There was nothing planned today. Nothing. Only a blank lesson plan. I know, kinda sad. We usually have an art project going and various centers open and the children play and create things during our morning. I didn’t feel like that today. So, today we did music – which the children loved! Don’t get me wrong, I try to do a little music each day – but not like we did it today. Today we used our musical instruments and dancing ribbons. Unfortunately, this isn’t something we do a lot. They are stored in a cupboard and I tend to forget we have them. But not today – today they came out on all their glory!
The children had a blast dancing with the ribbons and playing instruments. I liked watching how some children tried to move their bodies differently to get the ribbons to move a certain way. And I loved the way the children with the instruments paraded around the class as if they were in a band. They really enjoyed themselves…and so did I. This entertained them for almost an hour! I was surprised…but happy!
After our musical instruments and dancing ribbons – we continued our musical day by putting in a CD with songs that told us what to do or how to dance. I like these because it makes the children listen and think about what they are going to do. Nice sometimes. Usually for this type of music activity we turn to one of our favorite artists Greg & Steve. The children love them! But today we did another CD. We put in Stephanie Burton’s Wiggle Worm Workout. This is another CD we love a lot! We love the way that almost every song has a different tempo and it isn’t so over-produced that you can’t understand the words. It’s simple, clear, and fun! We almost did the entire CD before we had to go to lunch. This is definitely a CD I would recommend to other teachers.
So, even though today wasn’t planned – everyone still had a good time! No misbehavior or time-outs the entire morning! I think it’s a miracle! Trust me, looking back – I can hardly believe it myself. But then again, we all know that happy, engaged children don’t really have the need to act out. Now, on to the weekend…
Teaching to Dream 