Classroom Management

While lessons on paper are an integral and necessary step, the actual implementation of the
lesson in front of a live class is quite another matter. Teachers all over the world have their own
tips and hints as to what makes a good teacher and what makes a lesson successful, and
reviewing a few ideas on classroom management is an extremely helpful first step. If the students
aren’t focused on the lesson, all of your preparatory work is for naught. Below are a few basic
classroom management ideas to use when teaching music.

Classroom Behavior Management Techniques

 Don’t be afraid to be the teacher!
 Tell students what you expect them to do. Don’t ask them what they want to do. You are the
teacher, and you set the agenda.
 Use positive reinforcement whenever possible.
o Don’t be afraid to point out places where students can improve. Show them the next
level and let them strive to get there.
 When disciplining, select one person to stand out as a role model
o “Look how well Suzie, Frank, and Leticia are doing at…let’s see if we all can do that!”
 Pay attention to the singing voice! Check whether you yourself are singing correctly and check
that the students are singing correctly as well.
 Use magic, wonder, and surprise whenever possible!
o “Guess what will happen next?”
o “What does this sound remind you of?”
 Add movement whenever possible
o Hand gestures, small body movements, large body movements
 Keep sweeping the room, checking to see that they are all “getting it.”
 Do not talk or give directions over the music; they won’t hear you or the music.
 When handing out instruments, develop an orderly system for distribution and have a system in
place to keep instruments quiet while you’re talking.
 Talk less and do more.
o Sing, play, and instrument or mime as meaningful substitutions for words and
directions.
 Most importantly, have fun! If the material excites you, your students will be engaged as well.

Resources
 Instruments Website: Sachs-Hornbostel Instrument Classification List
 National Standards in
Music: http://www.educationworld.com/standards/national/arts/music/k_4.shtml
 Writing Lesson Plans: http://www.huntington.edu/dept_interior.aspx?id=2217

Vocabulary
aerophones: instruments that produce sound by using air as the primary vibrating means (flutes,
horns, whistle)

chordophones: a term used for stringed instruments referring to instruments sounded by bowing,
plucking, or striking a string that is stretched between two fixed points (violins)

concussion: two similar objects struck together to create sound

electrophones: electronic instruments that either have their sound generated electronically or
acoustic instruments that have their sounds amplified

idiophones: instruments that produce sound from the material of the instrument itself; probably
the largest category of classroom instruments; sounds produced through shaking, scraping,
plucking, etc.

instrumentation: source of sound and music that a child develops from hearing rhythm and a
melody

membranophones: instruments that produce sound by means of vibrating a stretched membrane

(drums)

organology: the classification of musical instruments around the world

percussion: instrument caused to vibrate by striking it with a non-vibrating object such as a

mallet or stick

pitched instruments: instruments capable of making distinct notes and pitch changes while
simultaneously following a rhythm (e.g., a piano, clarinet)

plucked: instruments with a flexible tongue that is plucked to vibrate

scraped: sound produced by scraping the instrument with a stick across grooves

shakers: sound produced by small particles contained within the instrument

stamping: striking the object on a hard surface to vibrate the object

syncopation: to have rhythm that is “off-beat” or doesn’t fall right on the beats of a song
unpitched instruments: instruments incapable of making distinct notes and pitch changes, but
have one pitch only; usually used to keep the rhythm and tempo steady (e.g., woodblock, claves)
 Previous: Chapter 5: Children Singing and Children’s Songs

Next: Chapter 7: Music and the Brain  

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