Submitted by Peggy Wallan, Eatonville, Washington

Idea posted September 30, 2005

I have NEVER had ANYTHING new in three schools in 15 years, just hand-me-downs. Well, I wanted a white magnetic board for staff, mallet, and other visual icons. I wandered down to my local hardware store and got a couple 2' x 4' pieces of sheet metal. I covered the sheet metal with white contact paper and drew staff lines with permanent marker.

I purchased three or four garment racks per music room over the years. Using 2" binder rings I can hang my pocket charts, charts I've made for flute fingerings and barred instrument setups, and other various posters. I have also hung the magnetic sheets from these garment racks. I find these racks much sturdier than the more expensive and flimsier pocket chart racks with which the classroom teachers are supplied.

I make my icons from craft foam (lots of color selections and some buckets of pre-cut shapes) and use my glue gun to attach little disc magnets on the back. This year I'm making new sets of rhythm icons. For example, for fall I'm using fall-colored foam leaves; for October, foam pumpkins (these are pre-cut examples). Some of the leaves and pumpkins I'll cut in half, some I'll write a "ta-rest" symbol on. To display a rhythm such as good old "ta ta titi ta," I'll put up a leaf, another leaf, two half-leaves, and the last leaf. The kids love playing with these. Having the magnet board on wheels means it can be right in our instructional midst, and not way over on the wall.