Back to School: Teacher's In Sign

I was looking at some other music blogs recently and I came across a brilliant idea on Miscellaneous Me.  Cara created a "Teacher's In" sign for her door.  I love this!

From my desk, I cannot see the main entrance to my room.  This can be kind of a pain since I eat lunch in my room.  There are times when I am up and down several times to answer the door.  This sign, I hope, will relieve some of that.  It's also going to be great for planning time or when I'm not in my room.

I started with this purple foam sign from the dollar store.  They also had them in pink.  It did have a flimsy ribbon handle to hang the sign with but I cut that off.

I decided that I wanted a border and some cute flowers like Cara's, so I used some ribbon I had around the house.  I cut the ribbon to about the length of each side.  There are many tutorials out there on how to make flowers out of fabric and ribbon, mine was a bit of luck.  If you could see the mess of thread on the back of it you would laugh!  Since I am no expert, Google it, you will most certainly have better luck.  :)

Using double sided tape, I attached the ribbon to the edge of the sign.

I trimmed the corners to match the rounded edge of the sign.

Used double sided tape to attach the flower.

Then added my name using some silver glitter adhesive letters from Michaels ($5.99 before a coupon).

The letters stick okay to the foam.  Any suggestions on how to keep them on?

I'm not completely done yet, I still have to create signs for in/out/busy to stick on during the day.  I'll take pictures of it during my classroom tour!

Happy School Year to You!

I'm heading back to work tomorrow and I have a week to get ready before my kiddos start.  For some of you, this will be your first time in your very own classroom!  Try not to worry too much.  This is a wonderful, exciting and scary time.  You will get through it; everything will be fine!  :)

Happy School Year to all of you!  :)

Back to School: Stickers

Look what I bought at Target this week!

Aren't they cute?  They were around $3.00 (a bit pricey for the number of stickers).  You can find them with the school supplies.  There were other packs with peace signs, so you may need to dig through the rack to find these.  You may even be able to wait a few weeks and get them on clearance!

Mrs. Q's Resources: First Grade Rhythm Pack

I have another resource up in my store; a first grade rhythm pack.  There are 20 cards in the pack containing patterns with quarter notes/rests and beamed eighth notes.  The pack is regularly priced at $4.00 but if you click the link below, you can purchase it for $1.00 off!  There are a limited number of coupons, so don't wait too long.  More rhythm packs coming soon.

http://gum.co/zkZi/25fgrp

Mrs. Q's Resources: And the winners are.....

Using random.org, I have chosen a number of winners for my Word Wall Pack Giveaway.  Drum roll please....

 50% off Word Wall Pack:

Susan Henderson

Abby Nyhof

Laura Pope

Tonya Paul

Cassandra Butler

Jason Hart

Leonie Brien

Stephanie Poulin

Rebeka Rice

Beth Davey

Free Word Wall Pack:

Sandra Rush

I have already contacted winners with directions on collecting your prize.

If you didn't win, not to worry!  Below is a link for 25% off of my Word Wall Pack.   Hurry!  There are only 25 copies for this discounted price.

http://gum.co/mJgl/25offWWP

Back to School: Strategy for Getting Ready

Here is where I'm starting from...

Isn't it depressing looking?  And a bit overwhelming?  Do you feel the anxiety building?  I feel this way every year for about the first hour of being back in my classroom.  It usually goes a bit like this.

Move the desk.  Oh, I should get posters out.  Move the desk some more.  Do I have tape?  Move the desk again.  Let's hang this poster up.  Move the desk.  Stand in the middle of the room not knowing what to do.  Look through posters.  Move the desk.

By the end of that first hour I'm soooooo annoyed with myself.  This year I'm hoping to avoid this problem and I'm going in with a plan.

Back to School Strategy:

1.  Move furniture into place.  

Our custodians clean the carpet during summer break, so all of my furniture ends up pushed to one side of the room.  Moving the furniture into place has to happen before anything else can.  Once the furniture placement is right I can fill shelves, hang posters, and get materials out that I need for the first week.  Plus, if I get anything else out before I move the furniture, it ends up in the way!

2.  My space

This seems a bit self centered but it's hard to get things done or make lists when I don't have access to my supplies.  So the first area to organize is my desk.

3.  Sort Posters

Pull out posters and decide what/what not to hang and where they are going.

4.  Hang Posters

Starting from one corner of the room hang posters.  Most years I skip around the room hanging one thing here and one thing there.  It drives me nuts.  I'm going to try my best to work one section at a time until everything is hung.

