Afternoon Ti is a podcast for music educators. You'll hear about music education approaches, teacher lifestyle and find classroom ideas to make your teaching life better.
Want to get your students speaking, playing, and learning on day one? Here's the perfect piece to use with your older elementary students. Learn a new speech piece that allows students to review/learn class expectations and procedures while making music. Head to TpT to get the Welcome Back to School Resource HERE! Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
We are just past the halfway point of 2024! It's a great time to review how you're goals are going. In today's episode, we'll look at three areas: Long term goals Short term goals Task oriented goals You'll hear how I'm doing on a few of mine and gain a few ideas for continuing to go after yours. Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
I recently attended the AMLE Institute in San Diego, CA and am excited to share some insights from my experience as well introduce you to AMLE, if you've never heard of it before! Hear an overview of the Institute and takeaways from homebase and different sessions I attended. Head to Instagram and follow me @howtoteachmusicwithjessica! I'd love to connect with you! LINKS Association of Middle Level Educators (AMLE) Website The Successful Middle School: This We Believe Book The Successful Middle School pdf The Science of Mastering Life's Challenges book Untangled book
We're continuing the series for arrangements inspired by pop music for the classroom. The Pirates of the Caribbean Theme is a great piece in 12/8 that is so much fun to play and a great opportunity for students to explore intervals of thirds in the chorus! Get your free Google Slides and full arrangement of the piece HERE! You'll be prompted to make a copy. For other barred instrument arrangements, listen in to: E289-Paint It Black E290 - Look what you made me do E291 - Down Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica!
Learn a fun xylophone arrangement to use with your students that focuses on a verse/chorus form and movement activity with the song Down performed by Marian Hill. Get the free Google Slides presentation at https://www.jessicagrant.org/shop/p/down-by-marian-hill-xylophone-arrangement and click on the shop. Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
The first single from Taylor Swift's Reputation album is a fantastic way to teach musical form and provide opportunities for students to compose original melodies. Particularly with aaab form! Listen in to hear how I have used this piece with my students to learn melodies on the xylophones and get your free resource at my shop at www.jessicagrant.org. Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
The first arrangement of our series: Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones! I share the inspiration behind this arrangement, steps for teaching the piece to students, ideas for form, and how to expand on the original theme with rhythmic variations. The arrangement is written for xylophones. Get the free arrangement HERE at www.jessicagrant.org. Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica.
Using pop music in your music classroom can be so much fun! Students love learning something they know or have heard before, playing music that they listen to at home, and performing songs for an audience who also knows the music. For the next several episodes I'll be sharing pop song arrangements that I've created and used with my students for xylophone ensembles, but before we get to the actual arrangements I thought I'd share some tips for how you can find and create pop song arrangements to use in your classroom. What to look for, how to determine if a song would be a good fit for an arrangement for xylophones, and things to think about as you arrange pieces. Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Teachers Pay Teachers Store Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Now that we're a few weeks into the new year, you might be feeling the Sunday Scaries…again. Here is how I've worked through - and continue to work through - my Sunday Scaries. Lazy Genius Article Headspace Article Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
January is a great time for a reset of classroom procedures. Here are five procedures to review that will help re-establish expectations and set a positive start for 2024 in your classroom. Pay close attention to number five - it's likely the most important one that will make a difference. Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica or head to my website at www.jessicagrant.org to access teacher materials and join my mailing list!
It's the fifth annual goal review and goal setting episode! And the first episode of season 16. Listen in to hear how my goals went for 2023, gain ideas for how to get your goals, and listen in for what's in the works for 2024. Head to my website at www.jessicagrant.org for more teacher content or follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica. Happy New Year!
