This totally resonates with me (excuse the pun)! Along with playing music at the start of class, I found that the my students liked music playing during group activities to provide some extra energy or jazz chill to bring a level of focus during independent work time. I also discovered that some online timers have great beats that provide natural signals for when we are working (and when we are finished). Sometimes I get overwhelmed by how much music is out there and finding what my students like, so I made a collab Spotify playlist and shared the link with the class along with some expectations for acceptable songs - the kids loved having ownership and often asked for "their" playlist. I always found it amazing how diverse the playlists could be and how they represented the different classes.
Kim, I love the idea of getting the kids' input for the music you play! Such a great community-building strategy. :-) Thanks for reading, and for taking the time to comment!
This totally resonates with me (excuse the pun)! Along with playing music at the start of class, I found that the my students liked music playing during group activities to provide some extra energy or jazz chill to bring a level of focus during independent work time. I also discovered that some online timers have great beats that provide natural signals for when we are working (and when we are finished). Sometimes I get overwhelmed by how much music is out there and finding what my students like, so I made a collab Spotify playlist and shared the link with the class along with some expectations for acceptable songs - the kids loved having ownership and often asked for "their" playlist. I always found it amazing how diverse the playlists could be and how they represented the different classes.
Kim, I love the idea of getting the kids' input for the music you play! Such a great community-building strategy. :-) Thanks for reading, and for taking the time to comment!