First Field Reflection #10

What:
Meeting for class on Monday, and being in the elementary school 4th grade classroom on Wednesday was quite a switch. I enjoyed hearing all the ways to incorporate information to be learned into a song.
On Wednesday, Jessica and I were with our 4th graders from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A full day with it being early out day. It was great to see an entire day of what a teacher has to go through. During the "morning meeting" all of the children sat in a circle in an open area in the back of the classroom and part of the meeting was that the children had been assigned to come up with actions to go along with a song written about the water cycle.
So What:
During this water cycle song, the children were quite creative coming up with motions to go along with the concepts of evaporation, condensation and precipitation. Some came up with a partner (which enabled some students who may normally have been too shy to come up alone to more easily participate ). I loved it!
Now What:
I truly think music in the classroom has an important role in helping students learn in every aspect. It is so much easier to connect information to something if there is music attached to it. I substituted first grade today (friday) and even sang a song to the tune "If you're happy and you know it" with the following words..."The first thing on your paper is your name, (repeat), If it doesn't have your name, then they all look the same. The first thing on your paper is your name." Another one I sung to have the children go to sit on the carpet was "Everybody have a seat, have a seat, have a seat. Everybody have a seat on the floor. Not on the ceiling, not on the door, everybody have a seat on the floor." Both songs worked wonderfully and the children would sing along.
I plan to continue this practice when I soon have my own classroom!

~JaNae