Looking for gifts for music teacher friends, colleagues, family, or even yourself? Listen in for some gift giving ideas this holiday season! Music Teacher Ideas: F-Flat Books Gift Card Musically Minted Chad Lawson Piano Sheet Music Jessica Grant Shop - use code DECEMBER25 for 25% through December 26 Other Gift Ideas: Michael Storrings Puzzles Magnolia Table Cookbooks JCrew Factory Crewneck Sweater Kendra Scott Earrings The James Method Verse Mapping Journal Follow Jessica on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
If you're wanting to incorporate centers into your music room, Becca Davis is the perfect person to talk to! She's here to share how she prepares students for centers, the four expectations she has for students during centers, some great ideas for setting up centers, and she shares a few favorite center ideas you can use! Be sure to check out her centers freebie in the show notes! Let's talk centers with Becca! Meet Becca: Becca Davis is an elementary music teacher in Savannah, GA. She has a Bachelors from Armstrong State University and has been teaching elementary school ever since. In addition, Becca conducts a 4-5 grade choir in partnership with the Coastal Youth Choirs and sings in a group called iCantori. She loves to help other music teachers engage their students and simplify their lives by providing content and resources to music teachers via her blog, Teachers Pay Teachers store, and her courses. Links: Instagram: @beccasmusicroom Website: https://beccasmusicroom.com/ Teachers Pay Teachers: Becca's Music Room Book: Happier Teacher Life on Amazon Blog Post about Centers Centers Freebie
Social-Emotional Learning, or SEL, is a topic that has been discussed in educator circles more frequently in the past several years. So what exactly is it? How can we teach SEL skills through music learning and musical listening? And what are some lesson ideas that we can incorporate into our classrooms that infuse SEL? Alessandra from Teach from the Stage is here to talk about all of those things with us! Be sure to check out her website at teachfromthestage.com and follow her on Instagram @teachfromthestage. Alessandra's Bio: Alessandra is a Kindergarten-Grade 8 Teacher of the Arts, based in Toronto, Canada. She graduated with a Bachelors of Music Therapy and a Masters in Child Study & Education. She is a huge advocate for the arts, and continuously strives to offer students rich musical experiences where they are at the centre of their learning. Through @teachfromthestage, she offers tons of lesson ideas, teaching tips, and music class activities to help other teachers engage their students in meaningful learning opportunities. Social Media Links: Website: teachfromthestage.com Instagram: @teachfromthestage TikTok: @teachfromthestage
When I first started teaching middle school general music, I had no idea about how to incorporate peer leadership into my music classroom. I was comfortable with group work, centers, and whole group teaching, but didn't know quite how to teach students how to teach each other. A huge thanks to music educator Chris Judah-Lauder for her guidance, patience, and wisdom in helping me learn the importance of student leadership and teaching me how to use peer teaching in the classroom. I can't do this episode without acknowledging what I learned from her in this area because I wouldn't have known where to begin or how to do it without her! I'll refer to this as both peer leadership and peer teaching throughout the episode. I realize these terms can refer to different things, but in today's episode, they're going to refer to the same idea: that of guiding one student in your room to helping or working with another student in the room. Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
The songs I'll be sharing today are perfect to use with your upper elementary classes or choir, especially if you're working on helping students learn how to sing in 2-parts. The pieces be great for a fall concert, to sing in class around Halloween or to use within a specific program related to a theme such as animals (The Bat) or literature (Edgar Allen Poe and William Shakespeare). I'd love to know if you've used any of these pieces with your students or if there's one that stands out that you want to do with your students! I'll talk about each piece and share musical elements that stand out as well as activities, warm-ups, and games you could incorporate. You can find the links to each piece in the show notes or on my website in the podcast section. Double Double Toil and Trouble by Leeann Ashby Starkey Some One by Christi Cary Miller Someone Came Knocking by Cynthia Gray The Bat by Andy Beck A Dark and Stormy Night (Ode to Edgar Allen Poe) by Mark Burrows Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
