As of my writing this, many of us have been told that we are starting the new school year online. How can we improve upon our journey through virtual learning last Spring? This remains uncharted territory for so many of us, though I am convinced that, as educators, we are the best equipped to dive into the unknown for the benefit of our students’ learning and well-being!
In today’s blog post, I am going to share with you a few tips for planning and creating an interactive and engaging First day of Music for your students! Even if it is online 😉
Introduce Yourself to New Families with a Newsletter
I cannot imagine being those sweet Kindergarten babies and their families who are starting school this year with everything that is going on in the world! Similarly, to those students who have moved to a new school this year, it is crucial to make a positive first impression when introducing yourself to your new students and their families.
With the usual events like “Meet the Teacher Night” likely going virtual this year, how can you still provide a way for these new students and families to connect with you?
Here are a few approachable ways you could welcome new kiddos to your school!
A “Meet the Teacher” or “Welcome Newsletter”
- Post this on your Google Classroom
- Email it to them
- Post it on your website
- You can find the template above here
Make a Presentation
- Introduce Yourself – video or written
- Tell them what to expect in Music
- Include pictures of the music room they will be in eventually!
- Above is a presentation I created for our Special’s Teachers Presentation, feel free to use it!
There are so many ways to help new students put a face to the name and help them to feel more at ease for their first music lesson!
Intro to Online Music Presentation
Normally, I would start the year off with my Rules and Procedures presentation, but I think I am going to save that for when we get in the classroom.
Instead, I am opting for an “Intro to Online Music” Presentation. It will contain:
- Introduce yourself with lots of pictures
- Tell them what you did during summer (I mean more like quarantine 🤣)
- Online/Live Lesson Expectations
- Schedule and What to Expect
Want a template for this? Join my email list to grab this freebie! If you are already part of the email crew, it is in your Freebie Library!
First Day Online Activities
It can be really easy to get overwhelmed here, but I would encourage you to reflect on your favorite first day lessons. Then, brainstorm how you could digitize these activities.
Here’s an example!
Below is my usual First day for 4th – 6th grade (I have 30 minutes – Time FLIES):
- Movement Activity (Follow the Leader, Locomotor movements, etc.)
- Seating Chart
- Rules Presentation
- “Musically Me” Worksheet
Here is how I could modify this lesson for an online setting:
Movement Activity
- Film a video for your students to follow along to
Presentation
- Create a PowerPoint/Google Slides presentation
- Screen record you presenting it using Screencastify or Loom
“Musically Me”
- As you can see above, I made a Digital version of this worksheet
- Add text boxes for the students to add their own answers
Bonus…we don’t need a seating chart! (Whew!)
With a little bit of creativity, we can adapt many of our favorite activities so that they can work in a virtual/digital setting! My hope is that this post provided you with a few ideas as you plan for the beginning of the new school year.
Take a deep breath – you can do this!
