Well, I woke up today super excited thinking that I could start working on my new tiny tiny tiny (did I mention tiny?!) classroom and then it happened. Bombshell! Breaking News (said in my best Nancy Grace hysterical voice!) People. We cannot get into our room until July 22. Maybe a bit earlier. People. Teachers report on July 29. People. Student report August 1. People. ALL. OF. MY. STUFF is piled in the cafeteria and our garage. Can you tell I’m a bit panicked???????
People I am accepting volunteers to come help me in my moment of crisis.
OK, now that my mild hysterics are over now onto Teach Like A Pirate!
If you aren’t already reading this book, go to Amazon and order it. Seriously, this book has upped my drive and motivation even more!! When I read it at night I get so excited and almost giddy. It’s hard to contain that excitement while the Mister is sleeping!
Today’s chapters are all about music and art and crafts as hooks to get your students engaged in learning and keeping them engaged in learning! Here is my favorite quote from these two chapters:
I am so thrilled to have this kind of encouragement, support and PERMISSION to do art and allow my students to be creative. If you read this blog you know that we do art or craftivities almost daily in my classroom. I get a lot of less than supportive looks and comments from higher ups about the amount of art that my students do. However, I know this art is helping them be better readers, better writers, better at math and all around better people. Nearly all of my craftivities are tied to academics and if they’re not tired directly to academics, I add in a writing component.
I love that we can use art to teach every skill we learn from letters and sounds to addition and the life cycle of a butterfly. I love that my students work is what adorns are classroom and hallways. I love that there is such an academic component to that art work that we’re required to strip our work during testing time. I love that my students BEG for art projects and never “get it” that they’re learning at the same time. And I love that they are always successful with their art because it’s their work and their project and it’s always a masterpiece!
Another art form that we use a lot is music. And I mean a lot. Every. Single. Day. Funny story about our music and singing and dancing. Right after I was forcibly moved to kindergarten 5 years ago, I told my best friend that there would be no signing in my kindergarten. I wasn’t going to sing those cute and silly little songs and that was that. Yep. Day one we started singing and we haven’t stopped yet!
My students arrive to music. We dismiss to music. We learn to music. We transition to music. And yes, sometimes we just sing and dance to have fun!
Our day starts with a mix of pop songs that are high spirited and upbeat to wake us up and get us ready! Some of my morning songs are: Firework (Katy Perry), Gangnam Style (KidzBop), Edge Of Glory (Lady Gaga) and Let’s Get It Started (KidzBop).
I also use music for activities that I want to students to do quickly such as getting out a pencil or cutting tihngs out. For these moments, I play the theme from Bonanza, Hawaii Five-O, Flight Of The Bumblebee and the William Tell Overture! These songs are FAST so it encourages the kids to work quickly!
We also learn the song Firework by Katie Perry and Born This Way by Lady Gaga over the course of the year. I chose these two songs because of the message they teach my kids. We are all special, we are all amazing, we all matter and we are all fireworks! There is nothing better than 17 kindergarteners belting out the song Firework at the end of the school day!
And of course, we use music to clean up and transition. This year our clean up and transition song was Monster Mash because we were Mr. Greg’s Little Monsters! This year my theme is mustaches (I’m thinking “Mr. Greg’s Little ‘Staches!”) so I need a good clean up/transition song….
SO…let’s have a give away! Leave a comment with your favorite classroom songs. And if you can think of a good song to use with my mustache theme even better! I’ll pick a winner tomorrow and you’ll win my new mustache calendar set and this awesome Secret Code bundle from my amazing friend Nicole at Lanier’s Lions!
(this will be on TPT and TN later tonight!)
The winner of my BlogLovin give away is : Regina Berns! Check your email Regina!
And one more huge favor! My friend Becky just started her blog, A Flip Flop Kindergarten! I would love it if you would head over and show her some glittery mustache love! She has a great emergent reader freebie today! She is going to rock the blog world! Stop by and say hey to her!
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22 comments
My all time favorite is All Star by Smash Mouth. My girls really got into Alicia Keys Girl on Fire this year too!
My Kinder-Garden
I'm sorry you can't get into your room earlier. I would be freaking out too.
How about the Funkey Monkeys' song “Mustache”. It's on youtube:)
Heather
The Busy Busy Hive
Ahh!! I'm so excited!!! THANK YOU!!! I'll be emailing you shortly! 🙂
✿ Regina
Keepin It Krazy
One of my favorite songs to teach my kinders is “what a wonderful world”. I teach them to sign the words too and it is truly beautiful. Helps them connect themselves to the world through nature and people!
I come from a family that can sing VERY well, but I unfortunately did NOT get the singing gene 🙁 I know I don't sing enough in my room, and I need to get over that insecurity…
AMEN Brother! I love your post on using artwork and creativity in the classroom! I just got to that portion of Dave Burgess's book as well and am LOVING it!
