Teacher talk... Eduspeak... Whatever you want to call it, there are some life-saving phrases that every music teacher should know - and use! It's almost magical how well they work!
Here are four (or five!) phrases I find myself repeating over and over in my class. Hopefully they will be helpful in your classroom!
"Now you sing!"
This is one of the most basic phrases you can use to remind the students (and yourself!) that you won't be singing with them.
Most beginning music teachers sing with their students for one main reason: we love to sing! It's an honest mistake that can be detrimental to vocal chords. It's best to model the song and echo-sing phrases, instead of singing along with students.
It not only helps voice strain, it allows you to step back from the sound and listen closely. When I started really listening to my students, I began to hear wrong notes and intonation issues that needed addressing.
The first time you allow the students to sing without you, there will be a natural dip in the sound as they realize that you're serious and that they will have to carry the sound. And they do!
I use this phrase a lot in Kindergarten and 1st grade and of course when I'm at a new school, while I'm training the students with non-verbal conducting cues.
"Who's Going to be First?"
I use this phrase all the time in all levels of music! Usually, it is when we're getting ready to transition and I need students to move more quickly. Every time we are stacking up Unifix cubes, I say this and it's like magic! The students suddenly move with purpose and energy!
Another way to use this phrase is when you're picking a student to go first. You've never seen students sit up straighter or "catch a bubble" faster than when you are trying to find someone to go first.
"Tell me Later"
This phrase is a gentle way to let Kindergarteners know that it's not appropriate to share their story at that time. Has anyone else had a class derailed by the sweet stories of 5-year-olds? Teehee.
Before I learned this phrase, it happened daily. And of course, when one student shared, the rest of the students would raise their hands (or just start talking! LOL) and want to share as well. I've learned to let them know that I care, but that we won't have time for storytime during music every day.
"Repeat after me!"
I have never found a phrase more useful for echo-singing than this one! I literally make them repeat that phrase, too! "Repeat after me!" "Repeat after me!" And then off we go!
It almost completely cuts out the stubborn few that refuse to wait until I model. I use it for giving instructions, echo-singing phrases, or just to get their attention! It's magical!
Bonus!
"No Big Deal! Maybe Next Time!"
This is one of the most-used phrases in every Kindergarten class of mine! I blogged about it here - check out how I use this to curb those super-sad/kinda-mad faces when they don't get a turn.
And the best part?!?!?!? Now I don't have to play every game 47,953 times! Hallelujah!
What magical phrases have you used in your elementary music classroom?
I love using Youtube in my classroom! It's a fantastic source of musical styles, instruments, funny clips, famous musicians, and of course silly instruments made from carrots. Ha!
Currently, I am showing this clip of America the Beautiful to my classes to demonstrate some beautiful vowel shapes. <click below>
As you can see, there are ads before the video begins and ads for videos on the sides. I learned about an awesome popup fix last year that removes the side pictures and the ad at the beginning for most videos!! (not all of them)
Here's the fix: click on the address bar and find the word "watch" with a ? beside it
Between the word "watch" and the ? type in _popup
That's it! Here's what you should see if you do it right:
No ads and no suggested viewing on the side - super easy! It doesn't work on all videos, but it's very helpful for the ones that work.
Biddy, Biddy: Folk Song Fun
My friend Lisa taught me a fantastic non-locomotor game that my older students love! I'm always on the lookout for non-locomotor, non-chase/race games for my students that are differently-abled.
For this game, we sing the song Biddy, Biddy (aka Lost my Gold Ring) in a circle (either seated or standing) and students hold their hands in a cup. I walk around the inside of the circle with a fantastic blingy ring that I think I got at the Wals-marts.
As I walk around the inside of the circle, I have a student walk around the outside, watching my hands. This can easily be adapted - have the students sit in a special chair and watch as I walk around the circle. I drop the ring into someone's hand and at the end of the game, the person who is "it" gets two guesses.
I make it very clear that the students need to act like I gave them the ring even if I didn't drop it in their hands, because we are trying to trick so-and-so who is watching very closely. They become really good actors and try to trick each other into thinking they have the ring. It's a riot!
At the end of the game, I try to pick a student who is a good sport and then I keep the ring and don't drop it in anyone's hand - they love it when I do that! I make sure and thank the student for letting me trick them.
