Fermata Friday

Today I'm linking up with Elizabeth from Organized Chaos to bring you a blast from my past, with an idea for a bulletin board that is both practical and fairly easy to set up! If you're a long time reader of my blog, this idea may be old news. However, for those of you who just now stumbled onto my blog looking for fresh ideas--welcome, I'm glad you're here!

IPOD BULLETIN BOARD

Originally published on February 21, 2014

If there is one thing I insist upon when it comes to my bulletin boards, it's that they serve a practical purpose. I want them to be functional for my students as well as myself. While browsing Pinterest one night, I came across a bulletin board featuring ipods. I forget now what the theme of the bulletin board was, but I immediately thought of a way to bring the same thing into my room, and give it a practical use.

Which turned into this...

The picture is a little fuzzy, but you get the idea. I took this picture before the first day of school, after having had only a week to get my classroom ready. This was due to summer construction, which had lasted longer than anticipated. Let's just say that I wasn't too particular about how "pretty" my bulletin boards were. I was just happy to have them up before the students came through the door!

Whether they're perfectly shaped or not, these ipods have become a staple in our room. If you're anything like me, your day is a revolving door of classes, and you can't always remember the song you practiced with the students two months ago. So, if we're waiting in line to leave, I can glance at the list, choose a song, and play "name the tune" until the teacher arrives to pick up the class. Sometimes I'll speak a phrase from a song, and ask them to decode the rhythm. It's important that my students spend every last second in the room actively engaged in music, and these ipods help me to do that.

The best part is how excited the students get when they ask to add a song to their playlist. And because I explain the meaning of "repertoire", they understand that a song can't be added until they're prepared to perform it accurately without my help.

Next year I'll be doing this again, hopefully with a little more finesse, and a lot less construction dust.

Musically Yours,
Jennifer

P.S. If you'd like to learn about more ideas for your classroom, be sure to head over to Organized Chaos to join in the linky party!

Three Things I've Learned This Summer

Today I'm linking up with Aileen over at Mrs. Miracle's Music Room to talk about the three things I've learned this summer. Thanks to Aileen for hosting! After reading my post, be sure to click on the image above to read all of the other entries.

While I could regale you with what I learned professionally, I'm going to stick to what I learned personally. Hopefully these lessons will help you in the future.

#1. Moving is Never Easy

Like Aileen, I moved this summer, and despite hiring professional movers, it wasn't easy. We (my husband and I) chose to live on the third floor of our apartment building. We did this because our jobs are mostly sedentary, and we need the exercise. Also, we like the third floor patio, where we can look out over the trees and see a bit of our city.

However, I can guarantee that our three movers were not so happy with our choice. They also probably weren't happy about the piano they had to move up three flights of stairs. I hope it didn't forever ruin their love of music and/or pianos.

Even with the movers doing the heavy lifting, I spent all last week unpacking boxes and getting everything organized. Theoretically, it seems like a simple task. In practice, I quickly realized how much stuff can be fit into tiny closets and cramped spaces.

In happier news, I get views like these at the nearby park.

#2. The Internet Lies

In all fairness, I already knew this. However, the lesson really hit hard this summer, when I decided to paint my computer desk. It was one of those cheap hand-me-down desks made with tons of laminate and a side of mediocrity. The fake wood look was literally peeling and chipping all over the place. I decided that (in the midst of moving) I would paint it white, using chalk paint. Admittedly, I didn't do a whole lot of research beforehand. I'd heard the warnings about peeling/bubbling paint, but the internet assured me that chalk paint was different. Even the back of the chalk paint can said I didn't need to prime or sand before painting laminate. Lies! All lies!!

Long story short, I now have a white desk that is covered with multiple layers of primer and looks much better in pictures than in real life. If you know of an awesome white desk, tell me about it in the comments; I'm in the market for a new one...

#3. I Can't Give Coffee Up

Dye my hair brown, throw in a few witty one-liners, and I'd be the musical version of Lorelai Gilmore. I think I made it a week without the liquid gold before caving in and pouring myself a tall glass of my favorite iced coffee. It's a good thing too, because we moved into a city with no less than six (that I know of) coffee shops. It would be some kind of cruel fate to finally be within vicinity of a coffee shop and not be able to partake in all that goodness.

