Reflection #8: Music

What is music and why should I use music in my elementary school classroom? Music is a really good tool to help children be able to learn and remember information in a fun and interesting way. Music is a great tool or a great mneumonic to help remember and retain information. Using lyrics or words and putting it to a melody can help children and adults remember information for much longer than if they were just reading it out of a textbook. I would use it in my classroom for that reason. It helps them, but most of them really like it and they think it is fun. They can learn while having fun too.

So what are my goals for teaching music for my future students? So what is important for teaching music to children? My goals for teaching music to my future students is to teach them how to effectively sing using the elements of singing. I wish to have to them sing the core as well. I want them to be able to write their own lyrics and music for their projects or assignments and I also wish they can write music of their own to help them in their life. It's important to teach music to children because music truly can speak to children and adults by expressing different types of emotion. It is an art form that can truly touch them and they can learn from the feeling and emotion rather than reading out of a book sometimes. It is a different way to teach children effectively.

Now what do I plan to do to prepare to effectively teach and integrate music into my future classroom? I plan to try to implement at least one song per unit if possible or every other unit, or wherever seems fit to use music appropriately. Also, during transitions of changing subjects during the school day, I wish to share short songs or singing rounds with students. I wish to also have my piano in the classroom so I can play it for the students and have them be a part of the music too. I believe that it helps students to appreciate and want to be more interested in learning and performing music for others and themselves too.