Developing a relationship with your students is at the core of successful teaching. To do this, a teacher must learn and use the names of their students in order to give direct individual feedback. This quick video will provide a few useful strategies.

Never underestimate the affect of 'The Look'. A well-honed look of absolute horror is an amazing way to stop a young student dead in their tracks without a single word. Ruth shares some of her classic looks here. A very effective way to manage behaviour in your younger Primary years.

Question and Answer phrases in musical composition - Maranoa

A short PD video supporting effective teaching practice
Creative solutions for your Primary Music Classroom. The First Nation's Australian song Maranoa offers provides an opportunity for aural analysis, singing and instrumental performance, composition and music literacy. It also offers an opportunity to engage with a First Nation Australian elder in your region.

Prep - 2 Recordings for vocal and instrumental accompaniment
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A short PD video supporting effective teaching practice
Creative solutions for your Primary Music Classroom. The Take Note Music Making Teacher book provides sensitive audio tracks for singing or instrumental accompaniment in the classroom or remote learning. Available as online audio or a disk for CD players, the recordings can also be used for use with a virtual xylophone for remote teaching.

Here are creative solutions for your Primary Music Classroom. 
​Remote Learning Strategies along with the Take Note Music Making Teacher book - a fabulous resource to encourage creativity during online teaching.

The use of Formative Assessment is especially effective in remote teaching. Students are encouraged to 'show their learning' which informs the teacher as to what each child understands. In the classroom it allows for all students to be engaged in the learning, but even more so during remote teaching, where it allows for teachers to engage all students without the need for microphones on - fabulous for Prep - Year 2 students. The teacher must then authentically check the answer by using the 'Let's Check' method. See Ep#10 Teaching Tips & Tea for details.

This week's Teaching Tips and Tea episode showcases two of Ruth's favourite movement resources for teaching early childhood, lower primary and elementary students. This may be a useful tip that you could use in your music classroom! Check out the new video here.

How can we use musical cues (short melodies) to aid transitions in the music classroom. Enable easy, quick transitions from formation to formation or from sitting to moving. From follow the leader at the start of the class, find a partner, find your own space in the room ready to move, form a circle or sit on the mat, these instructions can be musical rather than spoken. The teacher hums, sings or plays the short melody and the students become accustomed to knowing exactly where to move. It's remarkable...especially for those days when you lose your voice!

Embedding Carol Dwek's 'Growth Mindset' into the culture of your classroom or ensemble creates fertile ground for the powerful impact of Dylan Wiliam's 'Formative Assessment' strategies. Learn how the 'Which One?' activity and 'Let's Check' strategies invite students to show their learning, share their thinking and set up learning opportunities to assist students with their understanding.

Exploring Pitch in the early years is loads of fun with these really accessible ideas! Learn how to make the most of these Take Note Music resources and engage your students in rich learning tasks where they develop their understanding of pitch.