Having learned all three things this summer, I'm prepared to dive back into work and settle into a comfortable routine. And I won't feel a bit guilty while drinking iced coffee out on my patio. I've earned it.

Getting To Know You Blog Hop

Several music blogger friends and I have teamed together in order to collaborate and offer fresh music education ideas using a variety of methodologies and approaches. You can expect to see these collaborations in the coming months here on my blog. However, before diving into music education topics, we thought it would be fun to organize a blog hop with a giveaway. Our aim is to get to know our readers a little better while also sharing a little bit about each of us!

How will this blog hop benefit you?

#1. Getting to Know You

• We want a chance to get to know you! Understanding our current and past experiences helps us to form stronger professional learning communities, and we'd love for you to be a part of it!

#2. Giveaway

• After you're finished with the hop, you can enter a giveaway for your chance to win lots of teacher goodies that are sure to make you smile! Simply leave a comment with an answer to the highlighted question at the bottom of this post. Then, do the same at each blog hop stop. When you reach the end of the blog hop, you'll be able to enter the giveaway for your chance to win!

The winner will receive some paper goodies to stay organized...

an inspirational quote block for your desk along with a book that is sure to keep you laughing till your spring concerts; complete with very sweet, but very wrong test answers from students....

Describe the term stakeholder.
"A vampire hunter. Buffy being the most famous."

some practical items such as hand sanitizer and a glass jar to store your pencils and...

magnetic clips, paper clips, binder clips, and push pins.

So, don't forget to answer the highlighted question at the bottom of this post before hopping to the next blog!

Now it's time for me to answer a few questions about myself:

What state/region you are in? 

I live in Indiana, but moved within the state to a larger city just last week. And by "larger", I mean that there's several options for restaurants, department stores, and coffee shops. The last town we lived in had a post office and a gas station. Should I mention the swine veterinarian as well? Because that was definitely a thing...

What is your background education/experience?

I have a bachelor's degree in general, instrumental, and choral education K-12. Once upon a time in Indiana, we called this an "area degree". However, now undergrads must choose one area over another. I was grandfathered in and received the area degree before it phased out.

As a music teacher I spent most of my time teaching elementary music and assisting with the high school band. Because of my degree, I was a musical jack-of-all-trades, and was fortunate to be able to help in all areas of our music programs. After earning my Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, I discovered a passion for creating educational resources, which eventually led me to the career of teacher-author/blogger.

What is your most cherished memory as a teacher?

I once had a student whose father was in prison, and had been for quite some time (this wasn't unusual for the area in which I taught). This particular student was usually pretty shy in class, so I was surprised when she asked to stay after class one day to talk. She told me that she had a song she'd written, and she wanted me to hear it. I dropped everything I was doing, leaned forward in my chair, and said, "Sure! I'd love to hear your song!" What came out of her mouth next was unexpected. Her lyrics were sorrowful, not the raindrops and flowers I was used to hearing about from students. Her lyrics were a description of how much she missed her dad. The words were repetitive and so was the melody, but her use of minor skips and a slow, mournful tempo proved how much effort and meaning she'd poured into her song.

I spent the next few weeks working with her. She wrote down the lyrics and helped me to notate the entire piece on Finale. She was thrilled when she finally received the printed score in her hands. I was proud of how she turned her heartache into something beautiful, but as these moments go in the life of a teacher, that was the last year I had her as a student. She moved, and I never had the chance to say goodbye. Even so, I take comfort in knowing that she found music.

As Maya Angelou famously said "Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness."

Okay, now it's your turn! Leave a comment answering the highlighted question below.

What is your most cherished memory as a teacher?

When you're finished, simply click on the image below to go to the next stop in the blog hop!

Random Thoughts and an Update

We are moving!!

And by "we", I mean my husband and I. This means that, as you read this blog post, we are literally loading our stuff onto a truck and moving to a new apartment. Actually, professional movers will be doing the actual loading (thanks to three flights of stairs and a piano), but we'll be there getting underfoot I'm sure.

Therefore, blog posts may not happen at all next week, though I will attempt to catch up with everyone via social media. You can visit me over on Facebook or watch the moving progress on Instagram. I'd love to chat with all of you while waiting for the boxes to unpack themselves...

