Here we go with fast and slow!!

So... I have never ever ever in my long legged life seen a long legged sailor with his long legged wife or...written a blog! I don't know that I will have much time for it either considering I am now the mother to a super cute and really good beat keeping little girl named Adalynn! She is 5 months old and the center of our whole entire world at the moment!!

It has been a struggle learning how to balance working and having a baby but, teaching music isn't only my job! Elementary music is my passion, my hobby and one of the things that makes me very happy!

I am creating this blog in the hopes of sharing some of my ideas with you (if there is anybody out there reading this) and for me!

As I am writing this I am realizing that this will probably be very much like my teaching style a little about my life and a lot about music! I have to admit now that I have baby A my students do know a lot about her! I occasionally start out each class giving them an update on what she like, how she is developing and bragging about how she can really keep a steady beat already (hahaha)!

I guess I should really get started with the music part of this!!

I called my blog singing in the music classroom mostly because I love the musical "Singing in the Rain" but I am totally a band nerd so I promise we do more then sing cute songs!!

Let's just start out with a super easy fast and slow activity that really takes no preptime at all and that the kids adore and something that I am sure every music teacher already does!

Dancing with Scarves

 Materials:
Scarves
Music
A way to play that music

Kids adore scarves they are so much fun the way they glide through the air and the colors are just oh so  exciting!! I use scarves for different things but it is especially fun to use them when teaching Fast and Slow!!



My kinder kids sit in a circle on the floor and I sit with them. Anytime I pass out materials they are not allowed to touch until I give them the go ahead! However, after everyone has received their materials I always give my students 10 seconds to play how they choose so they get a chance to get their excitement out of their system.

Here is how I would do this activity in my class  (I would not use scarves on my very first fast and slow lesson this would wait until the 2nd or 3rd lesson).

1. In your head think about things, animals, people that move fast and slow
2. Turn and Talk: Share with the person sitting next to you what you came up with
3. Call on 3-4 kids to share what they came up with while I am passing out scarves & review rules
4. 10 seconds wave your scarf around but do not leave your seat
5. Play Sample of music and have students identify if the music they are hearing is fast or slow
6. Move scarf fast or slow while sitting
7. Allow Students to move around the room fast or slow depending on the music
8. Dance slowly while putting away your scarf

Music selections:
Flight of the Bublebee
New World Symphony
Carnival of the Animals

Want to challenge your higher kids??

Ask: Can you spell your name in the air with your scarf while you are dancing?? What about your mom and your dad's name?? But you have to spell it fast if the music is fast and slow if the music is slow!

Ask: Think of an animal that moves slow. Now imagine that animal was not slow but fast how would that affect the animals habitat? The food source?? What would change??

Thanks for reading!!