Reflection #8

What? I think that it's very important that music is used in the classroom to help teach. I know that many of the things I've remembered over the years, including things I learned in class, were things that we're put to a song and easy to remember. Putting something difficult to learn into a song helps your brain to be able to memorize and remember something better and for a longer time period. I think it's important to help children and coach them in singing and make it so it's not a competition. If they feel like they have to sing the best then those who can't sing well won't sing.

So What? I'm worried about incorporating music into the classroom and teaching my students to sing because, even though I know it's important, I cannot sing well at all. But, I will do my best to incorporate music because I know how important it is and how much it can help kids learn and remember a concept.

Now What? I plan to get a lot of CD's with songs on them so I can practice singing myself and also to play in the background while I'm teaching a song so I don't teach them wrong if I can't sing in tune. I also think that using some of the games we learned in class are something that I can use to help me practice and become more confident in my own singing and to help me be able to sing better. I really like the idea of singing the whole song for the students and not just putting up a poster with the words or singing one line over and over then the next and so on. It was very easy to learn the song when it was sung all the way through many times and then we started singing parts of it.