Until then, here are some random thoughts, in no particular order.

#1. If we can't know that the color we see is the same color someone else is seeing, how can anyone ever agree on home decor choices?

#2. Is Toby (the cat) currently licking my legs because he likes the smell of the soap I use OR is he just weird like that?

#3. Why does my body react poorly to the foods and drinks I love most? I envision my organs rubbing their proverbial hands together while saying menacingly, "She likes coffee and tomatoes huh? Well, we'll just see about that." Followed by maniacal laughter.

#4. This cheap set of rings I purchased last weekend reminds me of Pink Floyd, and that makes me happy.

Bonus points if you know why...

#5. I tend to only think of the pretty packaging needed for a gift after I've left the store with said gift and/or are minutes away from the start of the gift-giving event. This is inconvenient. Also, this is why I keep a stash of gift bags and tissue paper in the closet.

#6. I really don't like that every reed in a box is different. I want them to all be the same. And perfect. And coffee-flavored.

#7. Dark chocolate espresso beans are small and seem innocent enough. They aren't. It only takes three to give me false notions of grandeur.

#8. Currently, I'm listening to Beethoven's "Pathetique" Sonata. It's amazing. A piece of music that's over 200 years can bring me to tears, and in an instant, remind me why I've devoted so much of my life to music.

Do you have any random thoughts or questions you'd like to add? Leave them in the comments section. I'd love to know that I'm not the only one whose brain works like this....

Planner Tag

I don't think it's physically possible for me to be any more excited about this Planner Tag than I already am! I can't wait to see everyone link up, and I'm really looking forward to seeing your planner tag videos and subscribing to your Youtube channels! If you're not familiar with the Planner Tag, you can read this post for a quick introduction.

I have to admit that I'm pretty nervous for all of you to see my first, full-length video for the blog. I had some technical difficulties, but overall, it was a lot of fun to shoot (minus the anxiety and less-than-perfect video setup)! If you'd like for me to do more videos like this, feel free to suggest a topic on my Google Doc >HERE<.

Alright, let's get into the planner questions!

Is your planner DIY or did you purchase it? 

Do-It-Yourself. During my transition in careers, I was in desperate need of a planner that fit my needs and was practical, so I made my own.

If DIY- How do you bind your planner and where did you get the pages?

I bind my planner using a combination of the Arc (Staples) and Circa (Levenger) systems. I purchased a Circa (Levenger) Universal Hole Punch, which creates pages that are repositionable with the use of discs (as shown in the video). 

I have Circa (Levenger) 3/4 inch discs, as well as 1 inch discs from Arc (Staples). The discs are interchangeable, which is so convenient. I bought the hole punch when it was on sale, and it's definitely been worth the price, though I've heard nothing but great things about the travel version as well!

All the pages I use in my planner I created myself.

What other planners have you tried in the past, and which one is your favorite (including your current one)?

I used the The 3am Teacher's Hello Planner for several months, which I loved. Before the Hello Planner, I used generic planners from office supply stores, and attempted to mold them to fit my music teacher needs. None of the generic planners were very impressive or useful for my purposes.

Not surprisingly, my favorite planners are the ones I created for myself. I included all the things I'd always wanted or needed in a planner, but never saw on the market. However, since creating my own, I'm seeing a lot more options in the market for music teachers, teacher-authors, and bloggers, which is awesome!

What is one planner accessory that you couldn’t live without?

If you watched my video, it'll come as no surprise that I couldn't live without my Pilot Frixion Erasable Ink Pens. Even my nephews (ages 5 and 6) were impressed with them. They couldn't believe how easily the ink erased. And now that I have the retractable kind, I love them even more.

What is one tip/trick that makes your planning easier?
Abraham Lincoln famously said, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." I think this is a quote to keep in mind when using your planner.

Creating planning pages as a music teacher was easy because I'd done it for so many years that I knew my workflow and understood exactly what format I needed to be as productive as possible. However, creating pages for my TPT/Blog planner hasn't been as easy, so I've really had to struggle to make planner pages that work for me, not against me. This means constant revision and reflection.

