Classroom Management for Elementary General Music (Before the Sticker Charts)

What are some of your procedures for classroom management? I am most nervous about this. I want to build relationships with my students and have something set up that will give them a beneficial musical experience without focusing on anything negative.

Hi Victoria! I am going into my first year of teaching this August (music k-4 of course) and would really appreciate any tips/classroom management strategies that you have :) I love all of your videos, too!! They have helped me feel more prepared and given me some ideas of my own.

 
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This is a subject for a whole book, and with very good reason.

Today we won’t cover every best practice of classroom management. But we will look at the elemental building blocks of a well-run music classroom.

Assumptions

Before we begin, let’s set the backdrop for this conversation.

  • Let’s assume you like your students and that they like you.

  • Let’s assume you communicate to your students in a way that is respectful and in a way that models how you want them to communicate with you - we don’t snap at students, we don’t raise our voice when we’re upset, we don’t use sarcasm. Our words and our demeanor are uplifting, even as we redirect behavior.

  • Let’s assume you’re in a healthy headspace and that you have behavioral management over your own self (there’s no mental health interview for teachers, and teaching can be a taxing job.)

Appropriate Expectations

  • How long is it reasonable to expect students to sit still?

  • How long is it reasonable to expect students to stay focused on a specific task?

  • How long is it reasonable to expect students to be silent instead of talking?

    • Developmentally, what is the role of conversation and social interaction to this student?

  • What is a reasonable level of impulse control?

  • Note: Just because it’s developmentally appropriate doesn’t mean its appropriate in every situation. Our jobs are still to help guide students to situationally-appropriate behavior. But having our own expectations set on the front end can help us make some nuanced decisions.

  • It is developmentally appropriate for students to push boundaries (talk, to move around, to lose focus, to play loudly on instruments, to run, to care about being first). Our job is to respond in a way that is also developmentally appropriate.

  • Every lesson needs a developmentally and culturally-appropriate combination of: Movement, choice, social interaction.

Redirect to an Action, not an Inaction

  • Active music room (research on 5th grade behavior)

  • What should students be doing? (Joshua Block lesson plan)

  • Create as many opportunities as possible for student choice

  • Partner with students - what are students naturally motivated to do?

    • It’s developmentally appropriate to talk - the answer isn’t “no talking.” The answer is that there are specific times in the class for group work where you need to talk to get something done!

    • It’s developmentally appropriate to move - include lots and lots of movement.

    • Every lesson needs a developmentally and culturally-appropriate combination of: Movement, choice, social interaction.

Every Class: Levels of Re-direction

  1. You are the narrator - narrate before there’s a problem in a way that is genuine. Direct your attention purposefully.

  2. Use a quiet signal

  3. Eye contact and a smile

  4. Proximity (respectful)

    1. If you’re already a teacher who moves around the room, this is helpful

  5. Discrete verbal redirection

How do you want to be redirected at a staff meeting? Can you remember a time in school when you were redirected?

To Do on A Really Bad Day

  • Write the names of students who are following directions, being kind to each other, doing their best. This is not a public list, and students don’t know what you’re writing. At the end of class that list goes to the classroom teacher.

    • This changes our headspace. From there, we can move toward repairing whatever damage just happened.

  • Ask the student to stay after class.

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