Music Teacher Planner and Management Notebook- part 1 - contacts and call records

Hey everyone! 

THIS is my new Music Teacher Planner! 

 

 

 My Personalized Music Teacher Planner:

I like to have everything in one place.  I have less mess if my seating charts, lesson plans and other important documents are all together.  Well, there is no such thing as a perfect planner and the ones that are close to being useful, don't fit my situation very well.  Over the years I have often used loose leaf binders to organize all of my things, but I found that while I was pretty happy with the documents I have created, the binders are just not working for me anymore!  I was tired of dumping them on the ground while dancing to Trepak with my 2nd graders.  Each time I knocked my VERY important binder on the ground ALL of my important things would scatter.  I decided to go ahead and get my charts and graphs spiral bound. I can already tell that I am going to LOVE working with my new planner!  It's awesome! AND the price was very reasonable, especially considering that I was able to add enough of this chart and that chart for the number of classes, performances, field trips and lessons that I teach.... Every page has a task!   Today I'm starting a series of posts where you can download each section of my planner for FREE!  Maybe this planner will help you start your year off well.  Maybe this planner will give you an idea and launch you upon your own

 

My planner includes the some of the following;

• a clear plastic cover, a vinyl back cover and a black spiral. 
• a title page printed on glossy card stock with family photos
• quick reference card printed on the back of the title page card stock, everything else has been printed front & back is on medium weight paper in order to reduce bleed through.
• I was able to print it from a jump drive at Office Max.  In 20 minutes and for about $30 I had the perfect planner for me.

to download the first section of the planner - click on the link below!!!!! 

DOWNLOAD  Contacts and Call records  

• frequently called numbers
• school business call record
• notes
• parent / student communication
• volunteer tracker

Recommendations for printing and using your planner: 

 

1. All pages are intended to be viewed in a 2-page spread with a 1.25 center margin.  This is to allow for spiral binding or hole punching while leaving plenty room for writing.  You don't have to change the margins for it to print correctly, but the center margin is the reason why the even numbered pages are slightly left and the odd numbered pages are slightly right.... it is not a mistake.

2.  When you open the this first section, there will be a blank page.  This is where a title page will go, it is really only a place holder so that the margins will work, so there is no need to print it.  You can either wait for my generic title page or you can create your own.  I can't wait to look at my family photos every day!  

3.  When printed, my planner was approximately 150 pages front and back because I know how many pages I need.  Only you know how many of each page you need, with that in mind, none of the pages in my PDFs will be duplicated.

 

 

A Find for Friday!

This little crock pot has been a game changer for me at school.  Ya'll know teachers are crazy busy and half the time IF we are able to sit down for our lunch, it is rushed.

Sometimes when I'm really on the ball, I'll make myself a sandwich or pick up a salad before school from the chick-fil-a on the way to school.... but too often I find myself either needing to heat up my frozen dinner in the microwave, or stand in line with the kids in the cafeteria..... Ughhh......

Well, then I found this little crock pot!  I LOVE it! 

First of all, it is NOT a true crock pot, but a food warmer, so please don't put raw food inside.   However, if you have spaghetti, or stew, chicken and rice or other casserole, soup or pasta dish, then THIS is a great way to have hot food ready in time for your lunch.  When I get to school, I plug it in and my lunch is nice and hot just in time for lunch.  The only thing I really have to do is remember to go to the kitchen, open the fridge and actually get it out.   I love that on days when I bring something for lunch in my crock pot, I don't have to spend my lunch time preparing to eat.  I relax some and enjoy my meal.  I bought mine at Target, but I've seen them at Walmart and I ordered one for my mom on Amazon, 

 
 

Building Practice Skills in Elementary from the Ground Up in 4 easy steps.