Until I master the perfect format, feel free to download the following planner page for free by clicking on the image below. The teardrop clipart is by the lovely and talented Erin Bradley Designs. You can check out more of her stuff here.

The Planner Tag will be open for an entire month! So, if you haven't filmed a video or written your blog post yet, you still have time! Simply follow the instructions below to join the tag (you can save the image to your computer desktop for easy reference). I cannot wait to see your planners and gain some new ideas for staying organized!

Planner Tag questions:

• Is your planner DIY or did you purchase it?
• If DIY: how do you bind your planner and where did you get the pages? If purchased: what type of planner did you buy?
• What planners have you tried in the past and which one is your favorite (including your current one)?
• What is one planner accessory that you couldn’t live without?
• What is one tip/trick that makes your planning easier?

Questions about how to link up? Leave a comment or email caldwell.organized.chaos@gmail.com or theylbrickroad@gmail.com and we'll be happy to help!

An InLinkz Link-up

How to Get Ready in a Teacher Minute

If you leave your house every morning with matching shoes, manicured nails, styled hair, and smiling with the light of a thousand suns, this post may not be very helpful to you. Also, kudos to having those skills! However, If you're more likely to skip breakfast at home in order to have time to grab all the resources you'll need for the day, and jump in the car (likely opting for fast-food breakfast during your commute), then this post is for you!

I realize that many of you are still on summer break, but I figured that now would be a good (and relaxing) time to try out a new morning routine. Specifically, I'd like to share my tips for getting ready quickly in the morning. To give you some perspective, allow me to share what my daily routine looked like as a teacher.

MY TEACHER MORNINGS

You may think I'm exaggerating, but I can assure you that I went almost an entire year of teaching wearing my hair in a high bun every single day. Remember that stereotypical librarian with the high bun and glasses? I was that stereotype, in music teacher form.

Since then, I've learned how to look a little more put together without entirely abandoning my proclivity for low maintenance. If you're a morning person, the following tips may not apply to you (also, please give me your secrets).

SHOWER AT NIGHT

Not only will this save you time in the morning, but it gives you a chance to calm your mind before bed. If you're anything like me, it's your brain that won't shut off, causing late nights and dreadful mornings.

HAIR

Dry Shampoo

This is an amazing product, but it took me a long time to find a brand that didn't:

• leave the entire house reeking of a scent that was meant to smell fresh (it doesn't).
• actually do what it says without costing half a week's paycheck.

I like this. You may need to experiment with brands before finding one that works for you, but when it does, it makes your life so much easier!

I'm no beauty expert (as proven by my hair story from above), but here's how I use it:

• Shake can like crazy
• Section hair haphazardly and spray directly on the roots (don't be stingy in this step)
• Massage it into your scalp until you see no more traces of powder
• Style as usual/put in a ponytail

MAKEUP

This step is not at all necessary. However, being a person that has had skin issues in the past, makeup has become a part of my daily routine. Plus, I think we can all relate to those days in which a student asks,

"Miss, you look sick. Are you sick?"

"No honey, that's how I look with no makeup and a lack of effort."<--not really how I would respond, but you get the idea. So, here are the items that help me look a little more alive with a lot less effort.

Tinted Moisturizer with SPF

• It's three in one, and you can slap it on without worrying too much about blending. You don't have time for that...

Blush or Bronzer

• this stuff keeps my extra pale skin from looking as though I've just stepped out of the morgue. And again, it doesn't take a whole lot of effort to swipe some of this on your cheeks. If you're really in a hurry, dot some lipstick on your cheeks and rub it around. Hey, whatever works. Just try to avoid doing this in low-light conditions. The results could end up less than satisfactory. I speak from experience.

Tinted Lip Balm with SPF

• this is another three in one that will keep you looking a little less dead.

CLOTHES

Lay Them Out the Night Before

• I'm quite nearly six feet tall, and I easily reach that height with any pair of shoes (or socks) I put on. Clothes and I rarely get along. So, I can spare myself a few minutes each morning by getting my outfit ready at night. For me, this means choosing pants that fit, and a shirt that doesn't require me to pull it down all day long. Comfort is key when you're constantly folk dancing and jumping around to the steady beat.

