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You’ve just taken your bow to a standing ovation after the Christmas Concert—your students nailed it, parents are showering you with compliments, and the holiday spirit is buzzing in the air. But then it hits you: you still have to teach tomorrow. And all you want is some simple, ready-to-go lessons that won’t drain your energy.
Sound familiar? If so, you’re definitely not alone—I've been there a time or two. That post-concert glow often comes with a side of exhaustion, so to help you sail smoothly through those busy December days, I’m sharing my favourite go-to activities for Kindergarten through Grade 6 elementary music classes. These tried-and-true lessons keep students engaged without overwhelming you, so you can enjoy the season while keeping the music alive.
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If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you’ve likely heard me say the phrase “repetition without redundancy.” And if you asked me what stuck with me the most during my five-year education degree, it would be that phrase. The longer I teach, the more I genuinely believe it is a key part in helping students learn music concepts while keeping them engaged at the same time.
We know that kids need multiple repetitions to master anything, but finding a way to keep them engaged while completing those repetitions is the tricky yet also fun and creative part of teaching. For me, a solution to get the reps is to play games, such as singing games, board games, and what we're talking about today - music card games! Firstly, I come from a family that enjoys playing a variety of card games, and numerous social skills are naturally developed through playing these games. However, the longer I teach, the less common it is to play simple card games. So, between my love of playing cards, my understanding that my students need to practice music skills, and the realization that no one will have fun if it's boring, I have created and adapted many familiar card games to be played in the music room. So let’s get into it! You could totally make all of these games yourself. However, if you are looking for games that are premade- print, cut, and go- make sure to check out my TPT store for TONS of music card games! Teaching music to elementary music students can be a challenging task, especially when it comes to finding a way that they can enjoy it. By choosing listening exemplars thoughtfully and finding lesson extensions to go with the listening activities, it is easier to engage my students.
October is usually when we do our first formal listening unit. It seems that this music is easy for them to connect with, likely because it all sounds spooky. Additionally, some great composers wrote music that is perfect for spooky season, allowing us to conduct composer studies on them as well. To simplify my listening curriculum, I have all of my students listen to the same song and complete different activities to go along with the song, depending on their grade. So each year in October I will generally do one of these songs as a formal listening activity, we might listen to others and do stick figures or movement cards, but we only dig into one of the songs. Here are some of my go-to examples for October listening. If you're looking for more listening examples and activities to use throughout the year, be sure to check out the Year of Listening bundle in my TPT store! Knowing the difference between high and low is a foundational skill in elementary music as it prepares students to sing in tune. Some students need lots of practice with the concept to be able to truly master it. So, in kindergarten and even the beginning of grade 1, it is one of my key and first lessons to teach.
But how exactly can you teach such a broad concept to elementary age students? My solution is to make it relatable to everyday life and keep them engaged by using different teaching techniques and instruments! In my TPT store, I have a complete lesson pack that I use to teach my elementary music students about high and low. It includes everything you need- lesson plans, projectables, and worksheets. Check out the lesson pack here! Classroom management in the music room isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, especially when you teach hundreds of students across multiple grade levels each week. What works beautifully for one class might fall flat with another, and some classes don’t need much at all.
In this post, I’m breaking down the core elements that every classroom management system needs to succeed, plus sharing a few systems I’ve used in my own elementary music classroom—what worked, what didn’t, and how I’ve adjusted along the way. Whether you’re looking to refresh your management strategies or just curious how another music teacher keeps things running smoothly, I hope you find a few ideas to try (or tweak!) for your own teaching space. |
AuthorMiss Jayna is an elementary music teacher in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. In addition to being a public school teacher Miss Jayna also has a private piano studio and teaches a Children's Music Program. Categories
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