Monday, July 20, 2020

My Favorite Substitute Plans for Music Teachers

Do I need a Substitute Plans?

YES, you will get sick - your classroom is a petri dish.

YES, you will need a Sub Plans. Or a Sub Tub. (or Sub Binder or box or however you roll)

If you have children, you know they'll get sick, so go ahead and prepare for it now.

It doesn't have to be fancy, but it needs to be done so that when you get sick, you can set the tub on your desk/table and not have to create more work while you're sick.

Last week, I shared with new teachers my favorite tips for thriving during their first year. Today, I'm sharing some general thoughts and guidelines for selecting activities for your substitute plans, plus some of my favorite resources to use!


General Guidelines

Non-Tech & Non-Music: 
Include things that ANYONE can do.

Most districts don't have enough subs, and some don't assign subs to specials classes. It might be a teacher's aide, your vice principal, or the recess monitor who is stepping in to "teach" your class.

Even most regular substitutes don't know a whole lot about teaching music - and if you are a control freak like me, you don't want them teaching music to your classes!

Pro Tip: If you include things like CDs or movies or pre-recorded lessons, be sure to also include worksheets or books or some other non-tech activity. You would be surprised how many tech issues arise when you're not there. Even tech-savvy subs can have trouble and you don't want to leave them with nothing to do.


Extra Practice:
Start collecting lots of "extra" worksheets, flashcards, games, and activities that you can swap out of the sub tub.

I make at least one class set of each worksheet and put each class set in a separate file folder. It's likely that your sub will be rushing in at the last minute and won't have time (or the copy code!) to make copies.


Include a Table of Contents:
I like to make a table of contents for the top so that subs know what their options are.

If I laminate this page, I can mark off activities each year as they are completed.


How to Keep Track:
I keep a log of which classes do which activities.

It is CRAZY trying to remember who did what while you were sick (Did my Tuesday classes or my Friday classes do this? Did they actually do all the things I left or just the first one?).

Throw a spiral notebook in the tub and write out what was completed. I also leave a checklist for the sub to mark, but they don't always let me know.


What Concepts to Include:
I love to include simple composer activities (facts, music history, listening), note naming practice, and even instrument family work that a substitute might (potentially) not mess up.

Coloring pages while listening to music is great for my youngest babies. Drawing along to the music (with ideas) is fun for the middle grades. Simple games that the students have played before might also work, depending on the group.

Pro Tip: Try to think about what each grade will already know if planning sub activities by grade content.

For example, my first grade sub activities include anything that they know from Kindergarten, plus whatever concepts we've already covered so far. So, their sub activities are high-low, loud-soft, fast beat - slow beat, and rhythm v. beat, plus quarter and eighth note activities. (You can always add more if you're out later in the year.)

Second grade activities might include everything they did in first grade - quarter and eighth notes, quarter rest, so-mi patterns, and so-mi-la patterns, plus whatever we've covered so far in the year (2/4 meter, do, or maybe half note).

Favorite Things to Include

Some non-tech options:
My students love playing freeze games! This freeze game includes game cards that can be printed and left for a sub. This is NOT a freeze dance; it's more like rock-paper-scissors!


Centers that students are already familiar with are another non-tech option for subs. Print off a few sets of this memory game to add to your Sub Tub centers. My students love to play these games!



Music Vocab Bingo from Christine at Elementary Etudes

Shelley at Pitch Publications has TONS of activities to go with music books!

The Music Crew on TpT has a whole hashtag dedicated to sub plans - check it out here!



Here are even more ideas for your music sub tub!

From Ginny at Ginny's Music Space


From Jennifer of the The Yellow Brick Road



What activities have you had success with in your substitute plans? Join the conversation on Facebook!

Lori Sweet
Sweet Sounds


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Monday, July 13, 2020

Music Teacher's First Year - Ideas to Save your Sanity

This time of year is usually pretty crazy in the music teacher world - with performances and end of the year activities and field trips, it's all usually a blur by the end of May.

