NORTHLAND MUSIC TEACHER COLLECTIVE

  One of my favorite tools for middle school ensembles is the Speechless Rehearsal. Using classroom incentives and joining students in this challenge is sure to create a productive and fun learning environment for the day! What is a Speechless Rehearsal? During a Speechless Rehearsal, no one is allowed to talk. Not even the teacher! Using the piano, conducting gestures, and prompts on the board, students work through an entire rehearsal with no talking. This eliminates side conversations as well as any extra chatting, and creates an environment where maximum rehearsal efficiency can be achieved! What You Need: -Electronic board (SmartBoard, etc.) - Speechless Rehearsal Slideshow You May Want: Supplemental materials, optional - Listening Activity worksheet - Sight Reading Factory - Practice Assessment (Rhythm) What’s the Goal? -Eliminate surplus talking -Maximize rehearsal efficiency -Increased attention to conducting gesture DOWNLOAD Lesson in PDF Format DOWNLOAD Powerpoint in PDF Form

  I love teaching piano lessons to young beginners. They’re full of excitement and a sense of wonder about learning to play an instrument! We cover so much in the first year of lessons, and a good lesson plan structure is vital to establishing students with healthy piano technique, solid music reading skills, and a developing sense of good tone and musicality, all while cultivating and maintaining the joy of music-making. To do this effectively, I focus on three steps of teaching each concept or skill: prepare, present, and reinforce. In any given lesson, I am getting the student ready for concepts that I will introduce later, presenting other concepts, and reinforcing concepts presented previously. The plan below outlines how I prepare, present, and reinforce the concept of quarter notes and half notes starting in the first lesson and continuing over the course of several weeks.  Concept: Quarter and Half Notes Lesson Prepare Present Reinforce Resources 1 Teach “Engine Number Nine” on

This lesson is great for days where students need to get up and move while still practicing skills in the area of rhythm counting. Creating a variety of ways for students to learn the same content keeps students engaged while practicing and testing for understanding. This lesson will explain two different ways to implement rhythm practice in the beginner band classroom: Rhythm Bingo and Rhythm Four Corners. Rhythm Bingo Materials Needed: Rhythm Bingo by Cheryl Lavender: Level I or II Instrument to perform rhythm (I use a drum so I can count while I play the rhythm). Pencil, marker, or bingo chips for each student Whiteboard/SmartBoard/Writing Surface for all students to see Objective:   Students will be able to identify rhythms based on the rhythm played and/or counted. Lesson plan: Before the lesson Make copies of the bingo cards. Prepare writing utensils or bingo chips to disperse to students. During the lesson Hand out the bingo cards. You can have one per student, have students pa

The use of children's books in the music classroom has long been one of my favorite ways to step into a musical concept. The use of picture books such as this one promotes broadening of students imagine and understanding of how music fits into their world. Over the course of three lessons, the book "I want my Hat Back" by Jon Klassen is used to teach lower elementary students how to hear, play, and notate So, La, & Mi on a musical staff.  Book Title: I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen Grade Level: Musical Concept: 1st Grade So, La, & Mi State Benchmark: I can statements: 3.1.2.2.1 Generate musical ideas using a limited set of rhythms or pitches . 3.1.2.3.1 Choose musical ideas to share using a limited set of rhythms or pitches . I can sing melodies using So, Mi, & La. I can identify and decode melodies using So, Mi, & La. I can create and play patterns on the staff using So, Mi, & La. Lesson Segment # 1 (15-20 minutes) Materials:  I Want M