We've all been there. You plan the lesson. You prep the materials. On paper everything looks great. Class arrives and you're ready to go, but it doesn't go the way you planned. The question isn't what to do if classes like this happen, but what to do when they do happen! Because at some point they will. I'm going to share a few ideas for what to do before class starts, what to do when you're in the moment and what to do after a class doesn't go the way you planned. Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica. Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Last week in episode 276, I talked about how we can identify and support students who demonstrate exceptional musicianship and need a push beyond the standard Today we're looking at how to identify and support students who are struggling in areas of musical concepts or performance of musical skills. I'll talk through some common areas of struggle that I've seen in my students over the years. Then discuss ideas for how we can help them gain confidence and improve their musical skills to build stronger personal musicianship. Follow Jessica on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica. Website: www.jessicagrant.org
How do you support students who are excelling in your music classroom? How can you provide opportunities for leadership, skill development, and musical opportunities outside the classroom? You'll hear five ideas for nurturing the musical growth of students who love music and excel as musicians. Follow Jessica on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
One of the things I'm continuing to learn is that I'm getting older - I'm in my mid 40's. 45 to be exact. And that means I'm in midlife. Who knew?! I've been spending time learning about midlife and how little there really is that is shared with us through resources or conversations. If you're a female teacher in midlife, this is the episode for you! If you're not, join in the fun of listening and learning anyway! You're going to LOVE the insights and thoughts from my three guests: Jamie, Lucy, and Avery. If you missed the first part of this series, I highly recommend starting with episode 274 and getting the foundation about our discussion. Plus there is so much great content in my talk with guests Jamie, Lucy, and Avery in that episode that you won't want to miss! Jamie, Lucy, and Avery return today for the second part of our conversation about midlife, teaching, burnout, and boundaries. Meet Jamie, Lucy, and Avery: Jamie, Lucy, and Avery are three women in their 40's, all with PhDs in Clinical Psychology, and each with over a decade of experience working in private practice. They are hosts of a fun and informative podcast, Inspiration from the Couch, which covers a wide array of mental health topics. They founded the Badass Rebellion, a movement to help extraordinary women celebrate and savor a badass midlife. The Badass community ignites a rebellion against the story of the “midlife crisis,” replacing this outdated trope with reckoning, reclaiming, and celebrating during women's midlife years. Social Media Links: Website - https://badassrebellion.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/badassrebellion/ https://www.instagram.com/inspirationfromthecouch/
One of the things I'm continuing to learn is that I'm getting older - I'm in my mid 40's. 45 to be exact. And that means I'm in midlife. Who knew?! I've been spending time learning about midlife and how little there really is that is shared with us through resources or conversations. If you're a female teacher in midlife, this is the episode for you! If you're not, join in the fun of listening and learning anyway! You're going to LOVE the insights and thoughts from my three guests: Jamie, Lucy, and Avery. Today they're sharing ideas about what it means to be in midlife. What is midlife? And how does it relate to us as teachers? Topics discussed include defining midlife, how to tune in to yourself, dealing with burnout, and setting boundaries. Meet Jamie, Lucy, and Avery: Jamie, Lucy, and Avery are three women in their 40's, all with PhDs in Clinical Psychology, and each with over a decade of experience working in private practice. They are hosts of a fun and informative podcast, Inspiration from the Couch, which covers a wide array of mental health topics. They founded the Badass Rebellion, a movement to help extraordinary women celebrate and savor a badass midlife. The Badass community ignites a rebellion against the story of the “midlife crisis,” replacing this outdated trope with reckoning, reclaiming, and celebrating during women's midlife years. Social Media Links: Website - https://badassrebellion.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/badassrebellion/ https://www.instagram.com/inspirationfromthecouch/
The first day of fall is in just a few days on September 23 and what a more perfect lesson activity to use in your classroom than Vivaldi's Autumn from The Four Seasons. In today's episode, you'll hear about five ways that you can use the first movement of Vivaldi's Autumn for a variety of student lessons. Head to my website www.jessicagrant.org to find lesson materials in my shop from today's podcast! Follow Jessica on Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Video Links Meet Vivaldi Short Bio of Vivaldi TEDx with Betsy Schwarm
