Imagine having students who can’t wait for music, dance, or drama classes. Imagine feeling confident in your lessons. Imagine your school community recognizing the positive impact of arts education because of you.
It IS possible to teach the performing arts effectively, even if you’re not a specialist. All it takes is a willing heart, and the right resources.
Easy first day of music class tips for non-music teachers
First day of music class activities for elementary The first day of a new school year can be stressful for any teacher, but it can be even more nerve wracking when you are teaching a subject that is not in your wheelhouse. Many teachers are asked to teach music...
Solfege Lesson Plans – A Beginner Guide to Teaching Solfege
Looking for Solfege Lesson Plans? Solfege is an important building block in elementary music, but if you're not a specialist it may seem overwhelming. Luckily, solfege isn't actually that hard to learn and it can make your music lesson plans more interactive and fun,...
Improv activities for elementary students will solve all your drama problems
Improv activities will make your drama lessons better There is a very common misconception that teaching elementary drama is all about kids reading from a script. I can't tell you how many times I've seen pre-made rubrics that focus on things like "memorizing your...
Tips for using tableau effectively in elementary drama
"Tableau" is a drama term that you may have heard before, even if you aren't an experienced drama teacher. But what is it really, and how can you use it effectively in your drama lessons? What is tableau? Tableau is essentially a freeze-frame of a scene. Instead of...
Teacher’s Guide to the Grade 1 Music Curriculum
Music Lessons for Grade 1 The grade 1 music curriculum is all about setting up a strong foundation in basic concepts. Duration (Rhythm) in Grade 1 Beat vs RhythmFast & slow tempo2/4 and 4/4 metresquarter note, eighth note, quarter restrhythmic ostinato Melody /...
Easy Instruments of the Orchestra Lesson Plans
Elementary students love learning about different instruments! Whether you're teaching in person, hybrid, or online, here are some great resources for teaching timbre and the instruments families of the orchestra. If you're planning a teaching unit on the instrument...
Primary Drama Activities: Guided Role Play
Drama Activities for Kindergarten to Grade 2 Teaching drama to very young children can be a huge challenge, especially since they aren't able to read well enough to follow a script and aren't quite ready for the high-level thinking required for conventional...
Quick Black History Month Music Lessons: Louis Armstrong & Scatting
Black History Month Music Lessons: Louis Armstrong & Scatting Looking for some quick Black History Month music lessons for your classes? Here's a quick jazz music lesson based on Louis Armstrong and scatting. Introduction to Louis Armstrong Teaching Points: Louis...
Teaching Music Online – Tips & Ideas
Although any subject is difficult to teach online, teaching music online has to be one of the most difficult. When so many of the curriculum expectations require not only interaction but also performance, having students on the other side of a screen can seem like an...
Teaching Dance Online – Tips & Resources
How to teach elementary dance during distanced learning Considering how most teachers teach the subject of dance, pivoting it to online can be really hard to wrap your head around. Here are some tips and resources for keeping your online dance lessons meaningful and...