Winning When You're Singing
So, San Francisco may now be coming an ever distant memory, but the ideas that were sown there are starting to show signs of growing. Over the last half term I have been trying out ideas and adapting old lessons, some more successfully than others, and I must admit that it has changed a lot of the ways I look at teaching music. For a start, games are becoming more important, especially when teaching rhythm work. Once they are over their initial reservations the students seem to enjoy these, especially if there is an element of competition. I have also noticed that I am more prone to start with singing - and are more confident in doing so - with instruments and movement then being used as accompaniments to this. Indeed, having started the Year 3/4 choir off with four African songs, instead of the students just singing, we have stick games going on, xylophone accompaniments and now, at the suggestion of one of the kids, the dreaded ukuleles might be making an appearance. 😬