This year, with so many things shut down for the virus, I have a lot more time in the evenings to relax and decompress and think.

I've been thinking about the things that I found helpful as a first year teacher - so I thought I would share them with you!



1. Plan Ahead at School (what you can)

Things change so rapidly the first year at a school, so don't freak out if when your plans have to change, too.

Keep that in mind as you are planning things, and leave some empty weeks at the end of each semester/year for each time you have to bump lessons to the next week.

Lesson Planning (Yearly): Try to outline your year (or at least the first semester) so that things don't sneak up on you. Even penciling in things like, "do favorite Halloween song" or "teach the Nutcracker," will help you remember what you have going on during certain times of the year.

My first years, I literally wrote the weekly dates down a sheet of notebook paper and penciled in things that I wanted to teach. After years and years of teaching, I have refined my system, but a basic Excel/Numbers doc or piece of paper is a great place to start.

Programs and Performances: Find out what kind/how many programs you are expected to do and get them on the school calendar. Communication with your administration is very important. (But don't be the person who asks too many questions! If you can find the answer by asking another teacher, do it!)

There will be certain things you are expected to do the first year. After getting some experience under your belt, then you can start to change things and make them your own.

Pro Tip: Start teaching program songs and choreography sooner than you think. Since you don't have experience pacing student learning, you'll need to schedule a larger chunk of time than normal. You can always take a break and do something else for a few days if your students get too far ahead.

Depending on the grade level and skill level, my students take 8-10 weeks to prepare for a program. Sometimes I can start teaching the songs earlier through a typical lesson, which reduces the amount of "program prep" weeks.


2. Plan Ahead at Home

I can't emphasize this enough - you will be tired. And most of it is mental tiredness from making decisions all day long.

Mental Health: Think ahead about ways you recharge as an individual - reading a book, working out, visiting with friends. Whatever it is that helps you decompress, schedule it now so that later you won't have to make that decision.

Other ways to reduce decision making: Plan your meals, your clothes, anything at home that you have to make decisions about. You don't have to stick to it forever, but making a rotation of meals for the first 6 weeks of school can really simplify the decisions you're having to make.

Outsourcing: Another way to reduce that teacher-tired is to outsource anything you can afford to outsource. From lawn mowing to grocery shopping, there are ways to set up systems to help you at home after you've already spent all your energy at school.

Even outsourcing resources, lesson plans, worksheets, games - there are so many great resources out there. There is no sense in making a brand new Name the Notes or Label the Key Signatures worksheet - it's already been done - literally thousands of times!

Pro Tip: Check out Teachers Pay Teachers for tons of resources that help support your fellow music teachers! You might even discover a new song or pedagogical resource that will help you along the way.


3. Make a Sub Tub

YES, you will get sick - your classroom is a petri dish. Of the whole. school.

YES, you will need a Sub Tub. (or Sub Binder or box or however you roll)

If you have children, you know they'll get sick, so go ahead and prepare for it now.

It doesn't have to be fancy, but it needs to be done so that when you get sick, you can set the tub on your desk/table and not have to create more work while you're sick.

Be sure to include things for those who are not music teachers and/or not tech-savvy.

Leaving books for subs to read is a great option - especially books that you don't normally have time to read!

Sub Tub Log - I keep a log of which classes do which activities, so I don't lose track!

Here's a post of more ideas for your sub tub! (coming soon)


 4. To Train or Not to Train?

I see people in the music teacher groups recommend getting additional training immediately after graduation. While that may be helpful, don't sweat it if you can't manage it before your first year.

YES, training is vital to what you will do day to day.

YES, every music teacher would benefit from getting highly trained in a specific method instead of relying on hodge-podge/eclectic style. (I know, I know, teachers combine methods all the time; I'm mostly speaking of the ones who just attended one clinic/workshop and didn't get trained in anything. My blog, my opinion.)

BUT having a year (or more) under your belt before you get training is also very helpful.

