The beginning of the school year is such an exciting time for me. August rolls around, and as comfortable as I am with my relaxed summer schedule, I get pumped about starting a new school year. I thrive with new students, schedules, and programs. I get enthused about planning new lessons and activities for my students. I usually hit the ground running with each grade level, making music, singing songs, and playing instruments. We are mastering all those music standards.
By Thanksgiving, reality sets in, and I start to recognize the challenges I will face for the remainder of the school year. Come December, I am just surviving until winter break. My New Year’s resolutions might get me focused on my students again, but I quickly begin to feel the winter doldrums setting in. Our counselors and health care professionals often remind us that this temporary feeling of lethargy and melancholy is the result of shorter days disrupting our circadian rhythms. Either way, I struggle to keep things engaging for all students in my classroom as I feel the school year slow to a snail’s pace.
This year was particularly gloomy with the cancellation of our annual conference. Every year, I look forward to the conference. I enjoy seeing old colleagues, meeting new friends, and hearing all the amazing concerts. I don’t know about you, but I need this time every year. I find it essential to my professional growth and to my ability to “make it” through the rest of the school year. I need fresh, new ideas and lesson plans. I need new songs and inspiration to get my brain back in creative mode.
How are we going to “make it” this year without our conference? Rest assured, your elementary/general board members are hard at work developing some upcoming professional development opportunities for us all. Stay tuned for more information, and start planning now for next year’s conference. In the meantime, I asked a few of our elementary division board members to share some of their favorite music lessons based on children’s literature. I hope we can inspire you with a little something to bring your classroom out of the winter doldrums.
One of my favorite children’s books is Mortimer by Robert Munsch. It is the story of a young boy who resists the attempts of his parents, siblings, and even the police to put him to bed by singing a song. I use the book to teach first grade-students high and low on Orff instruments. In the book, as each person (or group of people) goes upstairs or downstairs to scold Mortimer, we hear Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, and students play going upstairs or downstairs or their instruments. Students also enjoy banging a drum when someone shuts the door, and they love repeating “Mortimer, be quiet,” in different voices. We sing Mortimer’s song together throughout the book. I composed a tune for Mortimer’s song on mi, sol, la. You could compose your tune using any pitches or rhythms you need to teach your students. This book is fun for all grade levels and can be used to teach many different music standards.
From Melissa McIntyre, Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park:
