Tips on how to manage your music classes

1. Manage Your Music Classes – The Beginning
Students
attend
music
class
twice
in
a
six-­‐day
cycle.
Units
of
study
are
thematic
and
are
written
in
the
UbD
format.
Each
year
the
music
schedule
is
a
bit
different.
Part
of
the
management
in
music
is
adjusted
to
the
schedule
each
year.
I
create
a
document
with
the
six-­‐day
cycle
for
planning
lessons,
make
notes,
and
put
important
dates.
It
is
also
used
for
planning
with
my
teammate.
I
use
the
“August
to
August”
calendar
created
for
educators
as
well.
(http://www.mixedroleproductions.com/index.html)
I
keep
my
6
day
cycle
and
important
information
it
this
calendar.
(Telephone
tree,
year
long
calendar,
emergency
plans,
important
school
mobile
numbers,
lists
of
things
I
may
need
to
do.)
I
do
this
by
resizing
these
letter
or
A4
sized
documents
to
70%
to
fit
the
“August
to
August”
calendar.
I
post
my
schedule
in
4
places
in
the
room.
That
way,
if
people
come
in
to
visit,
I
am
easily
reminded
of
my
schedule
and
when
student
are
due
to
arrive.
Also,
in
the
busy
times
of
the
year,
the
posted
schedule
allows
me
to
walk
in
from
other
locations
in
the
school,
glance
at
the
schedule
and
set
up
for
my
next
class
if
needed.
I
post
class
pictures
in
order
of
grade
level.
At
the
beginning
of
the
year
I
put
the
classes
in
order
vertically
on
a
whiteboard
so
I
can
familiarize
myself
with
each
class
before
they
arrive.
This
helps
me
remember
names.
It
also
serves
me
when
I
need
to
write
a
teacher
after
class.
I
teach
approximately
400
students.
I
find
it
difficult
to
remember
all
their
names.
To
assist
me
with
this,
I
photograph
each
class
at
the
beginning
of
the
year.
Class
photos
are
also
helpful
when
I
need
to
communicate
with
parents,
write
SRT’s/IEP’s
or
when
I
have
a
substitute.
Nametags
are
also
made
for
each
student.
The
students
decorate
them
the
first
day
they
come
to
class.
This
helps
me
remember
names
as
well.
We
use
nametags
all
year.
This
is
helpful
if
a
substitute
is
needed
also.
I
prefer
to
sit
in
a
circle
or
facing
the
IWB
instead
of
chairs
so
it
is
necessary
for
me.
I
arrange
the
seating
in
the
classroom
if
needed
for
behavior
modification.
I
also
use
the
nametags
at
times
as
the
students
come
into
class.
I
sing,
they
echo
it
back
to
me
and
I
hand
them
their
nametag.
I
post:
Rules
for
music:
1. Listen
with
your
ears,
eyes,
and
whole
body.
2. Be
responsible
for
all
instruments.
3. Instruments
stay
on
the
floor
until
you
are
asked
to
play
them.
4. Use
appropriate
behavior
for
the
situation.
5. Have
fun!
Two
sets
of
Orff
Rules:
(you
may
use
either
one;
I
use
the
second
group
and
enlarge
them
on
A3
paper.)
1. Walk
around
the
orchestra,
never
over,
never
through.
2. Mallets
stay
on
the
instrument
or
the
floor
until
we
are
ready
to
play.
3. Use
two
hands
to
take
off
and
put
on
bars.
Marcia
R.
Barham
mb2music
marcia.barham@gmail.com
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2.
Orff Orchestra Rules
Orff
Orchestra
Rules
1.When
e ntering
or
e xiting,
2. Walk Around
the
orchestra,
Never
o ver,
Never
t hrough.
3. Respect
and handle instruments with care.
4. Use 2 hands to take off or put on bars
5. Hold the mallets like handle bars on a bicycle.
6. Be ready to play.
Mallets up, Mallets ready,
(mallets on shoulders) (mallets over bars to strike)
7. Play as a team. Watch
and
L isten to each other.
Each
grade
level
has
a
color
code.
Pre-­‐school
is
yellow,
kindergarten
is
red,
G1
is
green,
and
G2
is
blue.
Color-­‐coding
helps
me
in
organization
when
planning
for
each
class.
This
is
a
system
I
developed
and
works
when
dealing
with
several
grade
levels
at
once.
From
sorting
through
music
to
organizing
class
photographs,
to
the
six-­‐day
cycles.