5.  Fill in Shelves

This is second to last because if some instruments or supplies don't make it out for the first day it's okay!  I probably won't need Jingle Bells the first week!  :)

6.  Hallway

Not sure if this will be step 5 or 6 yet.  If I'm in my room for Meet the Teacher then this will be my last concern but if I'm not going to be in my room, then it will move up to step 5.  I want to make sure there is a musical presence during Meet the Teacher, so I'll have to wait and see on this part.

My goal is to remember that not EVERYTHING has to get done before the first day.  Last year I had my Recorder Karate graphs up knowing that I wasn't probably going to need them until October!

How do you try and stay organized while you set your classroom?

New Teacher Advice Part 2

Last year I wrote a post with some tips for teachers who were just starting out.  I'm by no means an expert, I'm always learning from my mistakes but these are some of the things I've learned along the way.

I'm very lucky, I found my long lost sister in the art teacher at my school.  At any moment I can drop by her room and she is a shoulder to lean on.  We are creative monsters together constantly bouncing ideas off of one another.  It's been such a fantastic way to work.

Not everyone I work with is like this and I have had to learn to work with different personalities.  Our staff is great; they are truly dedicated, wonderful, caring people.  Although they are wonderful, that doesn't mean that we always see eye to eye or that there are never any clashes.  It's a work place, it happens!

Some of the ways I try to keep these relationships positive are:

1. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
I probably drive my classroom teachers nuts with the number of emails I write but I want to make sure everyone knows what is going on and when big events are coming up.  Nothing is more frustrating to a type A personality like me than "I didn't know and I scheduled a test for the same time as your fantastic music event."

Classroom teachers have aLOT going on and I want to make sure that any event I schedule is known and not in conflict with anything major that they have going on.  I can ensure that by communicating frequently and in different forms.  Don't just email!  Talk to the team leader of a grade level involved in a music event.  They will appreciate this open communication.

2.  It's okay to say no!
Classroom teachers will have a number of requests throughout the year and not all of them are appropriate.  Some of the questions I've heard over the years are:

-Can I pull so and so for testing?
-Can I talk to you about _______ right now? (as their kids are entering your room for class)
-Can I borrow ____ right now? (in reference to materials, instruments, sound equipment)

None of these questions are awful or meant to be disrespectful.  Classroom teachers are just trying to squeeze every minute out of the day just like you.  My answer to these questions has become No but....

For example I might answer the second question like this....
Not right now but when you pick up your class, I have a 5 minute break.  Or, Not right now but why don't we meet right after school.  Either of these are good responses because it sends home the message that your class time is valuable but that you do see the importance of whatever they need to discuss with you.

3. Advocate
Some classroom teachers truly don't understand what goes into your program.  And this isn't a knock at them.  We all have so much to think about that it's sometimes hard to stop and put yourself in someone else's shoes.  Educate them.  One of the ways I do that is through my monthly Spotlight Performer videos.  I always make sure to include what skills students needed to understand in order to perform the piece.

At staff meetings I will provide a music perspective on something we are discussing.  I could implement Thinking Maps in this way and it will help students to understand this skill.  It's a small thing to do but it helps teachers to see what music is all about.

How do you try and foster positive relationships with your staff?

Mrs. Q's Resources: Word Wall Pack and Giveaway

I can't believe July has come and past.  This summer seems to be flying by!

This past week I came out of my vacation fog to focus a bit on school but in a fun way!  I'm at peace when I'm creating, so I've been sitting in front of the computer creating in Photoshop and I hope you will love what I've done.

Over the past year many of you have asked about word cards to accompany the word wall toppers I use in my classroom.  Unfortunately, those old files got lost somewhere along the way.  But not to worry, I have created a whole set of color coded word wall cards and musical elements toppers.  

My Word Wall Pack will be for sale starting this Friday, August 9th.  If this sounds like a product you would LOVE to have for your classroom, you may be interested to know that I will be giving away 1 Free Word Wall Pack and 10- 50% off coupons to followers of Mrs. Q's Music Blog.  

How do you enter?  Well many of you already are.   To be entered in the Giveaway you must follow Mrs. Q's Music Blog by email or Google.  I will use random.org to pick the winners and they will be announced this Friday.  Good luck!

Performing Groups: Getting Started Each Year

Getting my after school performing groups started for the year can be a big task.  For the past four years I have had two after school groups; Chorus and Orff.  Like everything else, planning for these groups starts right at the beginning of the year.  It's a bit crazy but once I'm past the first month of school (recorder sales are done, chorus and orff registration are complete) I can settle into a more normal routine.