Capsule Wardrobe

• With a teacher's budget and few clothing options, I participated in the whole capsule wardrobe phenomenon without even realizing it (and my morning self was always thankful). If you've never heard of a capsule wardrobe, you can check it out here and here. It will save your wallet along with your sanity.

SLEEP

I'm naturally night owl, but I learned that going to bed early meant a more restful sleep and a happier morning. However, as I mentioned earlier, my brain doesn't like for me to sleep. So I've taken to using the Noisli app. With this app, you can choose different environmental sounds to create your own little dream track. There's also an adjustable timer so that you can set the sounds to stop at anytime. Hooray for no permanent hearing damage!

A LITTLE SOMETHING

Treat yourself to a little something that makes you happy in the morning. Not only will it put you in a better mood (if that's possible at five in the morning) but it will also give you something to look forward to before the teaching day begins. I would share with you the treat that made my mornings better, but it involves junk food, and I think I may end up being a really bad influence on you. So instead, let's pretend that my little treat every morning was a celery stick. Delicious.

If you follow all of these tips, you can easily get ready in about 20 minutes or less. However, from what I hear, children can triple the time it takes you to get ready in the morning. And sadly, I have no tips for that.

Thanks for reading!
Jennifer

Quick and Easy Tab Dividers

As you've probably noticed from my last post, the topic of planners and planner accessories has been on my mind a lot lately. And while shooting my Planner Tag video (which you can read more about HERE), I realized that one of my planner accessories deserves its own post.

Post-it Tabs are one of my favorite planner accessories. I can't even remember how or where I got my first set, but I do know that they are great for creating tab dividers that are cheap and repositionable.  The ones I use are dispensable, like in the picture below, which also makes them easy to use.

When using them as tab dividers, I start by creating the page I want to use as a divider. Typically, it's just a cover page that I've printed out on cardstock.

Then, I label the tab....

and stick it on.

Tadah! Instant tab divider!

One of the many benefits of using these, is the fact that they are repositionable. So, if I decide that I no longer want the divider, I can simply peel off the tab and use the leftover page elsewhere. 

no sticky residue

Here are some more ideas for using these tabs:

• Labeling binder clips. Click HERE for more ideas.

• Labeling student mailboxes--this is particularly great because you can reposition them if you gain or lose a student in the middle of the year. Click HERE for more ideas.

• Labeling folders in storage crates that are used as filing cabinets. Click HERE for more ideas.

I hope this gives you some new ideas for using Post-it tabs in your planner or classroom. 

Thanks for reading!

Jennifer

P.S. I am in no way being compensated for this post. I just happen to love the product :)

Planner Tag: an introduction

Today I'm excited to announce that Elizabeth from Organized Chaos and I are starting a planner tag next week! And thanks to this, you'll be getting three blog posts this week instead of two, which is quite a feat considering I haven't had coffee for the last three days (see my July small goals post if you're curious about why I'm torturing myself). Anyway...

What is a planner tag, you ask?

Basically it is a "get to know you" activity for our planners. Elizabeth and I share a love of paper planners (and their accessories). Whether it's the freebie from your school, an expensive designer planner, or the DIY variety, we love them all! In this planner tag we invite YOU to make a video answering some basic questions about your planner and then taking us on a tour through the whole thing. Share your video with us and link up with the tag by adding your video to a brief blog post and adding that link to the planner tag linky party, which will go live on July 14th, 2015, at 5am EST.

We hope you'll join us! We can't wait to see how you organize your life and get some great new ideas from all of you.

Planner Tag questions:

• Is your planner DIY or did you purchase it?
• If DIY: how do you bind your planner and where did you get the pages? If purchased: what type of planner did you buy?
• What planners have you tried in the past and which one is your favorite (including your current one)?
• What is one planner accessory that you couldn’t live without?
• What is one tip/trick that makes your planning easier?

Questions? Leave a comment or email caldwell.organized.chaos@gmail.com or theylbrickroad@gmail.com and we'll be happy to help!

**The linky will be ready for your links HERE any time after 7/14/2015, 5:00am EST**

An InLinkz Link-up

July: small goals

The time has come for me to describe my spectacular failures in the past month and then describe what I hope to accomplish in the month of July, also known as July Small Goals. Like last time, I'll be setting this up as a linky party. Scroll to the bottom of this post to learn how to join. But first, my failures in the month of June...

