is using it for the year. For sheet music name and publisher and last performance date #musedchat
A2 continued... I also have a spreadsheet for all of music as well, it is organized by grade level, style (jazz, Christmas), and if it is a complete chart. Both spreadsheets are populated through a Google form. #musedchat
#musedchat A1 For my choir classes, I also plan the literacy portion myself. I plan the rehearsal portion in conjunciton with Ss. We think about where we are, and what the next steps are, and collaborate as closure. Plans are a bulleted list for rep, powerpoint for literacy.
In general music, I may teach a concept then circle back and point out what songs also had that concept from the past ex. Call and response or partner songs- let’s kids know I have a big picture. #musedchat
A1: My lessons are planned out and color coded on a spreadsheet for the year. I make a note of what went well and what didn't, then I tweak it over the summer for the following year. I also throw new units in depending on PD. #musedchat
I'm always asking my students for meaningful feedback. If I try two different approaches for a goal, I like to know which one they found more helpful. This can help guide my instruction for the following year. #musedchat
A4: Toodledo for my to do list. Organizes tasks by due date, context or project. I can enter tasks that are way out in the future so I can get it out of my brain but won't worry that it will get forgotten. Allows for recurring tasks. App & web #musedchat
A3: @Planboard !!!! Best day book app/program ever! I would be lost without it. It is amazing to be out somewhere, have an idea and be able to immediately be able to plan a lesson on my phone #musedchat
You could also in theory rig up a Google Home Mini in your office, and use that to keep a to-do list by voice command. But I haven't reached that level of nerdiness yet. #musedchat
A2: I just recently inventoried all of our choral music on #GoogleSheets and organized the music in a large file cabinet. I'm so proud of it! :) #musedchat
Hey everyone! Late to the show, but will get caught up. I'm Eric, K-5 general music, Orff marimba, choir, and music theatre director from Coppell, TX. #musedchat
A3 For me it is a matter of focus with such a variety of tasks. I always need to "let myself" work on one thing. If I spend an evening prepping for rehearsals and cleaning (classroom and my own kitchen) I need to let it slide that some e-mails will wait until morning #musedchat
A1: I usually make plans based on broader goals. I like to see the big picture, and then plan backwards. Lots of great music curric has the "what" already listed out, but I can't deny the love I maintain for good old fashioned written plans. #musedchat
A2: I keep a google doc with inventory. Especially important if you own some of the instruments included in your classroom set-up! All curric and district supplements are bar coded. #musedchat
