Teaching Music on a Cart?!

Hey, everyone!  Where do I even begin with this one???  So, I was just putting the finishing touches on both of my classrooms a little more than a week ago (Sidebar:  totally decided to go with redecorating my classroom at P with the animal print, and I love it!) when all chaos broke loose.

I actually went shopping with my mom Thursdsay morning (the 16th) to get a few finishing touches for my other classroom.  After shopping, we went to school and worked for the rest of the day to get everything completed.  I was so relieved when it was done, I think I actually said, "Wow!  I feel like a load is just completely off my shoulders now that this is done!"  Big mistake.

Fast forward about 24 hours.  I'm on our district's website looking for something, and I happen to see that there's going to be a special school board meeting that afternoon via conference call regarding the huge influx in enrollment in our city.  As I continue to read, I see that the classroom I had just finished shopping for and putting together was going to be turned into a general classroom.  As in, I had to move out of my room and onto a cart.

Long story (somewhat) shorter, the numbers in our school bounced around for about the next four days and I didn't have a definite answer as to whether I got to stay in my classroom or not until Tuesday, and we started with our kiddos on Thursday.  So, as of now, I'm still in my classroom (PTL!), but that could change if we have any more little ones move into our school zone.

So, I guess what I'm asking is this:  For those of you out there teaching music on a cart, please send some helpful tips, suggestions, strategies, etc. my way.  (For example, do you have a special cart?  Or did you just have to use any old cart they found for you?)  I do a lot with movement, dance, and barred instruments in my classroom, so I'm not even sure yet how I would begin to address those concepts without my own classroom space.  I just want to be prepared in case I end up needing to move out before this school year is over or at the beginning of next school year.

Thank you so much in advance!

Mary Poppins Activity Pack

If your kiddos at school are anything like mine, by the time May rolls around, they've started to check out!  I've spent the last couple of years putting together a "May is Musical Month!" theme in my classroom.  It's important that our students are introduced to the world of musicals, but I don't feel they should just be plopped down in front of a TV for two weeks' worth of music class.  While watching the musical, they should also be involved in standards-based activities.  And especially if you're showing a musical in May, what better time to have "year-in-review" activities that tie into the musical?

That premise brought me to this:  A complete activity pack for "Mary Poppins"!  If you look back at previous posts, you'll see how my whole "Let's Go Fly a Kite" lesson came to be.  I used the inspiration from that lesson to create my "Let's Go Fly a Kite" mini-unit available on Teachers Pay Teachers, and from there the ideas just kept flowing.  The activities in the "Mary Poppins" pack review some of the big concepts we talk about in 2nd grade:  dynamics, mood, basic standard rhythm notation, beats in sets of 3, and basic form (such as AB).

The "Mary Poppins" pack contains new lessons & activities as wells as the lessons & activities found in "Let's Go Fly a Kite".  It's available now in my Teachers Pay Teachers store--enjoy!

Balance. And by that I mean I spent...

...the better part of today with an iced coffee in one hand and a precious 3 year-old's hand in the other.

I feel totally motivated to get up each morning and work in my classroom(s), work on some new lessons/units, and pretty much do my prep work for the upcoming school year.  But then, all the motivation/creativity (insanity maybe?)  hits me all at once and I. feel. frozen.  It's like there's too much swirling around in my brain to just stay focused on one thing at a time and get them done. 

And then I realize I have a few more projects I want to finish around the house before summer's over.  Summer's over?  Oh my word--summer's quickly disappearing!  I better get going on school work!  Wait--NO!  Finish house projects.  Wait--NO!  Ignore house, ignore school--play with daughter.  Daughter wins.   

I can panic about the house and school each and every mid-summer.  Little Miss will only be little once.

Daughter wins, everytime :)

Another New Item on TpT!

Just a quick note for today--I just added a new item to my Teachers Pay Teachers store! 

It's a unit I do with my 3rd graders every Spring that introduces the concept of absolute pitch with an emphasis on Mozart. 

Enjoy!

New/Updated Items on Teachers Pay Teachers!

Hello and Good Monday Morning!