In my classroom we rocked out to “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepson, “Up All Night” by One Direction & “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz this year. Every Friday afternoon my class had a dance party as their buses were called for dismissal. The kids loved it!
Check out “I Grew a Mustache” by The Motion Sick- it's fun to jump and move around to, but has a lyric that would need to be omitted for a classroom. oops!
Erin
Short and Sassy Teacher
I use a lot of music in my classroom, but I admit to not using Top 40 type songs – but I am really digging some of the songs/ideas you shared in today's entry. Firework made me think of kindergartners singing “Imagine” by John Lennon. Could be quite moving.
Oh, gee! You want 40 songs?! Well, my laptop is being held hostage by my fiance, so I will try my best by using my phone (I'm in love with this bloglovin app!). We always listen to the mack chicken dance (by Greg and Steve maybe?) On Fridays because it is my absolute FAVORITE. We also LOVE the bear hunt and Can't Sit Still… I think these are also Greg and Steve, but I can't remember. Most Greg and Steve songs are awesome. I also love their rain song, but I could not tell you what it's called right now. Also, I love to wake them up to: ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?! It's actually called “Get ready 4 this” but I cannot remember the artist at this time. Do you have any versions of “Tooth ta”? They always love that one! I'll go ahead and stop now before I get even more carried away. By the way, if you find any volunteers, send em my way when they're done! I will be missing the first 3 days of New Teacher Orientation at my new school because of my honeymoon. I'm really trying not to panic… especially since we have not moved into a new house yet, and ALL of my school stuff is packed into the deepest depths of my garage at the old house located 3 hours away. Hehe wish me luck! Everything will work out, right?! No need to panic! 🙂
-Sarah
Thanks, Erin!!
Great post, Greg! Thank you SO much for including so many opportunities for kids to be creative in your classroom. Creativity is one of the highest levels of thinking and belongs in EVERY classroom. Loved your vow to not sing…and how long it lasted!
We listen to Greg and Steve (Kids really like the Good Morning song and Goin on a Bear Hunt), Dr. Jean (of course), and a whole lot of Disney! I pretend to sing and turn up the music loud enough that the kids can't hear me… 😉
I can't believe you start back so early? When does the school year end for you? Our last day was June 26th so I am on day four of summer vacation (not counting the weekend). I am looking forward to a relaxing July and August.
For you ( probably wouldn't work in the classroom): http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/564322
LOL
I use a lot of Jack Hartmann songs in my classroom-lots of hip hop stuff that the boys really love. Check out The Mustache Song by Dave Gibbart on you tube. It's a parody of Call Me Maybe. Cute, lively, and perfect for your 'stache theme! 🙂
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Wow! I love the Dr. Jean songs and the Jack Hartmann songs and I love the Handwriting Without Tears songs too! When we do
“Morning Jam” the kiddies always want to jam it out to, “Where Do You Start Your Letters!” I have to admit that I make up a lot of songs that are funny! I love doing art craftivities with my kiddies and I agree that it encourages higher levels of thinking and problem solving! I love the process but I love their creations even more!
Btw, don't panic. You don't have to worry about what's on the walls at first, a colorful clean slate will work! You can build as you go and your beautiful, smiling, friendly face is really all they want to see!
Kimmie!
http://www.kimmieskindergarten.blogspot.com
So sorry to hear about the total lack of time to get your classroom ready =( I am in love with a new cd I got at the end of the school year “It Starts in the Heart”. http://consciousdiscipline.com/store/pc/It-Starts-in-the-Heart-6p5.htm
I like all the songs on the cd, but I plan to use the 'Welcome' song to start morning circle.
Found a cute song for you on you tube “Call Me Mustache” (mustache and mullets–what can be better for a Monday song!!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtHVXvsSuho or Mustache Monkeys http://www.songdrops.com/funny-kids-songs-for-children/mustache-monkeys.html (Just don't look at the monkeys –haha)
Hey, Mr. Greg! I am only 4 days into vacation…. NOT even thinking about going back right now! We also use music all day everyday in my classroom; children's music (anything Peter and Ellen as well as Handwriting Without Tears are my two favorites) and otherwise. Some of our favorites that we have shared during holiday shows (and ROCKED them out while other classes sang one verse of Yankee Doodle) included America by Neil Diamond, Made in America by Toby Keith, Blue Christmas by Elvis and Rocking Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee. FUN! Good luck with your search for a mustache song!
You are the winner of the give away! Send me an email (gregsmedley@gmail.com) so I can send you your prizes!
My class always loves Jack Johnson's Curious George CD. We sang and signed “With My Own Two Hands” at graduation last year. We learned Michael Jackson's “Heal The World” and Cat Stevens's “Sing Out” this year. We also live Laurie Berkner, Dan Zanes
…Justin Roberts, and Charlotte Diamond.
As far as a clean up song goes, off the top of my head, a song with “staches stashing” would be cute…
I love the Curious George CD! Always a good choice!