Teaching Notes, 20091019

We're back! This year, I had hoped to teach at Nesbit where my son would eventually attend, but MFM and Nesbit couldn't complete the arrangement, and so I returned to Montclaire. This year, I was assigned to two 2nd grade classes, which mean that I have the opportunity to teach some of the same students that I had last year.

For this first class, I wanted to spend some time learning some of the students' name, but I also wanted to cover as much Halloween material as I could, as next Monday there is no class as a result of a teacher training day (and therefore no school).

I closed the class with "Goodbye, Everybody", and I had the second class put their mats away. However, the second class teacher wanted the students to exit through the back door (instead of through the GLC), and so there was a bit of a traffic problem. I'll likely have to do something different for each class' end.

Hello, Everybody	Use as an entrance song.
I wasn't planning on using this song, but the 2nd class teacher had all of the students line up outside the door before letting any of the students in; this provided a natural opportunity to lead the students in in song, and I plan on taking advantage of that pattern in the future. I ended up just singing the song while marching the children in a circle, and some followed along just fine. I didn't use the song in the first class, as the students sprayed into the class all at once.
Name Clapping	Have each student say their name, and then have the whole class repeat the naming, clapping at each syllable.
I used this as a way to learn names (and hear how the students pronounced them). However, during the following class, I intend on writing out names and their Kodaly rhythms on the board as a way of introducing written rhythms.
Seasons (Hey Ho...)	Teach quickly by echo.
This was more of a warmup song, although I spent longer than I had hoped teaching the song. I intend on using this tune a few different times - for two weeks at the start of each season (different lyrics!) as well as doing some variations on it, such as doing rounds.
Five Little Pumpkins	Teach by echo/rote, emphasize signs.
A number of students knew this song (it wasn't from me!), and so I was able to cover this song faster than others. I did try to show the signs for 1,2,3,4,5, and also gestures for late, etc. The students seemed to understand the signs quickly. I also covered ASL "3" for a bit, since that's always new to some students.
Five Little Pumpkins	Teach by echo/rote, emphasize signs.
A number of students knew this song (it wasn't from me!), and so I was able to cover this song faster than others. I did try to show the signs for 1,2,3,4,5, and also gestures for late, etc. The students seemed to understand the signs quickly. I also covered ASL "3" for a bit, since that's always new to some students.
Ghost Chant	Teach the chant, work on dynamics.
I used the fact that Halloween is supposed to be scary as a way to introduce this exercise. Before teaching the chant, I also sang a ghost howl, which was nothing more than the "oooooo" from "Ghost of Tom", which I was going to cover later. The chant, is pretty simple: ghost so scary ghost so white don't scare _____ on Halloween night! I substituted various student names in there. The first few times, we whispered and crept slightly to the middle of the circle, but that wasn't very scary. So, when it was time to say a student's name, I had them shout (moderately) the name, and students obliged by shouting at the student. Maybe that was a little shocking for some, but most seemed to enjoy it. One student, when it was clear I was about to use her name, quickly asked not to be chosen, so I quickly skipped her. I tried to emphasize the changing dynamics, and how it was so important to be quiet for the last line even though we shouted the name.
Stirring Our Brew	Teach the song standing, with arm motion, and then add a loud "boo!". Then, march during the tiptoeing. Then, have students say "boo" only on command.
Singing the song, even with moving around an imaginary spoon in a cauldron wasn't terribly interesting to a lot of students, even with a different "oooooo" in the song. Adding the tiptoeing made things a little more fun, but the captivating part was having the students watch me for a signal for "boo". The first class was able to watch me successfully only after two tries. The second class took about 6 tries before they all consistently waited for me before shouting "boo!". I had hoped to use instruments for the song, but I never got around to it, as I was running out of time.
Halloween Surprise	Teach the song, also with motions.
This song was probably too easy for the students, although it was a nice quieter change from the commotion caused by the "boo!" from Stirring. I pretended to hug a big fat pumpkin, asked the students to guess what I was doing, and then proceeded to sing the song. While this was picked up quickly, the students still seemed to have fun.
Ghost of Tom	Immerse the students right into the song, and then immediately change the name. Introduce staccato with the last line of the song.
I only had time to do this with the first class (a change from last year), which in hindsight was too bad, since the first class probably enjoyed this more than the last song (below). Having sung "ooooooooo" earlier made this really easy to teach. I did try to get the students to sing the last line very short, and I had them notice the texture difference between that line and the 2nd line (legato).
Jingle Bells Halloween style	Sing the song once through, then teach by rote.
The song had the following lyrics: dashing through the streets in costumes bright as day to each house we go laughing all the way halloween is here making sprits bright what fun it is to come and sing our scary songs tonight oh, trick or treat, trick or treat, trick or treat we say try to get the treats before the ghosts take us away! trick or treat, trick or treat, trick or treat we say if you don't have treat for us we'll never go away! The students had fun, but there wasn't a lot of time for them to learn the song all that well, and by the time I hit the chorus, my voice was really starting to crack.