Printed from the MusicK8.com Idea Bank

Getting Set-Up As A Mobile Music Teacher

Submitted by Susan Simandle, Frankfort, Kentucky

Idea posted 2004-04-27

Here are some suggestions for setting up as a mobile music teacher:

Discipline - Insist on a seating chart from every teacher, especially at the beginning of the year when you need to refresh your memory. With kindergarten, you will want a new chart every time the students change seating.

Preferred Books/Instruments - It helps to focus on singing and classroom percussion instruments. This is also a good time to do recorders. Teach the songs you plan to do with Orff instruments so your students already know them, and you can spend your time on the instruments. If you have one section of each grade, or teachers who are willing to get the books moved from place to place, then books are ok. The teachers should move the the books BEFORE you need them for the next class.

Not Having A Place To Practice - Keep all speaking parts limited to one class, and have the other classes sing. Also keep to VERY simple riser choreography for programs.

Supplies -

A good CD player and something to hold CDs in
An extension cord, preferably longer than six feet
A container to hold pencils, pens, paper clips, Post-Its, folders, paper, lip gloss (my lips get really dry), Band-Aids, Tylenol, allergy medicine, and Prozac.
Several baskets to hold rhythm instruments (Figure out some way to stack them.)
Hooks on the side of your cart to keep your plans/seating charts (on clipboards) organized.
Plenty of magnets: Glue something musical on them so the ones you forget will get back to you. Make sure the magnets are strong enough to hold your posters, and remember to keep them away from your DVDs, CDs, hard drive, TV/computer monitors, etc.
A container for water. (A child's sippy cup is good; they can't spill, and some look quite stylish.)