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The following was originally published September 16, 2009 at http://hopemusic.wikispaces.com/page/diff/home/89112535

Welcome to Hope Music! {myclassroom}

The following was originally published October 12, 2009 at http://miss-noel.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-4th-to-6th-graders-are-resisting.html My 4th to 6th graders are resisting singing like the Plague... Yikes. They are so quiet and seem like they just don't want to sing when choir day comes. It's sad. There's got to be a trick in the book somewhere that will get them to want to sing again. I just have to get their attention somehow... How to do it? THAT is the question.

The following was originally published November 20, 2009 at http://miss-noel.blogspot.com/2009/11/im-sorry-that-i-havent-updated-in-last.html I'm sorry that I haven't updated in the last few weeks. There has been so much going on that it's made it a little difficult to get on here and post! I have been learning a lot. We are getting ready for the Christmas program. WOW! That has taken up so much more time than I ever thought possible! It's going well though and I'm actually starting to get excited for the concert. The kids are starting to sound really good! I have been learning a lot about catering to the needs of specific students who are struggling too. I've made phone calls home, been busy makings copies of music for students to take home, etc. I think it is helping however. It's a good feeling to see problems getting resolved and students making progress that were once struggling! I made some changed to our schedule that helped my students as well. I was trying to focus on too many things each week. I needed to slow down and focus on just a couple of things. I'm seeing much better progress in my students after this change! WHAT A BIG CHANGE! Even with all of this, I still am hard on myself (and my students) too much, get frustrated, and feel like there are not enough hours in a day! I've even had a couple of meltdowns recently. The life of a first year teacher! YIKES! It keeps getting easier, but I hope that my teaching life will continue to calm down even more. It sure can be stressful at times. It is rewarding however and I think that this year will continue to improve!

The following was originally published October 8, 2009 at [|http://miss-noel.blogspot.com/2009/10/invasion-of-string-instruments.html] Today was a good day! I brought in my cello and violin to play for the 2nd graders. I was nervous playing the cello and messed up at first. It worked out though. They understood when I told them I was nervous. They're so sweet. One of them even said "Is this the first time you have played in front of kids?" On my cello it was. I'm much more familiar with my violin. I guess it was an important step for me today too! :)

My instruments were still out when the 3rd grade came in so they wanted to see them too. It was just a little spur of the moment change in the day, but well worth it. It was great to see their eyes light up. The 3rd grade had SOOOO many questions and kept standing up, moving closer, and coming up to try and ask questions. I kept trying to tell them "If you have a question, go back to your seat and raise your hand", but they were so excited they just kept forgetting. Whew! That was draining. You can imagine all of the questions I got. My brain hurts now, but I'm smiling because I know that I made their day today. Also, today was possibly the first time some of these students have ever seen (or heard) a violin or cello in person. That's pretty cool! :)

P.S. Oh, and by the way... when I played cello for the third graders, I did MUCH better! Aren't milestones wonderful!

The following was originally published October 2, 2009 at []

Today was homecoming day... wow. I didn't know that this was such a big deal here! The day was great, but I did have an issue with my sophomores not doing what I asked them to though. I just couldn't get them to cooperate during cleanup. They refused to pick up the candy off the ground around our float. On accident, I even got bonked in the head with a huge, heavy, Cream of Bulldog soup can (don't ask...). Let's just hope I don't have a concussion now. My head hurts and I have a nice red mark on my face from it.

Anyway, this week was interesting. A handful of my 5th graders came to me at chorus and were telling me that some of their classmates were saying things like "you can't sing worth anything" during other school activities... So, we had a talk and hopefully that will do the trick. I'm really searching to find the thing that will help these kids love singing and make them believe that they CAN do it. I haven't found it yet, but I'm going to keep trying! They are sounding so much better. I don't want to give up on it!

Lesson planning continues to get easier and quicker. I feel like I'm settling in more and more every week. We are having fun in class and the kids seem to be enjoying themselves. There are a few places that I'm going to have to back up and go over with them, especially note reading, but they really are doing well! We have great kids at this school and I'm really liking Hope! :)

The following was originally published September 24, 2009 at http://miss-noel.blogspot.com/2009/09/5th-grade-revelation.html I just had a very important revelation while having chorus this morning with my wonderful group of 5th graders. They sang better for me today then they ever have. It seemed like things were clicking for them that I'd been trying to tell them for weeks. They told me later in the class that they were sitting by their friends. I told them to sit in their assigned rows-which they didn't do (don't worry I did correct them about not following directions!). I didn't noticed this until they said something. I asked them why they thought sitting by their friends helped them. They said they felt that their friends wouldn't laugh at them (besides, it's more fun to sit by friends). Wow. They really weren't singing before because they thought others in the class might make fun of them. Hmmm. Powerful thought.

SO, we made a deal that they could sit by friends as long as they do what they need to in class. Oh, and I think a little team building amoungst the 5th grade music class is in order as well. I don't want them feeling so self-conscious about their voices. When they relax, they really do sing well!

WOW, it took a class full of 5th graders pulling a fast one on me to help me see the light!

The following was originally published September 23, 2009 [] Hello everyone, My name is Miss Noel. I'm the new music teacher at Hope School here in Kansas. I have been here at Hope a little over a month now and things are finally able to start smoothing out. Everyone warns you that your first year will be a challenge, but it has still surprised me at moments. Lesson planning takes up way more time then I expected and it seems like my mind is absorbed in school a lot! I have been continuing to work at getting things down on a list so that the little things don't escape me... There is so much to think about and get done! Also, I have been needing a lot of patience... SO many questions and voices coming at me all at once. Let me just say, if you need to become more patient...try being a teacher! It's something that I'm trying to improve on every day!

We have been busy over the last 4 weeks. The older students have spent a lot of time drumming, singing, as well as working on recorders and Xylophones. The younger ones have been learning about how music goes up and down, steps, skips, repeats, and has long sounds and short sounds. We've learned all this while singing, dancing, and playing instruments!

I really do enjoy my new place here at Hope School. And just to think... my new adventure has only just begun!

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