I've been teaching over a decade and if I'm being honest, it took a good solid 5 years before I was brave enough to try them.
Yep.
Maybe your music education experiences were different than mine, but most of my collegiate courses centered around learning all the instrumental fingering, practicing my own instruments of study, vocal control, music theory, music history, and obligatory gen eds. I had a single course in elementary music and I'm not sure the topic of centers even came up!
Well, here's what I've learned: Music centers rock. Add some thematic or seasonal elements, and you're golden!
If your music classroom is filled with lots of teacher-led singing & playing of instruments, your students are likely great at watching a director and following instructions. But how often do you give them a chance to explore independently or in small groups?
Music centers are awesome for many reasons, but here are a few:
- Student-led activities encourage creativity
- cross-curricular opportunities (NAfME agrees!)
- maximize instructional time
- increase engagement
- Connect to other art forms, seasons, or holidays.
- Differentiation made easy
- Separate students if/when needed, either for social or academic needs.
Okay, so centers are awesome. But how do I implement them?
1. Personally, I like to divide my classroom into intentional spaces. I have an area for singing by the piano, seating for wee ones while reading picture books, and open space for Orff instruments. If your classroom has limited space or you're new to centers, start with corners or rugs to differentiate spaces.
2. Once you know how many spaces you have to work with, you can select your activities & goals. Let's say you're planning on using the corners, then you'll need 4 activities. Consider resources you have, prep time, curricular objectives, and student engagement. Take this Autumn Bundle for example:
Of these 6 fun fall activities, there is a matching game and a memory game, both centered on notation. There are also 2 xylophone options, and 2 activities focusing on 16th notes. I can mix 'n match activities or double down on an area that students need additional practice in order to demonstrate mastery.
3. Once you've picked the centers, prep them! Print & laminate task cards and games. Lay out pencils and clipboards. Set up Orff instruments & mallets.
4. Set your students up for success by briefly explaining:
- How to engage in each center
- Solo or group work
- Volume levels
- Materials needed
- How to clean up/reset
- Do they take their pages with them?
- Where to put mallets, pencils, markers, etc.
- Stack cards or manipulatives
- How to transition
- If spaces are numbered or arrows are present, students should need minimal reminders
- Timers are great and help keep everyone accountable.
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