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Test 4 Mrs. Miracle's Music Room

March 22, 2017

Social Media for Music Teachers

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The way that social media is used has changed tremendously over the last few years. In the past, I used social media as a way to simply catch up on the lives of friends, follow celebrities, or look at pretty pictures. Although I still do those things, I'm now using social media as a form of professional development. In this blog post, I'll detail how to use social media to learn from other music teachers, gather ideas, and even learn new songs! Pinterest When I first happened upon Pinterest, I found tons of pins about home decor and women's fashion, and I wasn't all that interes…

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March 09, 2017

Melodic Intervention 101

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This past week, with my second graders, I have been doing centers to practice sol, la, mi, and do. Typically when I do centers (which you can read more about here ), I choose the groups and tell students when to rotate. Last week, though, I've let the students choose which group to go to and when to switch, and I have LOVED the results. It feels so student-centered, and the students take so much ownership in their learning and their choices! Today, I'm blogging about the set-up, the six centers, and how I provided intervention for those struggling melodically. Keep reading until the end…

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February 28, 2017

Helping all students feel welcome, part 2

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In my last blog post , I discussed how there will always be students who, for one reason or another, might not feel welcome in our classrooms, but that we as music educators can ensure that students feel more welcome and accepted. In today's post, I'm discussing more ways that students can be made to feel welcome: through songs with a message, and through children's literature. Singing songs with a great message If you can find a song that truly has a great message, go for it! Students will really connect to meaningful lyrics, especially students who are feeling fearful and uncertain.…

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February 02, 2017

Helping all students feel welcome, part 1

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There will always be students who, for one reason or another, might not feel welcome in our classrooms, perhaps because of something happening at home, or because of some of the students in the class, or because of something we as teachers are or are not doing. In our current world, though, there are more reasons for students to not feel welcome. Some students in our classrooms may be worrying about their families, their friends, and their futures. Regardless of political affiliation, it is really important as educators that we make ALL students feel welcome in our classroom. As music teachers,…

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January 18, 2017

Three favorite folk dances

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With the start of the new year, many of us are thinking about being more healthy and getting more exercise. As music teachers, we are very lucky that we aren't sitting behind a desk all day and can get up and dance with our students! Below are three of my all-time favorite folk dances, as well as three of my favorite folk dance resources. These dances are GREAT for getting exercise, working with a partner, understanding dance formations, keeping in time with music, and so much more! "Highway No. 1" by the Shenanigans This is one of my absolute favorites! You can buy the track on i…

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January 08, 2017

Choosing repertoire for your choir

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This past week, I sat down to choose my choir's repertoire for the spring. I got to thinking about the variety I wanted for the program, and what makes a great selection, so I decided to write with some thoughts that might help you as you choose your choir's repertoire! A little background: as I wrote about in this post , I have a choir of about 80 or so students in third, fourth, and fifth grade. I see them once a week, for 35 minutes, and we have two concerts at school each year, as well as community events as those arise. I was a trumpet player all through school, and before my Kodaly…

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December 20, 2016

Choir Songs for Christmas

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This past week, my choir performed their holiday concert, and it got me thinking about my favorite songs for this time of year, as well as songs I'd like to perform next year. Today, I'm teaming up with my friend Amy Abbott at Music a la Abbott to blog about our favorite Christmas choir songs as well as ones we'd like to do for next year! A couple notes: My choir consists of third, fourth, and fifth graders. Many of these pieces could also work for middle school. Many of the titles are linked to the octavos on JW Pepper or other sites; simply click to view! #1: Christmas is coming This…

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December 16, 2016

Holiday gift guide for music teachers

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Are you looking for gift ideas for a loved one who is a music teacher? Or are you a music teacher trying to find gift ideas to give your family? I'm teaming up with my friend Amy Abbott , to blog about great gift ideas for any music teacher! Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Echo Dot I was super excited when my husband bought me the Echo for my birthday in late November. I hadn't asked for it and didn't even know what it was, but now, I'm hooked! The idea of the Echo is that you can play music wirelessly just by asking. It will play genres of musi…

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December 08, 2016

Five easy (and free!) sub plans for the music classroom

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We've all heard the adage, "It's easier to come to school sick than to write sub plans." Many of you, like me, have spent hours upon hours working just on one day of sub plans, so it IS often easier to come to school sick than worry about it. A few years ago, though, I finally got my sub tub in order (read more about my sub tub here ), and figuring out sub plans began taking 10 minutes instead of 2 hours! Since then, I've become passionate about figuring out ideas that would have students making music, have subs feel comfortable teaching, and allow me to not spend tons of …

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