Avoid Coffee
Let's be honest. We all knew I would fail at this one. No surprise there. Think of me as a blonder version of Lorelai Gilmore.

Be More Active
I'm giving myself half points for this one. Due to a month full of what felt like non-stop rain, it's been difficult to get out and walk as much as I planned. Thanks to the major flooding in our area, it's hard to get out at all without being devoured alive by mosquitos. Ah, the country life.

Create
I didn't create anything new beyond products for my store.
Hi. I'm Jennifer, and I'm a workaholic.

Find an Apartment
We did it! Hooray! We'll be moving in less than three weeks. Follow me on Instagram to witness the stress fun of moving!

Bonfire
I did attend a bonfire at the beginning of the month, so that counts...

Alright, on to my small goals for the month of July

#1. Take a Break Already!

I plan to take a short break from blogging during the move. I really hesitate to do this, because I know how much I appreciate consistency in the bloggers I follow, and I really try hard to do the same. However, I also know that the chaos of the move isn't going to leave a whole lot of time to develop and/or write about quality music education ideas. 

#2. Drink More Water

Okay, we know I can't give up coffee. That's been established. What I can do however, is attempt to drink more water. That's a reasonable goal for me. Right?

#3. Organize my Work Space

After the move, I'll have a chance to organize my office exactly as I want it. It will also give me a chance to share my organization strategies here on the blog, complete with pictures, speaking of...

#4. Buy a Camera

I've been working with a point and shoot ever since I started blogging. If I didn't create products/blog for a living (or if I were a better photographer), my camera would be perfectly fine. But as it is, a new camera would probably cut my photo session times in half. That will give me extra time for doing the things I love, like creating new products and drinking more coffee ;)

That's it for my small goals. How about you? What are your small goals for the month of July? Blogger or not, I would love to hear from you! Leave your goals in the comments section, or if you're a blogger, follow the steps below to join the linky party.

An InLinkz Link-up

View Pure: another safe alternative to Youtube

One of my most recent Reader's Choice Blog Post was all about safe alternatives to Youtube, which you can read here. SafeShare rids Youtube videos of ads, comments, and other potentially inappropriate content. It continues to be a great alternative to showing Youtube videos in the classroom.

However, after experiencing a glitch the other week, I went in search of another alternative. That's when I discovered ViewPure. It's still in its beta stage, but I've already noticed some unique features that set it apart from SafeShare. Don't get too excited though...you'll want to read to the very end of this post.

#1. You can set a start and end time in the video.

I think this is an amazing feature for music teachers, as well as a timesaver. I used videos containing art music in the classroom a lot. Sometimes I showed graphical notation of pieces, and other times I simply used the video for listening purposes. There were times when I wanted students to hear or see only a snippet of the video, such as the surprise portion in the Surprise Symphony. It would be nice to be able to start and end the video exactly where I want without dragging the tracker around.

To set the time, click on the gear next to the Purify button.

This will display the menu for choosing a start and end time.

#2. You can password-protect your video

This option would be most useful for individual teacher websites. For example, let's say that you found a video on Youtube that would be perfect for your students learning recorder, and you want to share it on your website for the students to practice at home. However, you don't want them to stumble upon inappropriate content on Youtube, and you also don't want to share it with every grade level. Using ViewPure, you can purify and password-protect the video, and then share the link on your website. Only those students with the password will be able to view the video.

#3. You can add a custom URL

So, instead of your video having a URL that nobody can remember, you can create your own. 

Turning this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pvci1hwAx8 

into this:

http://viewpure.com/JurassicParkPianoGuys 

Much easier.

#4. It has an info tab

Once the video has been purified, click on the "i" in the top, right-hand corner, and additional information about your video appears beneath it.

Overall, I think ViewPure is a great alternative to SafeShare. However (here's the bad news), I haven't had any luck getting the start/end times or the password protection to work. I can only assume that this is a temporary glitch due to it still being in beta form. I've tried it on multiple browsers to no avail. Even so, I still recommend it if only for sharing student-friendly videos.

Have you tried ViewPure? If so, please share your experience. I'd love to know if there's a trick to getting those amazing options to work! Perhaps it's just user error...