Classroom Pics!

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.

Food for Thought

More about this soon. Stay tuned!

Donors Choose Update

Yet again, within hours of posting, ALL THREE projects from teachers at my new school are FULLY FUNDED! Thanks to all who gave or shared! You are making a difference!

If you didn't have the opportunity to contribute this time around, I know of several more projects from my teacher friends (and maybe one or two of my own) that will be posted soon. Stay tuned!

New Donors Choose Projects

Many of you remember my own Donors Choose project from last spring, "Help Us Hear the Sounds of Music." That project was so successful that it was funded within the first 48 hours! Because of that, many people who would have gladly pitched in did not get the chance. Well, here is your chance!

While I do not have a current DC project of my own, here are several projects from teachers in my new school that could use your help. Since, as a music teacher, I see every student in the school, these projects directly affect my own students. Please check out my giving page and consider supporting these projects and my students by donating or sharing this page with others. Thank you for making a positive impact on the life of these children!

My Giving Page

(cross posted on our family blog, The Stewarts' Little Family)

Getting Ready

I'm in love! Seriously! But I can't decide what I'm in love with. I don't know if it's my cute-as-a-button school building (built in the early 50's, it has a certain charm), the great "backyard"/playground (that reminds me so much of Camp, btw), having my own classroom, the AMAZING faculty, or just the excitement of a new school year. Or maybe it's all of those things. One thing is for sure, there is nothing on earth that I would rather be doing than preparing myself for the upcoming school year. I have truly found my calling.

I feel like I fit in so well here - even more than I did in Odessa! The teachers here are so passionate about what we do, so inviting and welcoming of new people (me!) and ideas, and just crazy enough to let go and sing and dance to Princess Pat with me! I've only just met these people, and already I feel like I belong! I can't begin to tell you what a wonderful relief and exciting feeling that is! I just know this school year is going to be amazing! Now if I can just finish my classroom and survive another week of inservice we'll be ready to go. Countdown to the kiddos: 9 days!

New Ideas

Well, summer's drawing to a close and I'm getting excited (and admittedly a little nervous) about the coming school year. Brandon and I are finally in our new house and, now that we're somewhat settled, I'm ready to start lesson planning, organizing, and preparing my new classroom. I have only seen it once (when I interviewed) and, though I've been by the school several times since, I have not been able to go in. Gah! I want to get started!

In the meantime, I've been gathering my things, and finding some super cute manipulatives and new ideas. My two favorite things that I'll be going in with are from Ikea and Bobby McFerrin (of all things). :D

With my younger kiddos, one of the biggest things I work to develop and identify is "steady beat." I use heart icons a lot for this (since a heart "beats") and the kids really seem to relate to it. When I went to Ikea a few days ago to get some kitchen stuff, I just had to look around the kids' section. I found the most perfect thing for steady beat! It's a huge plush heart pillow with arms and big plush hands! I can just see my little ones hugging the heart and using its hands to keep a "steady beat"! It couldn't be more perfect if a music teacher had come up with it! It's my own version of Emily's "Steady Freddy"! Now it just needs a name . . . what do you think?
My other new idea came from a video posted from the 2009 World Science Festival. Bobby McFerrin demonstrates how anyone, anywhere can have a basic understanding of the pentatonic scale. I just saw this today, but I'm already working on a way to incorporate this into one of my choir programs this year. How cool would it be to have my choir sing a little solfege melody while the audience provides the accompaniment! I can't wait to try!

Here's the video.

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

School's Out for Summer!

Last week was the official end of the school year here in Odessa, and thus the official end of my first year of teaching. I can't believe how quickly it flew by! There are so many things I want to say, and I may (when I get the time) do a nice long wrap-up post. For now, here's a quick overview of what's to come in the next few weeks/months in this teacher's life.

Starting tomorrow I will be spending two weeks in Lubbock, TX working toward my Level 2 Kodaly certification. I've been desperately trying to finish up and organize everything for my year-long homework that I have to turn in soon. Plus, I'm having to pack to live in a dorm for these two weeks. Ugh - I thought my dorm-days were long gone. Other than the dorm thing, and, of course, the whole leaving-the-hubby-and-puppy-for-two-weeks thing, I'm really looking forward to this. I learned so much last summer and I can't wait to start soaking things in again now that I have a year of teaching under my belt.

Not long after Kodaly ends, Brandon and I are picking up and moving to our first house just outside of Denton, TX! He will be starting his doctorate in music at UNT and I will be getting to know a whole new school full of kiddos at Burks Elementary in McKinney. It was hard to say goodbye to my kids and all my teacher friends here in Odessa last week, but I am so excited to get things started at Burks! I'm sure there will be many more posts about it as the new school year gets closer. Until then . . . "stay tuned"!