NJEA CONVENTION 2021

UNPACKING MUSIC CLASS DURING THE COVID YEARS: TOOLS & INSIGHTS

We are unpacking the transition of online class to the return of in person instruction. Participants share helpful instructional tools and insights developed during pandemic teaching. 

Presenter & Fellow Music Educator: Liz Perryman spintoliz68@gmail.com 

Judd Elementary Music Teacher PreK-4th North Brunswick, New Jersey

Class Contents will be uploaded at: https://akintsucrooner.wordpress.com/ 

1. What do you teach?  How long have you been teaching?
2. What made you become a teacher?
3. What did the shutdown look like for you at your school?
4. Did you transition to hybrid after virtual or go right to live teaching?
5. What does your schedule look like now that we are back?
6. How do you run ensembles?
7. What are your covid protocols?
8. What is the most important thing you have learned from this ordeal?
9. What is one of your favorite moments?
10. Any advice to share?

During Shutdown: (All virtual) March 2020-January 2021

1. Held rehearsals on google hangout/stayed as continuous as possible for some normalcy
2. Taught by rote/students gave solo examples
3. Sang songs from different musicals each week and posted on blog/google classroom.
4. Did a play online (live on google meets)
5. Each sunday did “music in the kitchen”; a musical food lesson https://juddsong.blog/2020/06/14/music-note-picnic-musicinthekitchen-june142020/ 
6. Unison singing/some partner songs
7. Gave 20 minute lessons to singers who did solos in winter concert (approx 20)
8. Make a 20 min audio visual lesson on youtube basically teaching how I do live (warmups/movement song/steady beat song emphasis/novelty song) and assigned students an extension activity (chrome music lab/music notation activities/state fun facts for 50 nifty/president fun facts for presidents rap etc)
9. Posted audio visual of songs for students to review on blog/google classroom
10. Posted weekly lesson run down on blog and google classroom
11. Made daily singalong videos for K-5
12. Videos for music class were:     K-2    3-4
13. Did a summer play and kept the music blog active to keep students involved
14. Monthly sent home snail mail dollar store prize to student showing excellent work https://juddsong.blog/2021/05/08/prize-table-choices-spring2021/ 

During Hybrid: (Some live and some on screen from home) January 2021-June 2021

1.  Continued to hold rehearsals on google hangout/stayed virtual for safety
2. I went to the classes on a cart. Decked out my cart 😉
3. Taught lesson in halves (1st half scales/song/notation/2nd half extension activity from song)
4. Taught familiar songs in unison and a couple partner songs
5. Gave outdoor concert in May/distanced seats/kids wore concert tshirts-family among us/all were masked
6. Taught chorus songs with in person students during music class so they could lead
7. Posted audio visual of songs for students to review on blog/google classroom
8. Posted weekly lesson run down on blog and google classroom
9. Held school play on a google meet so it was live/ worked well/didn’t sing for play just acting/did a virtual google meet live performance for K-2 and 3-4 during special
10. Monthly sent home snail mail dollar store prize to student showing excellent work https://juddsong.blog/2021/05/08/prize-table-choices-spring2021/ 
11. Lesson Run Down: https://juddsong.blog/2021/05/09/music-class-5-10-5-14-spring2021/
12. Concert Video:  https://juddsong.blog/2021/05/29/family-among-us-spring-concert-video-may2021/ 

Re-Entry (Back in person after 16 months) September 2021 to present

1. I started talking about the program in music class at the beginning of the year. I kinvo’d/sent home fliers to all 3/4th grade families. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TBWe66FijypSE3r4nJrbqYDaY0eNy9Pk55cmUoD7P7U/edit 
2. I chose mostly familiar and popular songs the kids love.  Adding some easy rounds for morale boosting/beginning part singing.
3. Rehearsals: Meeting before school & 1 lunch recess a week for students who can’t make AM.  Each group has approx 20 kids.     Mon P1 4th     Tues P1 3rd     Wed P2 4th     Thurs P2 3rd
4. Students are masked and spread out on the risers, seats, and floor.
5. Groups for rehearsal are not larger than class size at one time.
6. Students had to sign up on google doc in order to come to rehearsal.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q3HoTvjFNRZ-e33Ni-ThsI-w3_c-4hKDsR2gIfPKDxQ/edit 

7. I am adding solos/candlelights and auxiliary percussion for incentives. 
8. I use the wheel for rehearsal behavior modification. https://juddsong.blog/2021/09/06/music-room-wheel-coming-soon-20212022/ 
9. Part singing rebuilding is coming along at the end of October. https://youtu.be/3NNIOzQQZmA 3rd and 4th much closer in ability 
10. We will hopefully have our live December concert for school and families.  I will plan on recording it a couple weeks before in case we have to go virtual and need a recording.

(Prize box incentive separated by type with less inside.)