Check out this PBS segment promoting arts education.

https://vimeo.com/55299494

Tragedy for all of us.

My family is praying for and remembering the victims and their families of the horrific school shooting on Friday, December 14th 2012. As a parent and educator, I can't imagine the intense pain the families must be going through and I continue to think of them and pray for them many times each day.

Do you ever find yourself excited to start a new activity or song with your students and then present too much at once and it's a huge flop? Well, that's what happened to me last Thursday. I was excited to start the Winter Circle Song last week and I put out all the stations at once and well to be honest, it was quite a mess.
Friday, I smartened up and only had students play the boomwhacker parts in first and second grade and boomwhacker plus the simplified bell parts in 3rd and 4th grade.  I played the other parts on the xylophone. We even were able to randomely pick different students to play the solo bell part and then end with one final dramatic note on my cue. The kids liked it a lot and they were eager to play over and over with new bell solo players each time. Now I can slowly add more and more over the next few weeks and hopefully perform it at our winter show.
Thanks for visiting. I hope your winter songs and shows go well this season.