This is a great recording if you don't know the song:
Literature Connection: Little Bunny Foo Foo Play-Along
My Kinder babies love the song Little Bunny Foo Foo! Did you play that hand game when you were a kid? Here are the very simple finger play that I use to teach this in Kindergarten:
Phrase 1: Little bunny Foo Foo went hopping through the forest (bunny hands - 2 finger hop across)
Phrase 2: Scoopin' up the field mice and boppin' 'em on the head (scoop with one hand to make a fist, hit the other hand on top)
Phrase 3: Down came the good fairy and she said (jazz fingers sliding down from above the head)
Phrase 4: Little bunny Foo Foo, I don't wanna see you (bunny hop 4x, shake pointer finger 4x)
Phrase 5: Scoopin' up the field mice and boppin' 'em on the head (scoop with one hand to make a fist, hit the other hand on top)
Phrase 6: I'll give you 3 more chances (3 fingers up), but if you don't listen (tug on ear), I'll turn you into a goon! (shake finger)
"The next morning..." and repeat!
Ending: I gave you 3 chances (3 fingers up), but you didn't listen (tug on ear), so I'll turn you into a goon! Poof! (spread hands)
"The moral is: 'Hare today and goon tomorrow!' Sounds like 'Here today and gone tomorrow.'"
It's hilarious and fun and really engaging for a beat activity. After they know it by heart, we do it without saying any words!
This is a fantastic SILENT 'game' to play in the hall in line when you're waiting for the teacher to pick them up, or when you're waiting for an assembly to start. Get a group of kids audiating "Little Bunny Foo Foo" while the rest of the gym is screaming and you'll get some appreciative looks from your admin.
Bring it Back!
Of course I get a little more mileage out of Little Bunny Foo Foo in first grade when I bring it back for instrument play!
After singing the song, we read this story:
And then we add instruments to our song!
Woodblocks and claves for the hopping of the bunny each time (on the beat) and a big "bop" on the drums for the "boppin' 'em on the head." When the fairy comes down, we use jingle bells, finger cymbals, triangles or anything magical sounding (chimes!) for her entrance.
My students love playing this song - it's goofy, but still a good musical experience.
I love Veterans Day! I love the music, the colors, the energy. As an Air Force brat, it's important to get the kids excited about singing about our country, saying thanks to our veterans, and expanding their performance experience in the meantime.
How do you celebrate Veterans Day at your school? Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks and songs!
Favorite Songs
You're a Grand Old Flag - with ribbon dancers in the front.
I use the version that comes in the Spotlight on Music (McGraw Hill) textbook series. Figure 8's for the first verse, Circle & "lassos" for the second verse (instruments only) and figure 8's for the final verse. End with a snap down. This is a great opening number! (Usually sung after Star Spangled Banner or America the Beautiful.)
This is My Country - super short song that affords a great opportunity for solo singing.
Motions:
Beginning - bounce soft claps side to side & bounce knees for the first section;
"I pledge thee my allegiance" - hand over heart;
America the "bold" - make muscle man pose, bend knees for bigger impact;
Ending - bounce soft claps side to side & bounce knees
"Have and to hold" - grab hands with a person next to you and raise into the air
Oh I Love America - I have a bittersweet relationship with this Music K8 song. The words are super easy, fun and repetitive. The "heart dance" that I came up with is surprisingly tricky. During the chorus, I have students broken into three groups; red, white or blue hearts. The phrase repeats three times, so we do a contagion with the hearts.
Students hold their paper heart props at their side until it is their turn to bounce the heart - red, then white, then blue - and wow that's hard! We spend most of our time working on the movements to this - but when we finish it looks so good!! Variant: Have the red-white-and-blue hearts all move at the same time; I've done this successfully with students as young as Kindergarten.
At the end of this song, they turn around their hearts to reveal a "surprise" flag on the back. So cute! Grab this flag heart printable in my TPT shop!
Yankee Doodle - our textbook recording offers three verses, so it's a great song to feature some tambourine "dancers" in the front. The tambourine team copies the hand motions of the entire group, but with a tambourine in their hand.
What was Yankee Doodle's horse's name? Macaroni! (just seeing if you're paying attention!)
