Hi Friends,
One thing you would notice if you were a fly on the wall, in my classroom, is that I use songs to teach just about everything. We are always singing. I have songs for routines, songs for transitions, songs for reading strategies, songs for everything.
Some songs are ones that I have acquired over the years, from who-knows-where, that I sing Acappela. (Not too nice on the ears of adults, however kids are much more accepting!)
Recently though, I have fallen in love with Youtube for teacher songs. I no longer need to sing in my tone-deaf voice, I just click play and listen/watch! (Of course, I like to sing-along too!)
Here are a few of my favorites for cleaning up... It is so much more fun to put on music and watch the kids get to work. Your kids will be experts at tidying up and you'll be stress free.
Tip: show the video first and ask the students to come up with the expectations for what it will look like and sound like in the classroom. Otherwise, your kiddos will just want to dance or try to see the video on your computer!
Songs are also great for cementing in concepts. I love to start my units of inquiry, math inquiries, or any inquiry with a song as a provocation... I'll share more of those soon.
Favorite Educational Tune-sters:
For Reading Strategies chants and songs, check out Reading Power!
Our class song for this year is ... Will.i.am's What I am! I just love it.
We may just re-write the song a bit to include the IB PYP Learner Profiles...
Do you use songs in the classroom? I'd love to hear how, comment below.
Yours in passion for education,
Kate O'Connell
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