In my years of teaching music from a cart, along with figuring out how to maximize my cart storage space, I’ve also experimented with different kinds of manipulatives I could easily carry around and incorporate in the often cramped classroom spaces I teach in. Along with the portability factor, I’ve found that materials that I could use for multiple purposes were best...giving you more bang for your lesson buck! Here’s a list of my current 5 favorite multifunctional lesson manipulatives:

Students race to sweep up small, labeled objects (something with a little depth, such as plastic cubes, color tiles, or even folded index cards) based on what’s called out. For example, having students race to see who can sweep up only the string family instrument names scattered on the floor or all of the rhythms that add up to 4 beats. Students might not be crazy about cleaning up their room at home, but a music sweeping game is a whole other story! And, as with the fly swatters, you can purchase just a few dustpans which is plenty for your students to take turns with in small groups.

How about you? Do you have a particular music lesson manipulative that’s your favorite? Have you tried any of the ideas above? Are there any manipulatives you’ve found difficult to store on your cart due to their shape or size? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Encouraging you to rock as you roll,

Have you tried listening lessons before as either a regular lesson plan or a sub plan? Do you have any "go-to" music sub plans that you absolutely love? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

Encouraging you to rock as you roll,

This has been a very interesting school year. Out of my 10+ years teaching elementary music, this was the first year that I was challenged with all sorts of behavioral issues. And not with just a few classes or one grade level, but at every single grade level that I teach (with the exception of preschool...those little 3 and 4 year olds really had it together!). I’ve truly been stretched and challenged as an educator in attempting to find various systems, strategies, and ways in which to establish, restore, and/or reiterate proper classroom behavior. As I reflect back on this school year and the strategies I've tried, I noticed that there was a common thread. And that’s what I’d like to discuss today.

Now, I’m not saying that this is a magical strategic tool that will instantaneously fix every single behavior issue you’ll face in your classroom (but hey, if you ever find that magical strategy, please let me know), yet as the school year rolled on, I found that this helped….a lot. Simply put, what I’m talking about is this:

During those 10 minutes of self-assessment, I’d circulate around the room, silently read their answers, and have a very brief one-on-one chat with each student (quietly so no one else nearby hears) about the choices and actions they made that day in music. For some classes, once the teacher returned to the classroom, students would hold up their paper and the teacher would give a quick glance and offer an overall comment about the reflections as a whole (and when the comment was positive, boy would we play it up and make a big deal of it!). However, every single time, I required that they put the self-reflection papers in their take-home folders to bring home. If the situation warranted it, I would write a note on the paper asking parents to sign that they’ve read their child’s self-assessment and have it returned back to school the next day. This really helped alleviate a LOT of extra time on my part documenting individual behaviors and helped to alleviate the defensiveness that some parents had because it was their own child who was confessing in their own handwriting how they did in class that day, for better or for worse. The classroom teachers also appreciated it as it gave them an idea of how their students did and they appreciated the extra support in reiterating positive behavior and addressing the negative.

For my upper elementary students (3rd and 4th graders), the above self-reflection sheet I made was too simplistic. Thankfully, I found a really AMAZING self-assessment rubric created by Jessica Zannini, creator of the website "Notes from the Portable." Do yourself a favor and go there now to download it for free!  Although it was formulated for the regular ed. classroom, I found that the behavior checks listed spoke perfectly to what I kept reiterating during music class. Again, I left 10 minutes towards the end of the class period for filling out these rubrics (I used the 3 smiley rubric she created, but there's also a more detailed, numbered rubric in the downloadable packet) along with answering the questions on the reverse side, reminding them that although it’s worded to have them reflect on their day/week in school, they’re only reflecting and filling it out regarding how they did in music class that day. And just like my lower elementary classes, I circulated around the classroom to individually speak to each student about their rubric rating. Taking their papers home was optional unless I wrote my own remarks on the line given for teacher comments or circled the sentence on the bottom that stated they had to have it signed by a parent and brought back the next day. The classroom teacher would place it in my mailbox when the student brought it back the next day, but I preferred (as much as possible) to go the student myself before school or during homeroom to follow up face-to-face, collect their paper, and speak with them the next day. This wasn't limited to only negative behaviors, though. If a student had a spectacular day or did something great in music, I would write a comment in the teacher's spot and circle for the paper to go home and get signed so their parent would know how well they did that day.

Now was this a magical formula that solved all my crazy classroom behavior issues? Unfortunately not...BUT, I found that as I consistently followed through, at the expense of some instructional time, it made a difference in helping them recognize and take more personal ownership of the behaviors they exhibited during class. And really, such a time for teaching personal self-assessment and reflection IS an important part of life and learning anyway...so in actuality, it’s not time wasted, but time invested. Having students write down and then read for themselves in black and white their behavior choices helped them to see patterns and trends from week to week (and teachers and parents were able to see it, too) and my speaking to each individual student, helping them hash out and talk out their choice of actions that day, helped reinforce the personal ownership aspect along with the fact that I was on their side, cheering them on to do great things, but the decision was theirs as to how they would choose to behave.

