Whole Brain Teaching in the Elementary Music Classroom

I have finally experienced the WBT National Conference. I first learned about Whole Brain Teaching last summer as I joined in the weekly webcast on wholebrainteaching.com. I tried it out in my classroom starting with “Class-Yes!” and the 5 Rules. Those lasted all year. I also tried “Teach-Okay!” and the Scoreboard. I found that my problem was being inconsistent and lack of diligent planning the Whole Brain way.

There was a wondrous day when we had an all-school assembly and the students were really chatty. I went to the microphone and calmly said, “Class, Class?” and they all responded with “Yes-Yes!” My principal later emailed me and asked me what I said that got them all quiet.

Seeing Coach B and the others in action at the conference in Pineville, LA has spurred me on to try the whole thing. I do have to tweak it a bit to fit my classroom but I've got some time this summer to give it a try with planning. At the conference, I was actually able to get 2 lessons from my Music TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) and I am looking forward to teaching them the first week or so. One is on the 5 voices for kindergarten and the other is dynamics in music for 1st graders. With both K and 1st classes last year, we started oral writing, but in my class they have to sing in complete sentences. Can’t wait to add the spicy sentences. I will be adding more oral writing to 2nd and 3rd grade this year.

I have also spent the past few days working on my own version of the 5 Rules. You can find them in my store on Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT.)

Be looking for more in the coming weeks as I go through the Music Standards. If anyone can help me figure out some hand gestures for the music standards, I would really appreciate it. Leave suggestions in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Debbie

no fighting no biting

In all the years I have been teaching, I have never had a kid try to bite me before. Until today. It was NOT a good way to start my day. I was a bear the rest of the day.

I also just realized that I don't really remember exactly how many years I've taught. It's either 21 or 22 I think. My husband and I have been discussing it and we'll probably be retiring in 4 1/2 years. That means there are a lot of things that need to get done between now and then. Update two bathrooms, furnish the bedroom that my daughter recently moved out of and purchase a new vehicle. I need one that I can rely on to get me to and from wherever I want to go--which is really wherever my daughter decides to live, visiting my sister in Wyoming and my brother in Vancouver. (I have to get a passport before that trip though.)

As far as retirement itself, I really don't know if I'll actually miss working/teaching full-time or not. I don't miss it during the summer and yet I plan all summer through reading, actual lesson planning, etc. so nothing gets boring. I do have other hobbies I haven't given much time to lately. Also, I will probably still teach the occasional class at Lamar-Orange.

Travel, quilting, photography, reading for fun or to learn something I'm really interested in sounds really inviting. hmm

new year

I am back to school as of Wednesday. Teacher meetings and workdays till the kids come back on the 24th.

I don't feel as ready for the year to start this time as I have in the past. Have not been able to dig into any articles or books on classroom management or anything like that this summer and only went to one day of workshop.

My daughter and I went to see the movie "Julie and Julia" and it was one of those inspiring movies. Either you left inspired to cook or inspired to blog. I think mine was blogging. I'm going to try and blog daily if possible. You never know what I might come up with.

Maybe I'll have time to get some lists made. My daughter, the list maker, has several lists. Short term goals, goals for her first year of teaching, personal goals, etc. I think I'll start off with a list of things I'd like to accomplish in my class this year.

That'll start tomorrow.