Music moves me! If it weren’t for Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen my housework would never get done.
Adele puts a fire in my belly, and Brad Paisley’s humor tickles my funny bone.
Is music a helpful tool in your classroom? Please explain.
All ears!
Diane
Absolutely! In my classroom of 1st graders, music motivates students and makes learning fun! My favorites are Jack Hartman and Charlotte Diamond.
I love music in the classroom! When we are learning something new, they always remember it if we sing it! It is so cute to watch the students tell me the days of the week by singing it and snapping their fingers or to do the macarena to the months of the year! I love music!
I use music in my classroom alot – I teach preschool so when it is center and play time I have it in the background. I use a variety of music – helps set the mood and the theme of the week. We sing alot of songs for calendar, getting started, finger plays – it just helps get them moving and that is a great thing cause that is what they need! We try to end the day doing something fun like the tootytah or the bear hunt or the freeze dance. I tell my parents about a local radio show on at 7PM that plays kid friendly music that they would like too (Kids Corner out of PENN – can probably get it online at http://www.wxpn.org). And this year it has been especially important as I have a few cases of autism in my class and the music really helps one of them chill out and do what he needs to do.
what is the freeze dance?
I use music in my classroom all the time. We sing constantly and dance daily. My favorite is the Washing Machine by Jim Gill.
Sandy the Freeze is a song/dance by Greg and Steve. I also love the similiar dance Stop and Go also by them.
Angie, Thanks for the tip about music helping to calm your autistic children. I was presented with this challenge for the first time this year and I am looking for whatever tools I can find to make this year work for all of my little ones. Thus far, my class has embraced the challenge and include him in most of their play…In year’s past I have used certain cd’s as background to our play time or as an encouragement in practicing a skill.
We sing alllll the time. We sing our spelling words, high frequency words, class directions and more…My students tell on my to the principal because I sing and dance all day long. I have even been caught dancing on the kidney table in my room!! Oh the fun we can have at school!
Oh I said we sing in the classroom but can I “sing”,,,nope!