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How I Used Your Name is a Song to Build Community in Music Class

9/1/2026

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At the beginning of each school year, I like to begin my lessons with a book. Most recently, I used "Your Name is a Song" by Jamilah Thompkins Bigelow as my opening and community-building lesson for my grade 5 and 6 students. Here is everything that I used to develop and extend the lesson.

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The First 10 Minutes: A Kindergarten Music Routine That Works

8/3/2026

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If you’ve spent any time with young children, you know just how much they thrive on structure and routine—and truthfully, so do I! While I’ve shared general music classroom routines before, today I’m diving into the specific opening routine I use with my kindergarten music classes. It’s taken me five years of trial, error, and fine-tuning to get it to a place that truly works—and I’m excited to share what that looks like now!

Make sure to watch out for freebies and song notation throughout this blog post, which will make it even easier to implement some of these routines in your classroom!​

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What Will the Weather Be? Concert Ideas for Upper Elementary

7/6/2026

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This year was my first year doing spring performances! When I was planning my performances, I wanted them to be different from the Christmas Concert. I wanted them to give parents a glimpse of what our daily music class looks like. So, I programmed it differently from my traditional concert and called it a Spring Showcase! 

The traditional Christmas concert at my school features all the classes, from kindergarten to grade 5. The students come on the stage, sing their song, and wait in the classroom for the remainder of the concert. This was the first thing that I wanted to change when planning a Spring Showcase. I wanted the students to stay in the gym the entire time. That meant planning 2 concerts. One for Kindergarten to Grade 2 students and one for Grades 3-5 students.  

The Grade 3-5 Concert was themed: What will the Weather be, and we performed songs about all types of weather!

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A Peek Inside Our Under the Sea Music Showcase

6/1/2026

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This year was my first year doing spring performances! When I was planning my performances, I wanted them to be different from the Christmas Concert. I wanted them to give parents a glimpse of what our daily music class looks like. So, I programmed it differently from my traditional concert and called it a Spring Showcase! 

The traditional Christmas concert at my school features all the classes, from kindergarten to grade 5. The students come on the stage, sing their song, and wait in the classroom for the remainder of the concert. This was the first thing that I wanted to change when planning a Spring Showcase. I wanted the students to stay in the gym the entire time. That meant planning 2 concerts. One for Kindergarten to Grade 2 students and one for Grades 3-5 students.  

The Kindergarten to Grade 2 concerts were Under the Sea-themed, a definite hit with parents, students, and teaching staff alike.​

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Hop Into Spring! 5 Frog Songs Your Elementary Music Students Will Love

5/17/2026

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Are you looking to bring some springtime fun—or just a splash of silliness—into your elementary music lessons? Frog songs are a hit in my classroom year after year, and I’ve rounded up my absolute favourites in this post. From games that get students giggling and moving, to songs that sneak in musical concepts like sol-mi and sixteenth notes, these tunes are as educational as they are entertaining. Whether you’re teaching rhythm, pitch, movement, or just need a fresh idea for your spring concert, there’s something here for everyone.

PLUS—Don’t miss the freebie with sheet music and lyrics for every frog song I mention below. Grab it now and hop right into your next lesson with confidence!
Click here for a freebie with the sheet music and lyrics for each frog song in this blog post

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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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    • Philosophy of Education
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