This post is more of an accountability thing for me, but I though I would share my "School Year Resolutions" for General Music and Chorus. Some are repeat goals, and some are new and there are 10 overall. Feel free to share ideas, etc.
Overall:
1. Music TV- have students present on the morning video announcements once a month. Either a song they have learned with it's background, a spotlight on composers, etc. I did this with ART in my elementary years and it was so fun to have an extra chance to be on the announcements. I remember being Picasso in a skit and others doing a dance to encourage people to go out and vote.
2. Music Newsletter- my school has what they call the "PawPrints" and I hope to add my own page once a month on what is happening in General Music, Chorus, Glee, and Orff including what we have learned, favorite activities, links to websites, and important dates.
3. Blog- Continue to post on the blog with pictures, lesson plans, ideas, and SMARTboard lessons at least twice a week.
General Music:
1. Keep better track of all assessments I do in class. I am great at notating grades when we do paper/pencil, but the numerous mini-assessments I do often are not always documented as well as they could be. I want to keep a class list by my side at all times to mark the points of whatever assessment may be happening. This could be KOOSH rhythms on the smartboard- did they read it correctly or not? Random singing checks- are they in tune, in their headvoice, etc.
2. Stay organized. I showcased my new storage bench in a previous post and I just hope that I continue to use it, as well as type out all of my lessons, etc. I am great at thinking of new ways to organize things, but not always so good at following through after a month.
3. Have a listening lesson in every lesson. I really used to be bad at making sure my students were listening to great music that they may not be exposed to otherwise. I typically had one listening lesson a month. I hope this year to have approximately one song a month, but be sure to listen every week to really get to know those songs. The first week of a song may be listening and noticing the form. The second may be reading the rhythm from the board. Third may be adding movements to show they rhythm as it is played (same goes for melody too). Hopefully I will have another post on great listening lessons later this year.
4. Use the SMARTboard in every grade, in every lesson. I am sure now that the SMARTboard in my room will be staying in my room so I can now make files for all of my songs and melody and rhythm activities. I will only have to make visuals once instead of writing things on the board every day.
5. Connect Music to Art and other core subjects. I specifically said Art because in my district, starting in 4th grade, they go through the major art eras which can easily be connected to Music History. Other subjects are addressed through the song literature that I choose.
Chorus:
1. Be sure to sight-read random melodies and rhythms every class. (Sometimes seemingly random rhythms may actually be part of an unknown portion of the song). I want my students using more solfa when they are learning to do more of them READING than learning by rote. We have two big concerts and a musical so there will be lots of opportunities for this.
2. Stick with my ideas for student jobs. I keep saying I want students to be able to take attendance, roll equipment to the cafeteria or gym, pass out music, etc. but for some reason it never happens. It needs to this year to help me go less crazy!
So anyways, those are my school year resolutions for this year. Hopefully I stick to them, rather than have many fizzle out in a few months (as tends to happen with New Years Resolutions). Have a Great School Year!
