Classroom Management: General Tips

I am mentoring several new music teachers in my district this year. The biggest concern of every single one? Classroom management. I was right there with them my first year; if you are a veteran teacher who had amazing classroom management right off the bat, then please let me know who you are… so I can grovel at your marvelous feet.

Management is nearly impossible to master as a student; you can learn Fred Jones until you are blue in the face and yes reading can help, but it just can’t be mastered until you have experience. A lot of it. But what do you do until then? What do you do when 19 2^nd graders are doing their absolute best, but 6 have checked out due to the one who is hiding behind your instrument storage, singing “Twinkle Twinkle” as loud as they can because “half notes are evil and I won’t learn about the devil in school”? (Yes, that really happened.)

This was me, the next morning.

We have all been there. While it’s hard to have ironclad “you must do these things” in management because every teaching style differs, here are some general tips that I’ve found helpful in establishing my classroom.

1.) Don’t take it personally.

If you’re brand new or even new to a school, it can take time for students to trust you. This is especially true for your at-risk students. At first, students are learning much more about you and what your limits are than your actual subject. They will push, and sometimes they will say terrible things that they don’t mean. It doesn’t mean the kid is bad. It doesn’t mean you are bad. Most likely, you’re both just adjusting. Clear rules help this adjustment. That way, when that 4^th grader is using a mallet to annoy their buddy, you can calmly point out that they made the choice to break rule whatever, and can now sit out. Then, it isn’t personal for them either; it’s simple cause and effect.

2.) Stay calm.

For some students, getting a rise out of the teacher = VICTORY. Use extreme volumes only in extreme situations. This can also apply to getting flustered. If I make a mistake? Hurray, I am officially human and not an alien. I always acknowledge the mistake quickly and move on. Do I still get flustered? You bet. I just don’t make a huge deal out of it. The goal here isn’t for it to never ever happen, the goal is for it to not be a part of the culture of your classroom.

3.) Find the positive.

This should be easy, because if you weren’t freaking awesome you wouldn’t be teaching. But the truth is, our culture is currently quite focused on rooting out the “bad apples” and education can be very overwhelming. It is easy for teaching to become an oppressively negative experience. I absolutely, completely guarantee: EVERY SINGLE LESSON you teach every single day has at least 3 things about it that were good. Maybe they were small, but they were there. Find a few of them. Sure, you need it so you don’t go insane, but it is also helpful to know what is working so you can build on your strengths. If you can’t find them, call in reinforcements from a colleague or video-tape yourself teaching your best management class.

4.) Self-evaluate

“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.”

-Haim G. Ginott

Here comes the tough love, folks: if you are having classroom management issues, your kids are only half the problem. Hear me on this though: That does not, ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT mean you are a bad teacher. Do you expect kids to get a concept perfectly 5 minutes into a lesson? Probably not. Don’t expect the same thing of yourself, because you will make mistakes and that is OK. However, for most lessons you will have to take an objective look at the things you do and figure out what isn’t working so you can improve. Often, it is a behavior that leads to the escalation of a negative situation. What were you doing before a normal situation got bad? If you aren’t sure, bring in a video camera to your toughest class and tape yourself. That can also help you spot escalating voice inflections, like sarcasm.

5.) Be the positive

Kids are incredibly sensitive about the “s” word: stupid. I have kids who aren’t great at one subject, and become absolutely convinced they are stupid and terrible at school (despite being geniuses in other subjects.) Humans tend to focus on the negative, and one of the best parts of teaching music is our ability to find that one thing kids are great at and highlight it until you can see that sucker from space. We can’t do that until we establish our classroom as a place of mutual respect. Using positive language like “please walk” instead of “Oh God DON’T RUN ARGH” (I’ve totally caught myself saying that exact sentence before) helps you establish a safe space where kids can fail but continue on to succeed. I also use positive reinforcement whenever possible. Word to the wise: stickers are magic, and Dollar Tree has foam music-themed ones.

6.) Balance novelty with procedure, and insanity with structure.