Fifty Nifty United States - I sang this when I was in 5th grade and I still love this song! When I first started doing this song, I had a parent cut out the shapes of the states and glue them to paper. Now, I use a set of State Cards that I had printed in color on card stock, and laminated. Each student is assigned to a state and raises their card when they hear their state.
I blogged about it here! I shared tips for how to teach this song with my State Cards resource and how to do a surprise on the back and a Fifty Nifty Club!
We Will Not Forget - very short and repetitive song. For this song, I have students hold a photo of their favorite veteran. Not a dry eye. After years of requesting, it's finally available on a separate CD from Music K-8 - no subscription required! Woo!
or
I'm Proud to Be an American - emotional and powerful! There's a great version by Jump Five that's kid-appropriate, and a little jazzy. I've seen the hardest of students sing this song with great emotion and tears in their eyes.
American Every Day - This is a great crowd stopper and a good finale for your Veterans Day program! I teach it to the whole school and we all stand (either on risers or in their places in the audience) to sing this at the very end.
Motions:
We are American every day - Both thumbs pointing to self, bounce 4 beats
Livin' we are livin' the American way - Hands on hips and nod head 4 beats
If you listen, you can hear it - one hand cupped around ear
All around us, there's a spirit - switch hands, other hand cupped around other ear
It's the freedom we are living - arms crossed over heart
And the blessings we are given - spread out arms towards ground
For the days of the week, I have seven students hold cards that say the day of the week. They hold them up when we call out the day of the week. On the back, there's a surprise - we spell out A-M-E-R-I-C-A at the end for the last repeat of "America!"
Bonus: If you have a super responsible group, you can add a stomp-clap during one of the last choruses, when the brass drops out and it's only voices and percussion. For my students, a pretend stomp works best; they lean to the side and do a pretend step, then do a soft clap.
Tip: I learned a long time ago that when students clap at a program, they rush. Any time I want the students to clap during a song, we talk about how clapping is loud. If we clap louder than the music, we can't hear the music! (It's a shock, I know!) We listen to how loud 25-30 people sound when they clap and then talk about how many kids are in the grade level that is performing. The kids generally understand that we have to almost "pretend-clap" when we have such a large group.
Logistics
I start practicing songs with my students about 8 weeks ahead of time. After learning the songs in class, I send home packets to each student. I hold "auditions" in class several weeks out. I have interested students do group auditions (I use a simple rubric to give a score) in class and they get a note to go home if they get a part.
Most of the students who audition get some kind of special part - I write up extra speaking parts and buy extra ribbons, borrow extra tambourines to cover all the kids that want a part. I try to find a way to make it special for each student! Can they hold up a picture of the Statue of Liberty? Can they hold up a letter to spell out America? What about passing out programs or getting people at the door? Passing out flowers is another job to fill, as well as passing out tambourines, cards, or ribbons.
Finishing Touches
Local Veterans, Scouts:
In addition to inviting local veterans (we send home an invitation to each family to invite a local veteran friend or family member), I invite the local Boy Scout troop to do a flag ceremony, and recently, I had a Girl Scout troop serve cookies and welcome the veterans as the entered our school.
Make sure to label the space where you want the veterans so that they feel comfortable as guests at your school.
Thank You Flower and/or Note/Poem:
I usually reserve the tear jerker song for my oldest/best group. Either before or after their song, I have each student who brought a veteran come to the stage and get a flower to take to their veteran.
It's a touching moment when the students take their veteran a flower, shake their hand, and say, "Thank you for your service." (We practice that in class!)
Decorate:
Off course you want to make it look festive, but it doesn't have to break the bank! Once I started doing this vertical flag design, I've never looked back! Trust me when I say hanging sheets of paper vertically is much easier than horizontally! Ha!
Wall of Honor:
One of my absolute favorite additions to the Veterans Day programs that I've done is the Wall of Honor. Every student in the whole school is encouraged to create a "brick" for a veteran friend or family member. This is a sample of the note I send home. Grab it here in my TPT shop!
My mom and I pointing out some of our favorite veterans!
The start of the Wall of Honor
By the end of Veterans Day, this wall was completely covered as people added their own "bricks" to the wall with their loved ones. I made some bricks for the U.S. Presidents that were veterans as well!
How do you celebrate Veterans Day at your school? Connect with Sweet Sounds on Facebook and share your favorite Veterans Day songs!
