Submitted by Patricia Oeste, NBCT, Conway, Arkansas

Idea posted November 7, 2003

I have had great success with a warm-up song that I am using for all of my older classes this year. As they enter the doorway, I begin chanting (like in the army):

Come on in and have some fun
(class echoes)
Music class has just begun
(class echoes)
Time to sing and dance and play
(class echoes)
Music class with Mrs. Oeste
(class echoes, by the way, my name rhymes with play)
Sound off
(class echoes)
Together: Huh, Huh, Huh (SIT)

And then they sit down together!

They love it! It has become a hit. It also gets them in the door quickly, so they march to their spots and stand until after the "huh, huh, huh." After they sit, there is total silence and I begin the day's lesson.