As educators, we love sharing musicians, artists, and composers with our students. Listening to their music inspires us to create, move, and engage in music making and composing ourselves. Today I'm talking with Emi Ferguson about the book Iconic Composers that she wrote with Nicolas Csicsko. The illustrations by David Lee Csicsko are incredible! Emi and I discuss the project, how this book can be used inside and outside of the classroom, and thoughts on being creative and composing as well as the importance of guiding students in composition opportunities. Follow Emi on Instagram: @emiferguson Emi's Website: www.emiferguson.com Meet Emi Ferguson Emi is very proud to be named a 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant awardee, and can be heard live in concerts and festivals around the world as a soloist and with groups including AMOC*, the New York New Music Ensemble, the Handel and Haydn Society, and the Manhattan Chamber Players. She has spoken and performed at several TEDX events and has been featured on media outlets including The Discovery Channel, Vox's "Explained" series on Netflix, Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Juilliard Digital's TouchPress apps talking about how music relates to our world today. A passionate chamber musician of works new and old, Emi has been a featured performer at the Marlboro, Lucerne, Ojai, Lake Champlain, Bach Virtuosi, and June in Buffalo festivals and has premiered works by many of today's leading composers, working most recently with composers Michael Hersch, Roscoe Mitchell, Emily Koh, Gabriela Ortiz, and Georgina Derbez. Follow Jessica on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Jessica's Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Whether you find yourself in a new situation or at the same school in a new school year, my conversation with Adrian Gordon will give you some great ideas for how to transition, build, and thrive. Adrian shares thoughts from his book “Note to Self: A Music Director's Guide to Transitioning to a New School and Building a Thriving Music Program.” Follow Adrian on Instagram: @apgordonmusic Purchase Adrian's Book 'Note to Self' HERE Adrian's YouTube Channel Adrian's Website Adrian Gordon Bio Adrian Gordon is an active performer, composer, and music educator living in Charlotte, NC. His colorful compositions are captivating for musicians of all ages from very easy to advanced levels. Over the years Gordon has written several acclaimed works for string orchestra such as "Apocalypse" and "Song of the Ocean Winds" to name a few. Adrian takes pride in creating music that is fun and pedagogically sound at all levels. Mr. Gordon currently serves as the orchestra director at Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC. He received his B.A. in music from the University of Miami, and his Masters degree in Music Education at Florida International University. In addition to teaching, Mr. Gordon is a composer with Alfred Music Publishing and the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing, which publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. Mr. Gordon's compositions appear on the California, Florida, Texas, Maryland, and Georgia Orchestra Association Music Performance Assessment Lists. His compositions are distributed through JW Pepper and have been performed throughout the world. Adrian resides in Charlotte with his wife Kelly and their two sons. Follow Jessica on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
I often see people post questions in Facebook groups and music teacher chats that ask: Where can I go for professional development? What are sessions I can do on my own time virtually? How can I access quality content that can be applied to my classroom? So glad you asked! Jessica Peresta is here to talk about an amazing professional development platform called LEARN! You'll hear how Jessica collaborated with Dr. Sarah Gulish, co-founder of F-Flat Books, to create LEARN, a professional development sessions for music educators and content creators. F-Flat LEARN Platform Website Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Clint Hardy, Middle School Choral Director in Keller, TX, is here to share several great ideas for teaching expectations and sharing information, activities to help you learn about your students, helping students get to know each other, and teaching us a fun music game involving rhythms. These are fabulous ideas to use at the start of the year or integrate at other times as well. Instagram - @choirwithclint Twitter - @tsms.choirs Podcast - The Choir Chronicles Facebook Group: The Choir Chronicles Teachers Pay Teachers - Choir with Clint Facebook Group: Choir with Clint Meet Clint: Clinton Ray Hardy is in his fifteenth year of directing choral music, and is the head choral director