*Sigh* A tough year indeed, but still a fruitful one...for both my students and for myself. In future blog posts, I'll discuss the myriad of other strategies and classroom management techniques I utilized in conjunction with the above, but this one was the biggest change I've tried implementing so far in my classes this year, so I wanted to share it first. Have you had any successful strategies that you’ve tried in your music classes? Have you had to sacrifice classroom time to reset or reinforce proper classroom behavior? Please tell me that I’m not alone and leave some nuggets of your wisdom in the comments below!

Encouraging you to rock as you roll,

As a ‘music on a cart’ teacher, I’m all about using teaching aids and manipulatives in various ways and for multiple purposes. My cart space is at a premium, and though I can fit a lot more items on my cart than one may think, there will always, of course, be space limitations compared to music teachers with their own classrooms. With that said, today I want to share about one of my favorite multi-activity musical items that I permanently keep on my cart and use often throughout the school year...the slide whistle!

At the mention of a slide whistle, one would probably think of using it for vocal and pitch exploration and that’s absolutely true. However, it’s also great for exploring movement and encouraging composition! Here are severn examples of how I like to use the slide whistle in a way that invites students to engage their voices, bodies, and creative minds in my elementary music classes:

1. Students use their voices to echo the slide whistle pattern while also using “conducting fingers” to visually demonstrate the pitch of the sung pattern.
   
2. Students conduct a pattern (tracing it in the air in front of them) for me to copy and play on the slide whistle. This can be done including their voices or just using silent conducting gestures.
   
3. Students visually draw the pattern they heard using a whiteboard, pipe cleaners, or drawing app on a tablet/iPad. Plain old pencil/crayon and paper can work, too...have your students fold the paper in half two times to create 4 boxes on each side for them to draw 8 total patterns.
   
4. Students listen to a pattern, then find and select the correct pattern from a group of 2 or 3 cards placed in front of them. After they pick the correct card, have them trace with their finger and sing it. A fun compositional tweak would be to have students pick 3 cards and put them in the order of their choosing. They can then take turns vocally sharing their "composition" with a partner, small group, or the whole class.
5. Invite students to stand and follow you as you move isolated parts of the body (ex. elbow, toe, eyebrows, pinky finger, hip, lips, knee, etc.) to the pitch of the slide whistle. Vary between slow and sudden gliding sounds, and utilize different ascending and descending patterns to encourage movement.
6. Have students choose which part of the body they want to move. Give them a few seconds to think of what body part they’ll use before listening to the slide whistle pattern, then have them vocally echo as they physically perform the movement with their chosen part of their body.
7. Beginning at one side of the room, after listening to the slide whistle pattern, a student moves across to the other side mimicking the pattern played. This could be done one student at a time or a small group of 2, 3, or 4 at a time. It’s lots of fun mixing up legato, staccato, fast, and slow patterns all to encourage hopping, jumping, skipping, walking, slithering, sliding, twirling and more using direct/indirect and high/low locomotor movements.
   

As you can probably tell, I like to use a variety of patterns from smooth to detached, quick or sustained, ascending, descending and more! I start short and simple (about 2 beats long, using only 1 pattern) and gradually increase to longer and more complex patterns (4-8 beats long, using multiple, connected patterns) as the year goes on. These activities are great opportunities for vocal and movement exploration and allows for performance assessment in a super fun way. These slide whistle activities also make great “5 minute fillers” for situations like when you're waiting for the classroom teacher to return at the end of the period or for when an assembly has eaten up a large chunk of the music period, leaving only a few minutes of class time.

Looking for some fun and unique pattern cards to use?

Check out the "Exploration Cards" resource in the Cart Closet!

And finally, the slide whistle can also serve as a second voice. In the unfortunate times that I've had laryngitis, these various slide whistle activities have really come in handy. Yet even when I’m in good health, they offer a nice vocal pause and a chance for some vocal rest in the midst of a heavy teaching day.

How about you? Have you ever incorporated the slide whistle into your music teaching activities? Have you ever used it for something other than vocal/pitch exploration? Have you ever considered using it for movement activities? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas below!

Encouraging you to rock as you roll,

Teaching and working with children is quite the learning experience! This has been especially true in teaching my students with special needs. As time goes on and I continue working with students in a variety of settings, I’m constantly learning how to adapt and modify my lessons to help with the flow of music class, which in turn provides the best environment for them to learn. These changes often occur on a weekly (and even a daily) basis depending on which students I’m teaching, what time of day their music class is, how their day has gone so far, if they like/dislike the shirt they’re wearing, if they like/dislike the shirt I'm wearing...you get the idea! Lots of factors can influence the success of music class, but I’ve found four consistently helpful strategies that maybe you can also consider if you’re teaching elementary music from a cart in a self-contained or mainstreamed classroom.