I just wanted to let you know that I've added a new item to my Teachers Pay Teachers store and edited a previously-existing one! 

The new item is entitled "Planning for Music Programs".  It's a mini-collection of documents to help keep your program planning organized.  It also provides an at-a-glance rerference of the program for future reference.  I have a binder containing the printed programs from all of the music program performances I've done over the last however many years, but it's impractical to lug around!  This "Planning for Music Programs" collection is especially helpful for someone like me who travels between multiple schools and may forget when I last performed which program where....ha!  It would also be very easy to pull this up and give it to the new music teacher in your school if you're moving to a different building....not that I'm in that boat or anything!  ::wink, wink::

The newly-edited product is my "Documentation Helpers".  It was previously a Word document; it's now a PDF.  I loved the font I used when I created it in Word, but unless you all have downloaded the same font, it wouldn't download as I created it.  So, I made it a PDF instead so that you can see what I originally inteded it to look like!  No matter what I've tried, though, I can't get the thumbnail preview to show the correct font and I'm not sure why.  I'll keep working on it, but rest assured--the complete download is correct!  This one was a free download before, (and still is), so if you'd like to re-download it; no worries!

I've got a few more lessons/packets in the works, so hopefully I'll have even more in my store soon!

Have a great start to your week!

Moving, Settling, Decorating...

As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of my schools for next year is changing.  Which, of course, means moving!  I spent the afternoon of the 4th with my parents, loading up my dad's pick up with my things from my classroom at school R, and taking them to my new school (which I'll identify as H).  While I'm happy about the move and the opportunities it will provide, I must admit it was a little sad turning off the lights and closing the door at R for the last time.  The room just looked so empty and bare.  I know it will soon be home to a new teacher and will look like a fun place to make music again, but still.  I actually met up with the new music teacher for R, and she's going to be great.  It just felt so strange to be showing her around the school and showing her where all of the sound equipment is, how the stage and riser set-up works for programs, etc--almost like an out-of-body experience. 

Then there's H.  Oh, my.  It's a small room with very little storage and even fewer instruments.  My principal told me to put together a wish list, so wish list I did!  There are currently only 3 barred instruments (each about 30-35 years old), 4 hand drums, and a variety of maracas, jingle bells, a few guiros, and a set of temple blocks.  I also have a box of ukeleles, which I've never taught, but may have to start!  It will definitely be an adventure, that's for sure!  I've decided to use owls as my theme for my new classroom and found these super cute owls from Trend Enterprises.  They've got bulletin board trim, welcome posters, stickers, and just about anything else you can imagine.

I've also been on the look-out for super cute owls around town, and hit the jackpot at one of our local boutiques.  I can't wait to get the room all decked out with these colorful, quirky owls!  Decorating my classrooms is one of my favorite things--it's in my blood.  My mom taught elementary school for over 35 years and loves coming up with decorative themes as much as I do.  She even found this fantastic black-and-white set from Creative Teaching Press at our local school supply store and almost bought it.  Then she remembered she's been retired for 3 years and doesn't need it.  Ha!

Now I've been bitten by the bug and am thinking about re-doing my entire classroom at P, as well.  It's currently done in a butterfly theme, which I love, but I think it's time for a change.  I found these from Trend Enterprises and am feeling totally inspired. I'm seriously considering a complete make-over!  What do you think?

I can't wait to show you both classrooms once they're all finished and put together!

In Praise of The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Iced Coffee

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/perfect-iced-coffee/

The above image is that of The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Iced Coffee.  Can't ya just taste it?

If you're anything like me, coffee is one of your staple beverages.  I love my daily coffee so much it's almost sinful.  I even have a seasonal rotation of what (and how) I drink it.  For summer, nothing beats iced coffee.  But, let's face it:  I can't be making trips to Starbucks every single day or there's no way I could afford to buy groceries.  Or shoes.  Anyway, I found this great post on The Pioneer Woman's blog and it was a game-changer.  I lurve, lurve, lurve this recipe for iced coffee.  Somedays I add sweetener, somedays I don't; but anyway you drink it, it's fantastic. 

Click the link and get brewing--you'll be so glad you did!