at Trinity Springs Middle School in Keller ISD. He received his Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Texas Christian University and earned his Master's degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas. At Trinity Springs, Mr. Hardy directs seven choirs and serves as the head of the fine arts department. His choirs consistently have earned Sweepstakes awards for superior ratings at the yearly University Interscholastic League Concert and Sight-Reading Contest. Mr. Hardy's Varsity Treble Choir was invited to perform at this past year's 2023 Texas Music Educators Association Convention. Previous to this, his Varsity Treble Choir performed at the 2022 Southwestern American Choral Directors Association Convention, his Varsity Tenor-Bass Choir performed at the 2021 National American Choral Directors Association Convention. In addition, his Varsity Treble Choir performed at the 2019 Texas Music Educators Association Convention and in 2018 his Varsity Treble Choir performed at the MS/JH National Cambiata Institute Convention. The Keller Honor Choir, under the co-direction of Clinton Hardy, performed in the elementary division for the 2017 Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and in 2014 his Varsity Tenor-Bass Choir was invited to perform at the MS/JH National Cambiata Institute Convention. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Mr. Hardy currently serves as the National ACDA JH/MS R&R Chair. He also currently serves as the TMEA Region 30 MS/JH Secretary. Mr. Hardy is frequently requested to be a clinician/conductor for All-City, All-Region, and All-State Choirs. He is an adjudicator for UIL Concert and Sight-Reading contests throughout the state and is a judge for Solo and Ensemble contests in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Choral Directors Association, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Texas Music Adjudicators Association. He is proud to have had 120 students selected for the TCDA All-State Choir and 663 Middle School All-Region Choir members selected during his thirteen years of teaching. Mr. Hardy has been named Teacher of the Year three times in teaching career. The first happened in 2013-2014 for Linda Jobe Middle School in Mansfield ISD, and the second and third were at Trinity Springs MS for the 2016-2017 and the 2020-2021 school years. In 2014 he was awarded the TCDA Young Director of Distinction Award. He strives to first teach his students how to be the best humans possible and then to be excellent musicians. Jessica's Links: Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
As we head into the school year, I thought I'd share some of the things I wish I'd known when I was starting my first year as a music teacher. These are ideas that many of us may need, even if it's not our first year. Want some help getting started in your first year? Pick up a copy of 'The Afternoon Ti Guide to Teaching Music.' Tons of practical ideas and strategies to help you as you start your first year or any year after! Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
It's Book Release Week! I can't wait to share a project that's been years in the making. My illustrated children's book called William's Song is being released on August 11, 2023 with F-Flat Books. Follow Anna Betts, the illustrator, on Instagram at @anna_betts_art. Her work is gorgeous! In today's episode you'll hear the story behind the book, listen to the poem, and hear ideas for how you can use the book in your classroom. You can find the book and teacher guide on Amazon and F-Flat Books! Grab your Amazon paperback copy and teacher guide HERE. Available now! Grab your F-Flat Interactive Book and Teacher Guide pdf HERE (beginning August 11, 2023) Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica to learn more! Website: www.jessicagrant.org
It's Back-to-School and I'm helping you get ideas for teacher planners, life planners, digital resources, and planner accessories with guest Danny McKay! Danny McKay is an elementary music teacher who has found joy and organizational tools that help him plan. He's here today to talk about why and how planners can impact our lives, why the process matters as much - if not more - than the planner we purchase, and why using multiple planners not only helps with organization, but also meet the different needs we have in our lives. This episode is light-hearted, thoughtful, and inspiring. Episode Outline: 4:00 - What to look for in a planner 13:20 - Danny's current favorite planners 17:50 - Jessica's current favorite planners 26:30 - Danny's digital resources 30:08 - Jessica's love of spreadsheets 37:00 minutes: Planner accessories 43:00 minutes - Planner podcasts Follow Danny on Instagram: @dannyplansit Follow Jessica on Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org New book release educators! Order your copy of Two Teacher Perspectives on Health and Wellness HERE! Episode content can be found in the podcast area of my website!
