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Classroom management is a term used to describe keeping a classroom full of children throughout the day. This includes all the behaviors, routines, structures, and other things that make your classroom work. But classroom management for elementary music teachers is a little different than classroom teachers, so after this article, you'll get some tips to help you manage your classroom.
Classroom Management For Music Teachers
Classroom management is very important because without it your classroom cannot function. No one can learn if someone throws a chair across the room. It might sound extreme (hey, it happens), but if all the kids are talking the whole class and not listening to you, no one is learning.
Upper Elementary Classroom Management For Music Teachers — Victoria Boler
Now, classroom management for elementary music teachers is an art form, so I suggest you pick one of these principles to work from this week. Once it becomes a habit, you can add another and so on.
PS: If you're reading this because you're a new music teacher, sign up for my FREE Beginner Music Mini Course! You'll get videos and articles delivered to your email about what to teach, sequencing, how to teach rhythm, how to teach melody, and more.
The first thing to know is that as a teacher, classroom management is in your hands. As music teachers, we see all students at school. Start watching them when the class isn't with you. How do they interact with other teachers?
The thing is, you can take the same class and give it a different teacher and they'll think it's a different class.
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I once graduated from 2nd grade and went back to their class. Their class was on the other side of the hall, but they stood quietly in the hall, lined up, arm in arm – they looked like perfect little angels.
When we entered their classroom, they were unconscious as they crossed the entrance to their room. They ran up to their teachers everywhere in the room, asking questions, talking loudly, and the students were everywhere.
Now, this can go either way, so be responsible when it comes to classroom management. Most of the time, it's your fault. The good news? If it's your fault, you can fix it!
If you have a bad habit, find a way to correct it. Don't leave it, or feel the kids.
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Now, I mean that with a grain of salt. I go to a very difficult school and because of that some subjects are difficult. Not all of them are perfect. If you have 30 classes and one is hard, you can judge it as the hardest class. It's still getting better, so look for ways to improve.
The first part of classroom management for the elementary music teacher is about communication. Rita Pearson says children don't learn from teachers they don't like. This is what I say to children who don't listen to teachers they don't like.
Now, not every kid will love you, but there are some important things you can do to make students feel like you're in a relationship.
Learn the names: Learn the names of all the students, not just this question. Yes, all 700. Or at least, cheat and get a seating chart. But students need to feel known, and for that you need to know their names. (Click here for a video on how to learn names.)
Classroom Management For Art, Music & Pe Teachers
Focus on fun: When you make new friends as kids, you get to know each other by playing together. The same goes for your students—you'll be better off when you're having fun together. You have fun moments. It happens naturally. Try adding "just for fun" activities to each lesson. And look very fun at the beginning of the year.
Be consistent: This helps students learn about you – if you have consistent behavior, students will know what to expect from you. If you're nice one day and yelling the next, kids can be confused about what to expect. Instead, try to be consistent and pleasant. I know this is easier said than done, but it makes a huge difference. You can read more about it in this book.
Talk to the kids: It's not a revolution, but talk to your students. Listen to your students. Ask questions unrelated to the lesson. Know their interests. Use your homework, use it before and after school, use all your time.
Teachers say that the best classroom management plan is a good lesson plan. While this is not the end point when it comes to classroom management for music teachers, it is a good starting point.
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Your lesson plan should be fun and interesting to keep students engaged and not bored. Students will quit if they get bored.
Change the pace: Take turns moving students up and down, doing movement activities, working together, etc. We usually start with a movement activity, followed by a sitting activity, which children move up and down throughout the lesson. We also vary our activities a lot - with a simple approach to music, I've learned that students can focus at any age. Therefore, a five-year-old child can only concentrate for five minutes. That means you should do something different every five minutes.
Make sure they're doing something: Idle hands are the devil's game, so make sure kids spend most of their time doing something. Moving, singing, keeping rhythm, playing games etc. Don't let them get bored.
Group work: I find that working with older children is very effective in making the classroom more fun. My high school students love working together, so I'm always looking for ways to work together on learning the xylophone, creating vocal movements, creating ostinatos, etc. If they can work together, they will. Have more fun. Plus, when they work together, they can talk so you don't have to keep them quiet.
What Is Classroom Management?
I've been getting a lot of questions lately about how to stop kids from talking about me.
When you talk to students, it gives them the idea that it's a good idea to talk while they're talking. It means they are not listening and they don't understand what you are saying.
The best way to do this is to be quiet and listen to instructions. Here are some of my favorites:
I like to change it every few weeks because I get bored. This gives me an opportunity to practice the call earlier in the week, getting the students quiet and practicing listening.
Classroom Management Tips And Tricks
The key word? exercise Practice to correct them. If they do something wrong, they have to try again.
Although communication and fun lessons are essential to classroom management for elementary music teachers, you still need planning. Kids are kids, which means they test boundaries (intentionally or not). When this happens, you need a plan - what do you do? What do children do?
I have created several classroom management plans, all of which are detailed in this article. But the main thing is that the student has some chance. why Because it is easier for the student to understand what they are doing when they know where they are.
Do you ever have days where you call the same child over and over? When you finally get bored and don't let them play a game or call your mom, do they look at you like you're crazy? Because they don't know where they are.
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Whichever system you choose, be clear about it and take the guesswork out of it. If an action means getting a yellow card, they don't have to decide whether to get it or not - they just do. Keep it clear and consistent.
Our biggest tool as music teachers is to make our lessons fun. This means that entertaining students is an effective and easy consequence.
A student with a yellow or orange card can return - usually quickly. With a yellow page I usually wait a minute or two and if they make it themselves, they throw it away. With orange, it's closer to 5 minutes.
Don't forget that you should have some rules so that students know what to do and what not to do. Shoot for 3-5 general rules that apply to different situations. Our:
Responsive Classroom For Music, Art & P.e.
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