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Tried-and-True Classroom Management Ideas- From One Elementary Music Teacher to Another

8/4/2025

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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.
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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.

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Why I Plan All My Lessons with Slides—And How You Can Too

6/3/2025

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Each year, I try to improve myself as a teacher and change one thing in my teaching. This year, I changed one BIG thing: I structured all of my lessons with slides. Since taking the plunge, I have found that my teaching has been positively impacted in five different ways.  
  1. My lessons have better flow. Everything is in one place, and I am not flipping through presentations and tabs trying to find something 
  2. Classroom management is easy: By not wasting time trying to find materials, students stay more engaged, leading to fewer management problems. 
  3. Lesson sequencing is easier: When everything is in one place, it is easier to see the long-term plan and to see how the lessons all work together
  4. I’m planning a month at a time: Similar to the last one, it is easier to long-term plan because I can see where my lessons are going. 
  5. Makes planning for subs easier: I often just leave them my slides open with directions on how to do the activities. Yes, I still leave activities that are easy for subs to teach but the structure to the lesson is easy to follow. 

Now, for some tips and tricks on how I make this all work!

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The Truth About Returning to Teaching after Maternity Leave

5/21/2025

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This year, I returned to my elementary music teaching position after my maternity leave. I live in Canada, so I am fortunate that I got a year off at home with my girlie, but it didn’t come without some good and some not-so-good surprises when I returned to work after a year off. 

So, here I am sharing my truth about returning after maternity leave to my full-time elementary music teaching job- between two schools!

Not all was bad!
First off, I want to share that going back to work was not completely awful. Yes, I did miss hanging out with my kid every day and getting to watch her grow, but I was READY to go back to work. I have come to realize that I am the type of person that thrives on structure, routine, and adult conversations and returning to work checks all of those boxes for me. I was also ready to be rechallenged- not that parenting isn’t challenging- but I was ready for the fast-paced challenge that came with teaching elementary music. If you know, you know! 


Let’s start with some good news. Here are the pleasant surprises from my return to work.

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    Miss 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. 

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