There's been a lot of discussion, articles, and information coming out about an AI chatbot called ChatGPT. What is it? How does it work? How can we use it? I'm sharing what I've learned about it and how I've used prompts to brainstorm ideas and gather information. Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
If you've had the opportunity to take a Summer Levels Course, you are truly fortunate to have learned from some of the most amazing educators. You come away with a wealth of ideas and experiences. You want to capture everything you've learned, take it to your students in the fall and immediately implement all of the incredible pieces, strategies, lessons, and joy into your classroom. You're likely changed as an educator. Your thinking was challenged. Your musicianship was pushed and grew in many ways. Now what do you do with what you've learned and how do you bring it to your students? Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
Want to set goals and go after them? Check out the Get Your Goals Course on my website at www.jessicagrant.org. For $15, you get video tutorials and access to both Google Sheets templates and printable workbooks. You'll learn how to brainstorm, select goals, make action plans, and go after the things that matter most to you! Go Get Your Goals! In today's episode I'm sharing some goals I've been working on this year, some goals I've let go, and some goals I have yet to begin, but am hoping to work on in the last half of the year! Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
This is the third and final podcast episode in the Summer Blueprint series about lesson planning. While you could do these ideas any time of the year, summer is a great time to put together curriculum ideas shared in episode 260, long range plans shared in episode 261, and short range plans in today's episode. I'll share five ideas for how you can focus on short term lesson plans by: Beginning with long range plans Make a list of song material from this past year by grade level and find new song material Creating assessments and rubrics Putting together a lesson structure for classes Create a lesson plan template for a specific grade Find out more at www.jessicagrant.org. Follow me on Instagram at @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
Last week I shared ideas for working on parts of your curriculum in the summer. Today I'll be sharing how you can focus your attention on a specific grade level of your choosing and plan a blueprint for long range lesson plans. I'll provide five ideas for both year-long plans and monthly plans including: 1. Identifying the concepts and skills you want to teach 2. Creating a sequence for teaching those concepts and skills 2. Planning engaging activities 4. Assessing along the way 5. Reflecting and revising Be sure to head to my website at www.jessicagrant.org to purchase the Long Range Lesson Planning Flow Chart. You'll get access to yearly and monthly examples as well as fully editable Google Sheets Templates for the year and month. Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
It's summer and you're soaking up the sun while thinking about putting together an outline for mapping out your curriculum for the coming year. Here are seven ideas for getting started: Scheduling work and play Lists of concepts by grade Lists of song material by concept Create manipulatives Select choir materials Select a musical Purchase something created by another music teacher Head to F-Flat Books to get my newest book release co-written with Danielle Larrick called Two Teacher Perspectives on Health and Wellness. It's the perfect summertime read! Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Danielle Larrick and I just released our book “Two Teacher Perspectives on Health and Wellness” with F-Flat Books. You can head over to F-Flat Books to purchase your copy! Share it with a friend. Use it for a book study with teacher friends and colleagues. It's the perfect summer book to focus on your needs as an educator. We're giving you an exclusive sneak peek into the book! You'll hear us read Chapter 4: I need more balance. F-Flat Books: https://fflat-books.com/ Danielle's Instagram: @musicalmiddles Jessica's Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Danielle Larrick and I have teamed together to write the perfect summer book for teachers all about teacher health and wellness. Get the inside scoop about what you can expect within the book including: Ten chapters related to health and wellness topics such as imposter syndrome, identity, anxiety, joy (when things are going great!), sleep, energy, and more Key takeaways for each chapter Book study questions Get your copy from F-Flat Books starting on June 8, 2023! Danielle's Instagram: @musicalmiddles Jessica's Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
When the school year comes to an abrupt end, it takes some time for our minds and bodies to catch up to the fact that we can now rest. Or at least breathe a little bit for sure. Here are five things we can do to wind down for summer. Take a day of rest Get closure Summer meal plan Be okay with a mess Think about what you want your summer to be Grab the Summer Meal Plan Freebie HERE! Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
You may have seen the meme/gif going around with this word on it. What a perfect way to describe how many of us feel at the end of the school year! I'm sharing three ideas for what you can do when you feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and overstimulated. Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
How do we finish the year well when we're so tired? What should we choose to push forward on and what do we ease up on? Here are six things I'm doing at the end of the year to keep learning continuing in the classroom and reviewing material already learned. Ideas include: Podcasting Lessons Teaching New Instruments (sounds crazy, but I'll explain) Short Unit Plans Reviewing material learned throughout the year Taking musical learning outside Online learning with Blookets, Kahoots and Gimkits Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica and head to my website www.jessicagrant.org to learn more!
