Feature Friday

Organizing Your Classroom Music

Have you thought of using iTunes to organize your teaching music? You can sort your songs into playlists, for example “Alphabet”, “Math”, “Movement”, “Rhythm Sticks”, etc. Now, iTunes even allows you to make folders for playlists (and folders within folders). This is useful because you can separate your “School” music from your “Personal” music in folders. Then, you use the folders to organize your “Songs with Props” playlists (rhythm sticks, bean bags, rhythm instruments, castanets, etc.) You might want to start making a playlist for each month, and organize these playlists into a “Months” folder. It is much easier to find the song you need and you don’t have to change out CDs. You play the songs from an iPod with speakers. You can also make an “On-the-Go” playlist on the iPod, and use that playlist just for the songs you're going to use each week. Include an “iPod with speakers” on your classroom wishlist. You never know what you will get until you ask!

Taken from Prekinders

Feature Friday

Organizing your Daily Lesson Plan Materials

This is a simple way to keep your daily lesson plans materials organized as you prepare for each week of school. Gather a nice sized basket (a lesson plan box). Make sure your lesson plan box is large enough to hold file folders and large children’s books.

1. Label a set of pocket folders with each day of the week and place them in your basket.

2. In each pocket folder, place the games, flannel board pieces, songs, or books you plan to use for each day.

Taken from Deborah J. Stewart

3. Use the pocket folders as dividers in the basket. What doesn’t fit inside the pocket folder goes in front of each pocket folder like sponges, tape, cotton balls, or other specialty items that will be needed for each day.

The goal is to have everything that is called for in the lesson plan available and organized so the teacher can focus on presenting the material rather than spending valuable teaching time searching for the material.