My students cannot wait to take their recorders home!  From the minute we order them until the day finally arrives, they beg and plead and wheedle, trying to get me to let them take their recorders home.  But so far, I haven't ever been entirely pleased with the progress my students make once they go home.   I've noticed that 3 things often happen. 
1.  Some students keep practicing because they LOVE IT!  - They love music, they love me, they love playing recorder and they are enthusiastic in everything they do. 
2.  Some students struggle on if I reward them enough..... Recorder Karate and other such programs, is perfect for the type of student that benefits from constant feedback and encouragement
3.  Some students give up and sometimes get angry.  They might love music, they might even love me, but no amount of incentive will clarify for them HOW to transition from making noise to making music.  Sometimes these students have other learning issues going on that they bring with them to music and asking them to practice recorder when they have no idea HOW to practice is like asking them to empty the Atlantic with a spaghetti sieve.  These are the students who we work with most during class while the other students are working more or less independently.  Sometimes these students are perfectly bright and capable and often gifted learners, but they are perfectionists who struggle with the process of developing a new skill if it's not easy the first time. 

Regardless, one of the most valuable reasons to take recorders home and have students figure it out at home is because when we teach our children to develop any skill independently, we are teaching them not just how to play an instrument but how to succeed in life. 

I've decided that this year, when it's time to take our recorders home, it will be after we have had a lesson in building practice skills. 

These anchor charts were developed with that in mind. 

I plan on starting with a blank house with numbers..... 

1.  A beautiful tone is the __________________
2. Correct Rhythms create the _____________
3. Correct Pitches create the _________
4. Beautiful phrases and articulation add ___________ 

As a class we will discuss the chart and fill it out. 

This will be on a large tablet.  As we discuss each section starting with the foundation and moving up, we will gather ideas about how we could practice that specific skill at home. 

The 2nd step will be when we use post it notes, or pop corn ideas to create what will become a practice skills sheet that they take home with their recorders.     My version is cleaned up and it is what I will guide them toward, but you know, I bet they come up with some ideas and some ways of thinking about practice that will be better than my "summer brain" came up with. Once we've created the take home version, the large version can go up on the wall as a reminder.... we might even right key words around in the different areas. of the chart so that students can refer to the chart during class. 

One aspect that I am going to highlight is the "Try Again Tree" - persistence, doggedness, tenacity, determination.... those are the words that I use to describe the people who I know who are most accomplished in life.  I don't care if my 5th graders ever play another note on recorder after I send them home, BUT, I do want them to remember that good things happen when we try again. 

Once the ideas are gathered, the students will synthesis their knowledge and decide what should go on their class practice sheet.  I'll make regular 8.5x11 of our guided collection of ideas..... This is my "cheat sheet" to help me keep them on track to make sure that they end up with at least these tips to help them..... Theirs will probably be better. 

I also want my students to understand the illusively artistic idea that there is ALWAYS one more thing that can be more beautiful.  That is why my musical house has a "try again" tree in front.    Our tone can always be more pure.  Our rhythm can always be more accurate.  Our pitches and how we move between them can always been cleaner and our interpretation can always become more beautiful.   I'm hoping that this anchor chart and resulting home-practice sheet will not just build better musical practice skills in my students but build better people.  :)

New and Improved FREE! lesson plan printable!

Hey everyone! 

Lesson plans are like we are, they grow and change over time.  I've never used the same lesson plan format from one year to the next and every year, and I'm always motivated to  come up with some new way to frame my thinking in an effort to be both creative and efficient. 

Here is my latest effort.   - If this printable version is ALMOST it, but you REALLY want to edit, please email me and I'll send you a version you can edit. THANKS! 

Download FREE! lesson plan printable HERE!

 

 



Silent Practice - Anchor Chart

I love teaching recorder! Last year I developed an anchor chart similar to this one in order to help my students develop good independent rehearsal skills for those times in class when I need to hear a small group of students rather than the whole class.  When I am working with a small group I remind everyone to "go through their check list".  

Before expecting them to be independent at this I demonstrate with a sort of silent practice "think aloud".  I want them to get used to thinking of their recorder method book as a non-fiction text. Before setting them loose, I make sure thry know where to find the places in the book where certain rhythms are introduced as well as where their note name chart and fingering chart exist. 

Ocassionally I take grades on how they practice. Even when we practice "outloud" we refer to the chart

I noticed this year that my recorder classes were MUCH more productive and students were on task much more often because I was able to give them clear expectations about what to do when they need to be occassionally quiet.