Why? You can take the things you are learning and mentally file them in the right place, since you have the kinesthetic knowledge of having your own classroom after going through that first year.

Learn More: During your first year of teaching, check out the blogs, YouTube videos, and online groups for each type of training so that you can see what you're getting into.

Talk to someone who is certified in more than one methodology. Talk to people who are leaders in their areas so that you can see what might fit you best. And start saving your $$ because it's not cheap. Go to clinics and workshops for each type of methodology to gain better understanding.

Exceptions: If your university is offering a training as part of your degree or is offering a discount TAKE IT. If someone is offering to pay for your training TAKE IT. If your school requires you to have training as a part of your first year DO IT.

My personal recommendation is getting trained the first 3 years after your first year. So, you would teach for one year, and the following 3 summers will be working towards certification. Yes, get all 3 years, it's worth it.

Pro Tip: If someone is offering behavior management training before your first year - do it! Or specialty trainings that your school may offer like Kagan training - these can be very helpful and can be easily adapted to the music class setting.


There are so many more things to think about, but that's a good start! What suggestions do you have for first year teachers? Join the conversation on Facebook!

Lori Sweet
Sweet Sounds

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Sunday, July 12, 2020

Covid-Era Teaching: Changes in my Music Classroom

On the music teacher social media groups, the talk is all about moving to a cart and creating individual instrument packs. I'm loving the brainstorming and camaraderie during this crazy time!

I am (luckily?) one of the few that is planning to be in an actual music classroom, instead of pushing in on a cart. While there are many benefits to being in my own space, I will definitely be making some changes to accommodate the physical distancing and cleaning procedures that will likely be in place in the fall.

Here are some of the ideas I'm brainstorming to help create a calm, welcoming, but more physically distanced classroom.


1. Remove the Extras for Space:

- Removing furniture to create more extra space - anyone else a collector of bookshelves? I'm planning to move or remove all of my shelves except what is absolutely necessary to create the maximum amount of square footage for students to spread out.

- Removing chairs / spreading out sit spots - I love having chairs as a "home base," but I'm probably going to remove them for this year so that I can spread out my sit spots as far as possible.



2. Remove/Store Materials to Facilitate Cleaning:

- Removing stuffed animals, puppets, and curtains (anything cloth)

- Putting small equipment and instruments into containers and buckets - typically my drum area gets very dusty and isn't cleaned very often. I'm hoping to get tubs or other closed storage for these to help with cleaning.

- Removing personal belongings/decorations - this is an easy way I can help my custodians save time. This doesn't mean my space has to be devoid of decoration, but I am going to think outside the box and maybe create laminated pictures and easily cleaned items (that I can clean myself!).



3. No Shared Materials

- Students bring their own pencils/white boards

- Creating enough mallets for several classes to use (and then clean)

- Individual sets of rhythm cards - I'm working on creating smaller versions of my rhythm sets so that I can print off a page for each student (we might bring our own scissors to music that day, I'm not sure yet!).



Other changes:  

- Open Door or Windows: I'm extremely lucky to work in two classrooms that have either windows that open or an exterior door. I'm planning to have those open as much as possible throughout the year.

- Class Outside: At both of my schools, there is a small area just outside my classroom that could be used for outdoor class. I'm brainstorming ideas for the logistics, but I plan to take us outside as often as possible.

- Assigned Seats: While I have assigned seats for my chair area, I have traditionally let students choose a seat on a sit spot. I think the one of the first things we will do next year will be to assign seats for everyone.



This is definitely just a place to begin - I have some guidelines from my district, so I will start with those things, but I'm trying to think outside the box about what can be done to create more space.

This is in NO WAY a replacement for your county/state/district recommendations or requirements. I'm going based off of my state and local recommendations and how I think I can do that in my specific classrooms.

This is not the ideal situation (or anywhere close), but it's my attempt to see what I can do to make it more manageable for my classes. What ideas do you have? Join the conversation on Facebook!



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