Music Teachers! I have something for you that will FOREVER change the way you teach! A vast majority of people do not understand the amount of time and effort that goes into teaching elementary music. Most of the time, we see our students once a week for 30-60 minutes. That means, in a perfect world, we only see them 36 times in a year. Of course that never happens because of absences, snow days, and who knows what else. We also plan for MULTIPLE grade levels each week, plan at least one program a year (usually more like 4-6 programs), and have after school duties and performance groups to rehearse.
And y’all…that’s just the beginning. Most weeks, there aren’t enough hours in the day to finish everything on your to do list. Until NOW.
I want to share a NEW lesson structure that will actually change the way you view your instructional time called Student Directed Learning (SDL). While this may be a normal thing for classroom teachers, it is a foreign concept to most music teachers. Whole group instruction is NOT the only way to teach in an elementary music setting. You can get through all your standards and accomplish everything on your to do list by putting this lesson structure into place.
How it Works
In my classroom, 75-80% of the lesson is STUDENT-LED. My kiddos work independently to accomplish an individual or group task. While they are working, I am able to complete assessments, pull small groups for focused work, and so much more! More on this in a future blog post!
Before you ask, yes I do whole group teaching. However, my whole group lesson only lasts about 10-15 minutes. Of course there are some exceptions, but I try my best to keep most lessons this short. This gives my students a solid 30 minutes of independent work.
I know what you’re thinking. How in the world am I going to get through all my standards if I’m only teaching for 10 minutes?! Instead of talking to them for an hour, get your lesson in quick, then let them independently experience and create! They will absolutely understand any concept better this way!
Why it’s Powerful
I could list 100,000 reasons why this lesson structure changed my teaching forever. Ain’t nobody got time for that, though! Let me give you my favorites:
- My students are accountable for their own learning and participation. After a short mini-lesson, I send them to their spots to begin working on the assignment for the day. If they choose not to participate, then they’ll be back later to finish it (usually during their recess time). I can tell you, however, that I rarely have that problem.
- I can spend time focusing on individual assessment and relationships with students. If I am teaching the entire 50 minutes, there’s a good chance that I won’t talk to an individual student the entire time. Sure, they’ll answer a question, or play a rhythm for me. But when they are working independently, I can work with one student on a concept they have been struggling with. Then I can pull another student who has been acting a little off for the past couple of weeks and find out what’s up with them. How often do you get to do these things RIGHT NOW in your classroom? I bet the answer is not often.
- My classroom runs itself. Let that sink in for a second. MY CLASSROOM RUNS ITSELF. If I am absent or pulled from my classroom for some reason, my students can continue learning while any adult is present. I don’t have to tell you how big of a deal this is.
Let’s Get Started!
This month on the blog and on YouTube, I’ll be going SUPER in depth about my process for student directed learning in the elementary music classroom. To get you started though, I’ve created a FREE GUIDE that walks you through my process for Student Directed Learning. This is EXACTLY what I use to plan my lessons each and every week! I break down each part of the lesson (to the minute!) and show you examples of what to do!
Once you’ve downloaded your free guide to SDL in the elementary music classroom, DM me over on Instagram @musicfromb2z and let me know how it’s going! I can’t wait to see what amazing lessons you’re going to create with this new structure!