It’s a good idea to touch base with the teacher to see what ideas s/he may have for when music time rolls around (Anyone else get that cart joke? Just me? Oh...okay moving on 😆 ). For example, some situations you'd might want to address could be:

• Will students sit in a circle on the floor or would sitting in chairs setup in a line or a semi-circle provide better physical structure and boundaries? 
• How many paraprofessionals or teacher assistants will be present during music time? 

• How will those adults sit in accordance to the students they work with (side-by-side, behind, etc.)? How involved with the students do you want them to be?

Determining the answers to those questions, along with asking the teacher to have the students ready and waiting for when you arrive, helps eliminate a lot of wasted time for your music class. Also, be mindful of what direction your students are facing. Are they facing the teacher’s computer which causes a distraction as the teacher types emails or lesson plans during music class? Are they sitting near or facing an area with lots of toys or books that they may be tempted to pull down or take out during music time? Don’t be afraid to bring up your concerns with the teacher and work together towards a solution.

Teaching from a cart means you have to bring ALL your necessary materials with you for a good chunk of the day or until your next opportunity to switch out instruments or materials. Often, this means that some classes may work with certain instruments that other classes will not. Add the fact that you’ll want to keep your cart in close proximity to where you’re teaching in the room. But think about it...you’ll have quick and easy access for grabbing things, but so will your students!  To help eliminate the chances of snatching fingers and grabbing hands, you may want to consider making your cart items "disappear" by hiding them with:

• A large poster or two→ hung on the side of your cart to cover what's behind it (poster examples can include your class rules, the lesson objectives, an inspirational saying, music quote, etc.)
• A makeshift curtain→ use a large piece of fabric to hang up on your cart with Velcro®, magnets, tape, or if you want to get *really* fancy -> a small tension rod!
• A blanket →simply drape it on top of the instruments you're not using at the moment
  

I’ve had times where one of my students successfully lunged for an item and, to avoid total meltdowns while attempting to get it back, I had to employ a ‘bait and switch’ or distract them and get their attention onto something else. I’m always be amazed at how the smallest hands can have the tightest death grip! Or, instead of the death grip, my instrument gets hurled across the room to unceremoniously crash into the wall or hit an unsuspecting victim. Other times a student might ask me repeatedly when we’re going to use *insert instrument name* over and over and OVER again. There’s nothing wrong with occasionally acquiescing so I'll sometimes allow them to musically experiment with said instrument on the spot (it's a great learning moment), but sometimes when you’re trying to hit certain curricular points (SGO’s/SLO’s anyone?) the constant questions each and every music class will suck up tons of time. But, if it’s covered up and can’t be seen, it eliminates the time spent addressing it. Out of sight, out of mind! 

Speaking of eliminating wasted time, if you want to make the most valuable use of your music class time, it helps to have short, succinct phrases to redirect off task behavior. Whenever possible, I like to boil it down to simple 1- or 2-word phrases. Rather than saying, “Michael, I know you’re excited but you can lower your voice a bit because I’m sitting right here a few inches in front of you,” just say, “Indoor voice.”  Instead of, "Anna, you have to take that out of your mouth," simply say, "No mouth."

Redirecting behavior and giving verbal prompts with as few words as possible is a technique that many special needs teachers incorporate because it clearly and concisely lets the student know what they need to do. Along with that, these short phrases will save you time PLUS save your voice. And while we’re on the topic of saving your voice...

I’m all about using a good visual to get the point across! Having a picture that demonstrates what you want the student to do is great because you can easily point to it or hold it up without saying a word. An example of this in action is when I’m singing melodic echoing patterns with students one at a time, and while I’m using my 'pretend microphone' working with one student, another student might interrupt by trying to take their turn or asking about the most random thing ever. I’ll simply take the Quiet Voice poster and hold it up while continuing to echo with the student I’m working with. Or, if it was an interrupting question, I'll hold up the Raise Your Hand poster as a reminder. No time lost and no vocal explanation needed! The Quiet Voice picture I use is an enlarged up copy of a PCS (Picture Communication Symbol) through BoardMaker software. BoardMaker is quite expensive, but it's a very standard purchase districts make for certified special needs teachers to use in their students' communication charts and visuals around their classrooms. Ask the teacher in your school building and they'll probably be more than happy to help and print out images for you to use since it matches what their students see daily in their programs.

I asked for a bigger copy of the 'quiet' PCS and added the words "Quiet Voice" on top before laminating it. BEST DECISION EVER!  In trying to teach skills such as taking turns, waiting, and listening, the four posters above are easily my most often used posters (for ALL of my classes, really). So think about the key phrases, verbal prompts, or redirects you repeatedly say and ask the special needs teacher at your school if they have a corresponding visual that they use for similar situations in their classroom. Print it. Laminate it. Add magnet strips to the back of it. And use it!  The consistency of visuals is good for your students and your voice will thank you!

How about you? What are some difficulties you face being on a cart in a special needs classroom? What techniques or strategies have you found helpful in your music classes? “Sharing is caring” so leave some valuable jewels of wisdom in the comments below!

Encouraging you to rock as you roll,

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