Below are some of the things I do to get my groups started:

1.  Create Interest
Post flyers, hand out reminder cards, talk it up with your kids.  I send out an email to the full staff at my school so that they have all of the details regarding my groups.  If you have a morning/afternoon news crew, create a blurb for them to include in the announcements leading up to the interest or first meeting.

I've added both of these documents to the Freebies section.

2.  Interest Meeting
I always host interest meetings for performing groups about a week before I want to have our first rehearsal.  There are a few reasons for this.
    A:  While I do promote these groups during my first rotation, I don't want to take up all of my class       time and not make any music during those lessons. Plus not everyone needs all of the details!

    B:  I want to go over our contract in person so that I can answer any and all questions about how           to make sure you get to be a part of the group.

    C:  Most importantly, I want to give the kids more information about what it means to be a part of           these groups and my expectations for them.

3.  Contracts
My kiddos have to fill out a contract in order to participate in my groups.  This contract ensures that they and their parents understand the importance of attending rehearsals and concerts.  This year I'm trying out something new.

My groups have become so large that I can no longer just accept everyone who is interested.  This year I will accept on a first come, first serve basis.  The first 50 students to sign up for chorus will be my initial group.  However, if a student does not fulfill the requirements (too many absences/tardies, behavior concerns), they will be replaced with an alternate.  I don't believe in auditioning to be in these after school groups but that is always another option if you are having trouble with large numbers.

These are just some the things I do to get my groups started.  More on Chorus/Orff later.  What are some of the things you do to get your groups going every year?

Back to School: Sneak Peek

I did most of my Back to School shopping last week and I have just about everything.  There are a couple more things on my list but here is a sneak peek at what I've picked up so far.

I can't wait to show you how some of these items get incorporated into my room this year!  Check back soon for posts on these items and this years Classroom Tour.  

Recorders: How I Organize my Sale

The beginning of every year is very hectic for any teacher because of all of the paperwork that is being returned by students.  I find myself a bit overwhelmed by all of this paperwork, especially when it comes to recorder sales.  This is the system I use to make sure thatI keep all of my orders organized.

Since I sell my recorders as pre-orders, I spend some time during the first lesson with 4/5 on how to fill out and return their order form.  I find this time well spent.  I know there are others out there who feel that getting started on making music right away is important.  While I don't disagree with this thought, I find that not taking time to go over things like recorder letters during the first rotation results in wasted class time later because students have questions and concerns.  With around 300 kids potentially completing these orders, I need to make sure everyone is on the same page.

This is the letter I send home with students.  I posted it last year but I realized I never put it up as a Freebie.  I have added an editable version; you can request it here.

Students can start returning their recorder pre-orders as soon as they have the money.  I usually collect orders for about a month before calling West.  Once orders start rolling in, I have found that collecting the slips and depositing the money with my secretary wasn't enough organization for me.  To help make sure that I didn't lose any slips, I started keeping a spreadsheet of all received orders.  

My students have the option of ordering the blue, green or pink Yamaha recorders.  So, to keep track of how many of each color, I use separate books.  If you click on the image above you can see the tabs labeled by color.  I also color code each book so that I will know which order I'm looking at.  This has helped me tremendously when it comes to orders.  I can quickly find an order or let a kid know whether or not they have turned one in without digging through a stack of papers.  It also helps me make sure that I do not lose any.

http://www.ustoy.com/neon-shoe-laces

In addition to ordering a recorder, my students have the option of ordering a lanyard for their recorder. The lanyards I sell are shoelaces from U.S. Toy.  They are a great deal and work wonderfully as a way for recorders to be hands free.  In my spreadsheet, I have a column for lanyards.  I'm able to order so many of these at once that I don't worry about color selection until they arrive.  As you can see below, if this was an order I had received, the student would be ordering 1 pink recorder with a lanyard.

In addition to the color coded books, I also have books for orders with multiple colors and for lanyards only.  In the multi tab, I list any orders that have multiple colors, ex:  2 blue/1 green.

When my recorder deadline arrives, I total up my orders and call West and U.S. Toy.  I charge a bit over the cost of the recorders and lanyards so that I can order a few extras for students in need.  When they arrive, my orders are easy to distribute thanks to my spreadsheet.

I have uploaded a Recorder Spreadsheet Template to my Freebies section.  It may seem like extra work but it definitely helps keep me sane.  Do you have any tricks for making recorder sales go smoothly?