Music
resources
are
filed
according
to
topics
such
as
Orff,
movement,
drumming,
multicultural,
and
partner
songs.
From
these
resources
much
of
the
repertoire
is
chosen
and
developed.
In
May,
my
colleague
and
I
discuss
some
of
the
curriculum
options
for
the
coming
school
year.
We
usually
leave
in
the
summer
with
materials
to
research
and
possibly
create
lessons
for
units
for
the
coming
year.
We
create
a
sequence
for
the
coming
year
to
integrate
as
much
as
possible
with
the
classroom
curriculum.
13
units
are
written
into
the
UbD
(Understanding
by
Design:
http://jaymctighe.com/resources/)
format
and
placed
on
our
website.
These
serve
to
guide
our
teaching
throughout
the
year.
Flipcharts
for
the
IWB
are
created
ahead
of
time
and
notes
are
placed
within
the
charts
so
both
music
teachers
will
be
accountable
for
the
instruction
of
each
unit
as
we
work
in
separate
rooms.
One
of
the
final
products
for
Pre-­‐school-­‐Grade
2
music
instruction
is
a
spring
program.
It
has
been
designed
to
show
the
process
of
the
students’
learning
throughout
the
year.
The
focus
is
not
performance,
but
to
share
knowledge
and
development
from
the
year’s
learning
in
music.
The
classroom
is
set
up
so
that
instruments
remain
in
the
same
place,
especially
in
the
beginning
of
the
year
so
students
will
understand
how
to
care
for
and
move
the
instruments
around.
This
creates
an
environment
where
students
may
become
more
independent
in
their
learning.
Students
learn
how
to
set
up,
play,
and
return
instruments
for
another
class
to
use.
I
also
use
a
long
piece
of
green
electrical
tape
so
students
will
know
where
to
line
up
at
the
end
of
class.
Managing
each
class
looks
differently.
Some
classes
need
little
managing
once
they
learn
the
routines
of
our
30
minutes
together.
Some
classes
require
more.
Some
of
those
management
strategies
may
include:
Marcia
R.
Barham
mb2music
marcia.barham@gmail.com
2
of
3

3.  Placing
nametags
so
certain
children
sit
close
to
me.
 Seating
chart
for
one
or
more
classes.
This
happens
when
there
are
many
students
in
a
class
who
need
to
be
separated
for
various
reasons.
 Putting
rubber
dots
down
to
help
student(s)
stay
in
one
place.
Rainbow® Vinyl Spots from
http://www.gophersport.com
Parents
are
an
integral
part
of
the
of
the
total
music
program.
They
assist
us
at
various
times
throughout
the
year
including
making
nametags
for
every
child
at
the
beginning
of
the
year,
assisting
students/
teachers
for
the
Holiday
Shares
in
December,
coordinating
students
and
assisting
the
music
teachers
during
grade
level
programs
in
February,
March,
and
April.
Parents
help
the
music
program
run
smoothly
during
the
year
and
it
would
be
difficult
to
run
a
music
program
of
the
caliber
we’ve
come
to
expect.
Parents
are
helpful
in
keeping
programs
and
me
organized
during
the
busy
times.
Other
groups
and
individuals
who
play
important
roles
in
managing
the
music
program
are
the
 Operations
&
Maintenance
 Audio/visual
coordinator
 Technology
Coordinator
 Administration
All
performances
are
coordinated
with
O
&
M.
We
send
them
the
plans
for
setting
up
and
those
are
adjusted
as
needed.
The
audio/visual
coordinator
handles
the
P.A.
system,
microphones
and
often
comes
in
by
7am
to
insure
the
sound
system
is
running
smoothly
for
rehearsals
and
performances.
He/she
is
also
responsible
for
making
the
master
DVD
made
available
for
parents.
The
technology
coordinator
videos
performances
and
helps
create
a
master
DVD
as
well.
The
school
secretary
collects
all
forms
and
money
for
the
DVD
sales
and
distributes
DVD’s
to
the
teachers’
boxes
when
they
arrive.
The
CD’s
cost
approximately
two
dollars
each.
Information
to
promote
any
performance
is
included
in
Faculty
Bulletins
and
Monday
Newsletters.
Classroom
teachers
also
support
the
music
program
by
including
information
concerning
programs
in
their
monthly
newsletters.
We
also
use
the
music
blog
to
inform
parents.
The
above
information
serves
as
an
overview
of
who,
what
and
how
we
manage
the
music
program.
Marcia
R.
Barham
mb2music
marcia.barham@gmail.com
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