Our kids now are stimulated 24/7 by all of the
technology at their fingertips. They are watching Netflix, while snap chatting,
while playing a video game all at the same time! They go from an over
stimulated environment at home, to school where they are expected to be quiet
the majority of their day in the classroom. Music is such a huge part of my
life and I knew it was for my students as well.
The music in my classroom started when I was a
student teacher. I student taught in third grade in a VERY energized classroom
(& by energized I mean CRAZY). One day I just suggested to my Cooperating
Teacher that we play instrumental music on YouTube while the students were
writing. Let me just tell you…IT WAS MAGIC. It instantly lowered the volume
level of the classroom and the students were focused on their writing. That is
when I knew music would be a large part of my future classroom.
Fast forward to my first year of teaching. I would
play “Today’s Hits” on Pandora. I had the censored box checked. I thought I was
good to go! Then, I would hear a familiar song come on. I constantly listen to
music at home, so I was pretty familiar with the songs on the radio. I would
know when a curse word was about to come on. So what did the first year teacher
do? She SPRINTED over to her computer from across the room to turn down the
volume when the word was about to come. Did she make it every time? NO. Did she
accidentally turn the volume back up at the EXACT time the curse word came on?
YES. (True story. It was the “D” word in “See You Again” if you were wondering.
It still haunts me.) At that moment I knew I had to do something different!
I had been making playlists for my friends for years
so why not make one for my classroom? I started creating a “School Playlist” on
iTunes. This was LIFE CHANGING. I no longer needed to run to my computer to
change the song because of a bad word. I had TOTAL control over what was being
played in my classroom. The only problem was finding school appropriate songs!
Who knew this could be so difficult?? So we listened to the same 50 songs for
the entire year.
This year is when I started making my playlists on Spottily
to share with everyone! I shared a video of my students working in my classroom
on Instagram Stories and I got flooded with questions on what music I was
playing and if I could share the playlist. The rest is history! Every song I
hear on the radio, my first thought is, “Does this have any curse words in it?
Is it appropriate for school?” Just ask my mom or my friends! If I am driving I
immediately have them look up the lyrics! I am constantly looking for new songs
to add!
The best Christian Pop, Rap, & Rub music
playlist of new songs, bands, artists, and albums for your enjoyment. The top
list on YouTube & Spottily. Be sure to hit the follow button and subscribe
for more awesome music!
Class Songs — A song we pick to
sing every Friday during our reflection and share time, which we call
"Highs and Lows."
"Breakaway" by
Kelly Clarkson
"The
Climb" by MIley Cyrus
"Lean on Me" by Rockapella
Dance Favourites
"Cotton-Eyed Joe" by Rednex
"Macarena" by Los del Rio — This works
great for teaching multiples of three in math.
"Hoedown Throwdown" by Hannah Montana
"Cha-Cha Slide" by Casper
"Cupid Shuffle" by Cupid
I teach in a school building that is 101 years old.
In addition, it is located on a city block surrounded by busy streets. It
reminds me of the poem “Street Music” by Arnold Adoff. A few times a day
we hear the sirens of the police cars and fire trucks wailing, lawn mowers
mowing, and of course the screaming students playing soccer on the blacktop
right below my third story window during the multiple recess times. While some
are able to block out the noises of the day, with windows open due to high
heat, I struggle. My solution is to play music. I love to play music in my
classroom! I use Rhapsody, a subscription music service, and it has been a hit
with my students. While I mostly play calming music when they work
independently or in small groups by Enya or “Nature Songs” as my students
endearingly call spa-meditation music, I love to introduce my students
to different artists. I like to generate playlists of songs that I know
they might not ever hear if I didn’t play them. I will find videos on You
Tube and allow the students to view an artistic interpretation of the song. A
few of my favourite artists to consistently play in the classroom are Mat
Kearney, John Mayer, and Jack Johnson. With this music service, you can find
the songs that will work in your learning environment, create a playlist, and
it will play until I make it stop.
I will play a random “Brain Break” dance song just
to get the kids out of their seats and shaking their tails. A few favourites
that no one ever admits…Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift…
I would love to hear some of your classroom favourites.
We are always looking for the perfect tunes to enhance our list of classroom
jams.
Stream
two readymade playlists (via Spotify).
They were
curated by d.school creative director, Scott Doorley. Feel free to share them
wildly if you'd like.
The first
list, "Active" is designed to support making and physical activity.
It's meant to occupy that part of the brain that is bent on blocking creative
flow. It's bouncy and upbeat.
The
"Reflective" list features quieter, lower key tunes that can act as
background music for small group discussions or individual work.
All the best teachers know a little secret. Music in
the classroom, played at the right time and in the right way, can set the tone
for focus and creativity in your classroom. Here are 16 classroom Pandora
stations recommended by our We Are Teachers HELPLINE community. Explore and
enjoy!
1. Classical For Studying
“This one is great. I’ve
used it with great success.”—Lacey M.
2. The Piano Guys
“Piano guys! Just piano
versions of today’s hit songs, kids love it!”—Savannah H.
3. Brazilian Radio
4. Bossa Nova
Radio
5. Afrobeat
Radio
“In my classroom we love these three offbeat
stations.”—Jessica E.
6. Fim Scores
Radio
“I use Film Score radio.
It has Batman, Pirates of the Caribbean, Sherlock Holmes, etc. They get pretty
intense and exciting, but still no words.”—Mallory W.
7. Harry
Potter
“I just type in Harry
Potter and it plays the soundtracks of movies.”—Patty H.
Hip-hop itself is a cultural movement that
incorporates not just rap and rhyming but also graffiti painting, deejaying,
and bboying (virile body language that philosopher Cornel West described as “postural
semantics”). In addition to those four elements, Afrika Bambaataa insisted that
“knowledge of self” is the official fifth element of hip-hop culture.
While rap music is complex and offers varying
content and context–some not suitable for the classroom–there are many songs
that are not only PG but are poignant, poetic, and applicable. We’ve put
together a hip-hop playlist of songs that are not just clean in their lyrics
but also empowering, uplifting, and thoughtful in their messages. Get the
playlist and read about each song below.
The most useful application in the classroom is that
a smart playlist will find songs you haven’t listened to recently and play
those first, keeping your classroom music from growing stale.
For example, I have a smart playlist that
automatically pulls in all songs in the “classical” genre that do not have a
“one star” rating.
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