So I finally got around to taking some pictures of my classroom. There are still some things that need to be done (for instance, at some point soon, the SmartBoard on my wall will be replaced with the one that's chillin' in the back of the room) but I've done just about all I can. Enjoy!
View from the door. The wall to the immediate right is a bookshelf and my rocking chair. Along that right wall is also my SmartBoard and piano. On the far left you see the new SmartBoard that will soon be replacing the one bum one on my wall. The giant atrocity that my tv is on will hopefully be gone by the end of the year. Our schools are removing all the tv's (and their stands) since by the end of this year, all classrooms will have a SmartBoard. Straight ahead is a cubby shelf full of fun little instruments (covered in fun fabric to keep little hands from exploring) and behind that is my desk.
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Closer view of my desk, the drumming table, two of my four student computers, Allie Gator (haven't found a good home for her yet - she's a prop from a previous program), and my word wall. We're still reviewing and prepping new elements at this point so we don't have any words up there yet, but we will soon!
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Looking from the edge of my cubby shelves to my SmartBoard and the door. Currently the only thing I can use that SmartBoard for is to tape pictures to - but that should be changing soon. The spots you see on the floor are velcro pieces with numbers on them. Each kid has his/her own special number that they sit on. My friend Emily used this in her music classes. It works great! To the left of the SmartBoard is our new school song. To the right is our School Creed, our BRAVO Expectations (i.e. school rules), my Bravo Board (also taken from Emily), and a list of rewards to be earned by getting stars on the Bravo Board.
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Continuing on around the room, counterclockwise from the first two pictures. You see the edge of my desk/cubbies to the right, Allie Gator, bookshelves and cabinet unit, and my new SmartBoard. On the floor is my awesome Wenger Footnotes carpet (it has a grand staff on it and interchangeable clefs - it's pretty cool). The two doors in the back of the room are both currently used for storage, though the one with the window is supposed to be a "practice room". I would eventually like to clean it out and actually get some use out of it. Between the doors is my awesome finger puppets stage that I found for less than $5 at Ikea (my favorite place). To the left of the doors is your first glimpse of a magical place called Aria Island.
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And here is Aria Island. The people on this island only understand you if you use your singing voice (even if you need to go to the restroom!). It's so much fun! Beyond that you see more cabinets (that have every Kodaly book I could ever want/need!), my bass bars and some percussion, and my other two student computers.
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There are those two computers to the right, moving to the left from there you see my Wall of Fame (one of my Bravo Board rewards), my dry erase board, my CHAMPs chart (our school-wide way to show classroom rules/procedures. It works really well), my A Team (any child who can sing an "A" by himself without hearing it in class first - another idea from Emily), and the hallway door where we started our tour. Oh, and you also see some of my bigger mallet instruments (I have more in my closet. This place is amazing!)
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I am so enjoying being at this school. I have amazing support (obviously) from my Fine Arts coordinator. I know she's got my back for anything I need. I couldn't ask for a better specials team. The faculty and staff as a whole are some of the kindest and most welcoming people I've ever met, and the kids are well, they're just kids, and you can't ask for more than that. There are some brilliant kids here and some that we are working hard to get help for. And every single one of them just need to be shown that someone cares about them and loves them. It's not an easy job, but it is so rewarding. I can't imagine myself doing anything else or in a better place. I am truly blessed.
Instrumentalists have a routine they go through when preparing to play a rehearsal or performance. Getting the horn out of the case, checking its parts, cleaning and oiling (if necessary), and then playing a series of notes/scales/passages all to make sure they are ready to join the group and play their best. Whether it's conscious or not, most musicians have their own little routine that they go through each time they prepare to play. It's their warm up. 
