Each year in the spring I teach a unit about the Instrument Families. It is the perfect time of year to introduce the instruments, especially since the fifth grade is preparing to transition into band or orchestra at middle school in the Fall. Our local band and orchestra teachers visit my fifth grade classes during […]
Problems – we all have them! The important thing is learning how to work through our problems and take steps to solve them. Each school year, I spend two weeks in my classroom singing and discussing the super power word “Problem Solving”. At the beginning of music class, we sing the song “Problem Solving” […]
The Lotus Arts and Education Foundation from Bloomington, Indiana brings music and the talents of many artist from all around the world to our local communities and schools. The Lotus Foundation was established in 1994 and is named in part to honor Indiana musician Quinten Lotus Dickey. The mission of Lotus is “to create opportunities […]
My husband and I are visiting our oldest daughter Bethany and her husband Tomo in Japan during my spring break. Bethany has lived in Tokyo for three and a half years. We enjoy all the different cultural things to see and do while in Tokyo. Japan has such a huge selection of places to go […]
Our podcast group from Lincoln Elementary “What’s Up Lincoln?” has officially posted its first podcast on Trojan radio at Lincoln Elementary School’s website under the student tab. If you would like to hear the podcast please follow this link. This podcast is about tongue twisters. The children had a lot of fun trying to say the […]
Every March 1st, schools across country celebrate “Read Across America Day”! We are celebrating the creative writer of children’s books, Theodore Seuss Gisel, a.k.a Dr. Seuss. Theodore was born in 1904 and died in 1991 at the age of 87. Theodore, better know as “Ted” to his friends, was a magazine cartoonist who officially took […]
Ah, isn’t it nice to feel comfortable in doing what you do on a daily basis? I think we all enjoy feeling like we have accomplished a certain level of expertise in our lives – teaching, cooking, sewing, playing an instrument, or whatever your gifted area is. I’m a music teacher and have grown up […]
Valentines Day is such a fun holiday! I have fond memories of decorating a little brown paper bag with hearts and flowers to hold valentines that I would receive from my classmates. I also love the heart-shaped candy and Valentine party that I anticipated with great joy with my classmates! Valentine’s day is the best […]
Since the beginning of the year, my Lincoln Elementary students and I have met two times to work on the podcast I talked about starting on the first of January. One of our classes was cancelled due to the snowy, icy winter weather we are experiencing in Indiana. It has been a bit of a […]
Courage is defined as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, or pain, without fear.” Life is filled with moments where each one of us is faced with a choice to step out of our comfort zone and be brave. Sometimes life forces these moments upon us such […]
Another year is past and a new year is here! I always like the beginning of a new year – completely blank pages that we can fill with our hopes and dreams. So many of us make many resolutions and goals, only to keep them for a few weeks, then return to our old habits […]
I just love Christmas music! Even though I start to look for new Christmas arrangements or write Christmas music and programs in June to plan ahead for choir and school, I still love singing the songs in December! Christmas music strikes such an emotion of happy memories for me when singing “Joy to the World”, […]