I've often found it challenging to find books that I love to use with my older students so I created this fairy tale project to use possibly familiar stories in a way that allows students to work together to create short speech pieces/raps and put together an entire classroom performance, if you desire. Today I'm sharing the process I use with my students for this project over four class periods. Use it as a guide with your students or follow it as shared! You can use this project with the fairy tale stories that I'm sharing today or use other themed literature: the little people musical artist books would work for this, Aesop's fables, or any group of stories based on a theme. Love the project and want to use it in your classroom? Head to www.jessicagrant.org, click on shop and look for Fairy Tales: Drumming and Speech Piece. You can also read the transcript of the episode in the podcast page on the website. Book: Endlessly Ever After by Laurel Snyder
Calligrams are a word or part of a text where the design and layout of the letters or words create a visual image that relates to the word themselves. They can be created using one phrase, individual words, song lyrics, poems, or specific text. In today's episode, you'll hear four ideas for using calligrams in the classroom and learn how I used a calligram project with my students based on song lyrics. Want to purchase the project? Head to www.jessicagrant.org and click on shop to purchase! Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
This past week I spent time backpacking in the Smoky Mountains with my seventh grade students. Here are five lessons I learned in the woods that apply to teaching at the end of the year (or anytime really!) Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
Allison Russo is a consultant, writer and educator who has written a fantastic book called “Planning Purpose.” I've enjoyed working through the process within the book to find ways to implement my values and the values of my students into the content I'm teaching. I'm excited for you to learn from Allison and encourage you to follow her on Instagram @thecriticalgood. Allison's Bio: Consultant, writer, and educator Allison Russo has dedicated her career to creating more ethical and effective arts learning spaces. She has a BM from Ithaca College and an MM from Boston University, both in Music Education. As an elementary band teacher and non-profit arts leader, Allison has designed and delivered music programming to thousands of students and teachers. Allison founded The Critical Good, an arts education consultancy in 2021, where she facilitates the creation of ground-up and equity-focused strategic plans for the arts departments of schools and nonprofits. She is also a graduate course facilitator for the Longy School of Music at Bard College, a collaborator with consulting firm WolfBrown, and freelance grant writer. She envisions a world where arts education is boundless, universally accessible, and joyful for all. Links: Instagram - @thecriticalgood Website - www.thecriticalgood.com Jessica Grant's Links: Instagram - @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website - www.jessicagrant.org
Sharing ten things that are making a difference in my life right now. Life lessons. Specific content and apps. Things in general. Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
This project is a huge hit with my students! Listen in to hear how you can use Minecraft, Flip, and Student Peer Reviews to help students learn about Musical Artists. Purchase materials for the project HERE! You'll hear: *Ideas for using the project with your students *Four levels of implementation (peaceful, easy, normal, hard) *Student peer reviews *Rubrics and more How to record your screen with Flip Jessica Grant Website: www.jessicagrant.org Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica
I loved this chat with Ashley Brown Woodside. Ashley is an incredible musician, dancer and educator who loves to inspire her students through the use of movement and music. More specifically in using elemental concepts in movement to guide their learning and musical experiences. We talk about several movement ideas including: Defining elemental movement Making movement accessible and challenging Differentiating experiences to reach all learners Gaining confidence as teachers in our own movement Supporting students in collaborative work Ashley's Bio: Ashley Brown Woodside is dedicated to exploring the interplay of creative dance and music education. She is an accomplished dancer and saxophone player with a Bachelor's in Music Education from Syracuse University and a Master's in Liberal Studies from Manhattanville College. She completed her Orff Schulwerk Levels at the San Francisco International Orff Course. Ashley has been an approved Teacher Educator in Movement Levels I - III, instructing at summer Orff levels courses since 2013. Her articles on elemental movement have been published in The Orff Echo. In addition to presenting workshops to school systems and chapters nationally and abroad, Ashley leads a Montessori Lower Elementary general education class, teaches PreK-6th grade children Music & Movement, and provides private woodwind instruction at The Tidewater School in Maryland. Ashley's Contact Information: orangeashe@gmail.com Jessica Grant Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
There is an art to designing a lesson plan. Learning your personal pacing and the pacing of your students' work takes time and experience. Here are a few ideas to help you figure out how to pace your lessons from start to finish! Follow me on Instagram @howtoteachmusicwithjessica! Website: www.jessicagrant.org
Have you ever had this happen: Your lesson moves at a faster pace than expected and you have extra time emaining. Or your class time has ended, your students are lined up, but their teacher isn't there yet and you might be there for a few minutes longer. What do you do? Five minutes may not seem like it's that big of a deal, but in the teaching world it can feel like an eternity. Here are five ideas for what to do if you're waiting in the hallway and five ideas for what to do if you have five minutes left of class. Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org
This conversation with Bryson Tarbet about differentiation is extremely relevant and insightful. It will get you thinking about how you already differentiate learning in the classroom and things you might want to try. Most of all I hope you come away from our talk being encouraged by what you're already doing, thinking about how to give your students what they need where they are and allowing your students to share ideas and thoughts for trying things in new ways you may not have thought of. Brysons Bio Bryson Tarbet is a PreK-6th grade general music teacher just outside of Columbus, Ohio. He received his Bachelor's of Music in Music Education from Ohio Wesleyan University and his Master of Music in Music Education with a Kodály emphasis from Capital University. Bryson spent his first year out of college as part of an elementary school intervention team and he fell in love with working with students with disabilities. Due to this experience, as well as his personal experience as a neurodiverse individual, Bryson feels very strongly about advocating for sensory and emotionally-inclusive classrooms. Bryson started That Music Teacher, LLC with the goal of sharing different perspectives on issues pertaining to the lives of music educators across the country. He also hosts That Music Podcast, a podcast for elementary music teachers and is the educator behind the Elementary Music Summit. More information about Bryson and That Music Teacher can be found at www.ThatMusicTeacher.com. Bryson can also be found on Instagram and Facebook @ThatMusicTeacher. BRYSON TARBET LINKS Instagram: @thatmusicteacher Website: That Music Teacher TPT Free Disabilities Guide JESSICA GRANT LINKS Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org Book: Afternoon Ti Guide to Teaching Music F-Flat Books and Amazon
In Episode 242 I talked about how to prepare a musical and shared four areas to get you started: selecting a musical, gathering content ideas, holding auditions and getting started with the first rehearsal. Last week in episode 243 I talked about how to structure and organize your rehearsals so that you can maximize the time you have to teach scenes and songs. Today it's all about the performance: creating a printed or online program, using checklists, pre-show warm-ups, exercises and chats, and celebrating the work that you and your students have done. I hope you've enjoyed this three episode series about putting on musical theatre performances with your students! Instagram: @howtoteachmusicwithjessica Website: www.jessicagrant.org Books: The Afternoon Ti Guide to Teaching Music on F-Flat Books and Amazon
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