I know I’m getting through to a kid when they laugh and tell me I’m crazy. Because guess what? Kids pay attention to the crazy lady. (Or crazy dude. This tactic works well for anybody willing to be nuts.) They want to see what I’ll do next, so they give me the benefit of the doubt. One of my best engagement strategies is being an unpredictable crazy lady. My students no longer blink twice when I show up in a wig and frock coat to be their substitute Herr Mozart, and even my jaded 5^th graders put up with my antics because they know something good is coming. They also know exactly what my rules are, exactly where my limits are, and exactly what the consequences are for each action, both good and bad.

7.) Be consistent

Yes, I know that one first grader is stinking cute. But if they break a rule, they need to have consequences. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t differentiate; several of my kids have deals with me for specific behaviors I am looking for, or a hand-sign for when they need a chance to cool-off. As a whole, though, be clear about your expectations and stick to your guns. If playing out of turn on drums, recorders, or tone bars means two minutes of silence in your class, then you need stick to the that consequence. Only set consequences you are willing to follow through with. Do this with positive actions as well. For keeping track, I have individual systems as well as a class-wide system using Class Dojo.

8.) Get them moving

Music teachers have an advantage with this, because so much of what we teach is naturally kinesthetic. But even if you are doing a lesson focusing on theory, find a way to get kids up and moving. If that means they jump while reciting a definition, cool. Braindance at the beginning of the lesson? Word. But you don’t want kindies to sit criss-cross-applesauce for 40 minutes if you want to keep your sanity. (Let’s be real, it’s probably hanging by a thread anyway.) If you have longer classes, consider taking quick one-minute brain breaks. I also let students earn dance breaks if they finish what they need to get done in a lesson. Go Noodle is a great resource for this.

I hope these tips will help you. I plan on going into more detail with certain things, like procedures, soon. Have a great day!

Lit Lesson: The Jigaree

I completely lucked out with this book! I found it in a “free” pile from the library and it is PERFECT for blending rhythm reading and locomotor movements. I use it with quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests.

The book is a “read-together book” from the 80’s and is very simple. The format of the book is,

I can see a jigaree. 
It is (locomotor motion)ing after me.

(LM motion)ing here, (LM motion)ing there, 
jigarees (locomotor motion) everywhere.

The book can be found here. It is out of print, but there are used copies available. If that isn’t your cup of tea, you could easily use the chant with a different animal.

First, we read the book. Then we go through the locomotor motions listed in the book. Next, we add our own locomotor motions. I have a movement wall that they can use as a starting point.

Once we have the movement portion of the game down, instruments are added in. I have a big set of rhythm cards that each have four beats of rhythm. We take one, students have a short amount of time to figure the rhythm out, and then we play the rhythm on instruments. For this activity I use tubanos or frame drums, but we do similar activities on many kinds of instruments and body percussion. Kids are used to rhythm-reading before we add in the book and movement. Through one activity or another, students have read each rhythm card before.

Once we are ready to put everything together, I split up the class. I usually have 5-7 on instruments, one conductor, and everyone else moving. Most of the instrument group are on tubanos, but one will be on finger cymbals.

During the chant portion of the book, the student conductor shows a rhythm card to the kids on drums. Students on tubanos have time during the chant to practice the rhythm. After the chant, the students on tubanos play the rhythm they have been assigned until one student, on the finger cymbals, signals them to stop. The movers also have to stop when they hear the finger cymbals.

After a round, the conductor and one of the tubano students switch groups and are replaced by new students. This is a great opportunity for small group assessment, both for movement and rhythm reading.

What's in a Book?

I recently attended my state's music education conference, which was fantastic. I noticed a lot of good clinics on children's books, and was talking about with some teachers from my district. I happen to love it and use books as often as possible, but I know some teachers are wary of using books in the music room. One concern I heard about books was how to choose them, and what you should look for. I definitely struggled with this at first, but thanks to several hours in thrift stores and the library I know what I want in a book. Here's my list:

1.) Type of activity

There are as many types of books in the music room as there are activities. Books to accompany major works or composers, books that lead the kids to instruments, books that lead to singing or speaking, and books that lead to movement are some of the major categories I keep in mind as I thumb through stacks at the thrift store or library.

