Music Teacher Coffee Talk

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #205: Long-Range Plans Main Theme: Long-Range Plans Tips for creating Long-Range/Yearly Plans: Start with one grade level Determine how many times/classes you will have them this school year Plug in concert dates and preparation lessons for performances Avoid presenting new material at “distracted” times (weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, for example) Determine PRESENT dates/classes Work backwards from present times for presentation lessons Add in holiday and seasonal considerations (ie: tika-tika is great in the fall) Yearly Plan Templates: Vertical Yearly Plan Template Horizontal Yearly Plan  Template Other MTCT Back to School episodes: #184: Desert Island Music Room Essentials #159: Starting the School Year: Put First Things First #139: Back to School: Tried and True vs. Mixing It Up #118: Setting Students Up for Success in the Music Room #117: Setting Up the Music Room Know Better, Do Better Carrie reminds us that The OAKE Upstander R...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #193-New Year, Same You, New Plans! Main Theme: New Year, Same You, New Plans! Things we mention in this episode: Episode #191: Live from the OAKE Western Division Mini-Conference Know Better, Do Better Tanya talks about the  history of Jingle Bells.   Work Smarter, Not Harder Carrie talks us through a new Google Slides option to record directly into your slides. Coda Carrie recommends the movie  Kill Bill   Tanya recommends the Apple TV show  Pluribus Did you enjoy this episode?  Consider buying us a coffee to thank us for our work.  Monthly Memberships are also available! Click the button below!

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #184: Desert Island Music Room Essentials   Main Theme: Desert Island Music Room Essentials It's back to school time! In this episode, Tanya and Carrie share some of their essential materials in the music room, both tried and true stuff and things that are new to us that we are planning to incorporate this year. Materials and Manipulatives: Popsicle sticks and beat charts Puppets, preferably with moveable mouths or a "pop-out" feature Recorder stands: both soprano stand and consort stand Whiteboards, staff boards, and noteheads (mini erasers, bingo chips, etc) Parachute and stretchy band Related resource: Parachutes and Ribbons and Scarves, Oh My! Storybooks and picture books Curriculum Materials: Susan Brumfield's First We Sing series , including pedagogy books and songbooks Our own folk song collection and curriculum materials as developed in Kodály certification courses, workshops, and conferences World music song collections: Fi...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #160: Peek at Our Week: Kindergarten   Main Theme: Peek at our Week - Kindergarten plans Tanya: These songs and activities were used over two 45-minute lessons with a focus on practicing routines and procedures, preparing loud and soft, preparing the 4 voices, and having fun! That's a Mighty Pretty Motion - movement When Dogs Wake Up - vocal exploration Hickety Pickety Bumblebee - name game Hickety, Pickety, Bumblebee Won’t you say your name for me?  (child says his or her name) Bye Low, Baby-Oh and Here's a Little Baby finger play - preparing loud and soft Grizzly Bear - preparing loud and soft Cuckoo - singing voice Very Lonely Firefly   and Firefly - picture book and listening Johnny Works with One Hammer - steady beat movement Come Along Everybody - following movement Listen, Listen Here I Come - Playing drums Peanut Butter and Jelly - picture book and preparing 4 voices Carrie: These songs and activities were used over 3 days of ...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #159: Starting the School Year: Putting First Things First Announcements and Upcoming Events: We have an article published in the Summer 2024 OAKE Envoy titled "2024 OAKE Conference Reflection: How OAKE is Evolving and Changing." You can check out the Envoy here . All articles and past editions are available for OAKE members. There is one free article in each issue available for non-members. Upcoming workshop: Northern California Association of Kodály Educators (NCAKE) Saturday, August 17, 2024 9:00-1:00 pm Burlingame United Methodist Church In-person, Zoom, and Recording options available! Register here! Main Theme: Starting the School Year: Putting First Things First As we head back into the school year, we are considering Habit #3 from the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey . Habit #3 is to "Put first things first." We are considering our "big rocks," or priorities, and making sure to put the most tim...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #139: Back to School: Tried and True vs. Mixing It Up Upcoming Events: Carrie will be presenting for the Utah Fellowship of Local Kodály Specialists (UFOLKS) on 8/19/23 from 9:00-3:00 in American Fork, Utah. Find info and registration here! Carrie will be presenting for the Sierra Nevada Association of Kodály Educators (SNAKE) on 9/9/33 from 9:00-12:00 in Sparks, NV. Find info and registration here! Main Theme: Back to School! Tried and True vs. Mixing It Up Tanya and Carrie are headed back to school! In this episode we talk about our favorite tried and true back-to-school plans and activities and some of the ideas and things we are doing to mix it up and try something new. Things we mention in this episode: Past Music Teacher Coffee Talk episodes about Back to School: #117: Setting Up the Music Room #118: Setting Students Up for Success #45: Back to School Planning for the Year #46: Planning For the First Weeks of School #47: Building Relationships #2...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #118: Setting Students Up for Success in the Music Room Main Theme: Setting Students up for Success in the Music Room In this episode, Carrie and Tanya talk about setting students up for success in the music room through routines and procedures that are explicitly taught and practiced through musical activities. Consider routines and procedures for the following: Assigned seats Making a circle Finding a movement partner Instruments - passing out and putting away Instrument rest position Attention signal Bathroom/drink signal Question signal Turn and talk partners Lining up/line leaders Consider creating a check list where you can keep track of your procedures and process in which you will teach them. Here's a copy of ours that you can edit and use for your own classroom. Know Better, Do Better Tanya reminded us of the importance of using culturally inclusive picture books and songs in your classroom, even if your student population is predominantly...

Music Teacher Coffee Talk · MTCT #117: Setting Up the Music Room   Main Theme: Setting Up the Music Room Things to consider: Student seating Will you use chairs, risers, spots on the floor, flexible seating, or any combination of those? Carrie is using these Sit Spots on the carpet. Tanya created laminated spots on her hard tiled floor. Will you have assigned seats? Instrument and materials Create zones for different types of materials (ie: instruments in one area, manipulatives in another, books in another) Where will you store large items like tubanos and bass bars if you don't have large closets or cabinets? Carrie created a nook behind the piano for those items. How will you categorize bins of non-pitched percussion? Label everything so you can find things quickly! This is also helpful for guest teachers coming into your room so they can find the things you refer to in your plans. Consider long-term storage for lesser used items (ie: seasonal things or props/costumes for pro...