2.)  Reading Level

Think about it: Even with fourth or fifth graders, every word in the book will need to be read out loud, or summarized quickly. So keep it simple. I keep my books at a primary reading level; the older kids won’t mind as long as the lesson is engaging. If they are taking some convincing, have them create a recording for the kindergarteners so the intended audience is younger.

3.) Repeated Structures and Refrains

Simple structures and refrains allow students multiple opportunities to move or make sound, and allow them to know what’s coming next without constant reminders. Rhyming can also help, though it isn't always necessary.

4.) Onomatopoeia

Sound effects are very easy to transfer to instruments. This is especially effective for K-1. I like to have students explore the sound effects and then choose which instrument fits, which increases rigor. (Plus, the students think it is very fun!)

5.) Vocal Exploration Opportunities

You pretty much can’t go wrong with a roller coaster. Animal sounds are also good opportunities to explore.

6.) Connection to common or folk songs

If you find a book about a lost cat, it is simple to connect it to “Ding Dong Digga Digga Dong”.  A star book can be connected to “Twinkle Twinkle,” and the list goes on and on.

7.) Lots of verbs

This can lead to movement activities, or can lead to making noises that represent each movement on instruments or with sound effects.

8.) Abstract books without words, or books that focus on a line or simple shape

                The possibilities are endless! 

9.) Common Themes

There are some themes that do a good job of lending themselves to onomatopoeia and folk songs. They include (but are certainly not limited to):

·         Farm Animals

·         Stars and Moon

·         Trucks, Cars, and Trains

·         Cats and Dogs

·         Rain

·         Sleep, Lullaby

·         Halloween

·         Opposites

·         Eric Carle

Complete Lit Lessons

                Here are books I have posted about, complete with lesson ideas. 

·        Ghost Story, by Bill Martin Jr. (lesson here)
·        Listen to the Rain, by Bill Martin (Lesson here)
·        Blue Hat, Green Hat, by Sandra Boynton (Lesson Here)
·        The Jigaree (Lesson here)

·         Going on a Lion Hunt, David Axtel (lesson here)

·         Wide Mouthed Frog, Keith Faulkner (lesson here)

·         Tikki Tikki Tembo, Arlene Mosel (lesson here)

Starter List

                Here are some additional books I've had success with in my classroom:

·        Muncha Muncha Muncha, Candace Fleming (Instruments, gardening songs)

·         From Head to Toe, Eric Carle (movement)

·         Blue Hat, Green Hat, Sandra Boynton (instruments, pattern, quarter/eighth notes)

·         Mortimer, Robert Munsch (Instruments, up/down patterns, np perc., words for song in book)

·         How to Speak Moo, Deborah Fajerman (Vocal Exploration and head voice)

·         The Squiggle, Carole Lexa Schaefer (Movement)

·         Tanka Tanka Skunk, Steve Webb (Drumming, Quarter/eighth notes)

·         The Jigaree, Joy Cowley (Movement)

·         The Wide Mouthed Frog, Keith Faulkner, Jonathan Lamber (instruments)

·         Grump Groan Growl, Chris Raschka (Sound effects, instruments)

·         Bear Snores On and Bear Feels Scared, Karma Wilson (Instruments, sound effects, dynamics)

·         Fortunately, Unfortunately, Michael Foreman (Vocal exploration, instruments

·         Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear?/Brown Bear, What do you See? Eric Carle (Singing)

·         Down By the Station, Will Hillenbrand (Folk Song, Singing)

·         Hush! Minfong Ho (Singing, lullaby, instruments)

·         Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak (instruments, dynamics, singing)

·         A Frog in the Bog, Karma Wilson (Instruments, dynamics)

·         Rain Drop Splash, Alvin Tresselt (Instuments, Movements, dynamics)

·         Cat Skidoo, Bethany Roberts (instruments, movement)