Why is Your Gym So Quiet?

Hey guys.. I am sorry it has been a while since my last post. I have been on the road visiting family up and down the east coast. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and are getting ready for the New Year. I have a ton of new blog ideas that I am really excited to share with you. I would like to thank those of you that emailed me and made posts asking when I was going to get back on the ball and put up another post! So here you go...

Was that a pin I heard dropping in your gym? That is definitley not the sound of FUN! I understand there are times when you need and want your class to be quiet, but other times its time to turn up the music! Being in the car and over the last week I have been able to listen to a lot of music. I am the kind of person that likes all types of music. Some of the music I listen to could be used in the classroom setting and others not so much. Not because of the language just becasue of the content. I mean whether I am talking about my good ole Christian Rock or half of the Top 40 songs, someone is going to have a problem with the content of the songs.

Please do not just throw in your Jams mix or turn on the radio! You will be receiving an email, phone call, or even visit from a parent. So the question is how do you play music without offending anyone or getting a note from a parent asking where their son or daughter learned the lyrics to a certain song. To most parents the music played on your Top 40 Station is OK for their children. Others would frown upon those stations. There are three options I have come up with while searching for music for my classroom which I will get to later but first lets talk about when to use music in your classroom.

What do I use music for?

EVERYTHING! You can use music for just about anything on any given day. Here is a list of ideas of when to use music.

Use Music:

To get students excited when they walk in
As a warm up
As part of your lesson
As part of game
To stop and start stations
To dance
For Aerobics
As a cool down


I am sure there are many more ways you guys can think of or actually use music in your classroom and I would love to hear about it!

What kind of music should I get?

Option #1 Kidz Bop!

Kidz Bop... What is Kidz Bop? Kidz Bop is a brand of compilation albums featuring child session musicians performing contemporary music. The albums are composed of "kid-friendly" versions of the latest songs on Top 40 radio and are sung by young children. Now of course this option would not be popular with the middle and high school students, but my elementary students sometimes can not even tell the difference between the the "real" version and the Kidz Bop version. Kidz Bop has a all the most recent songs that you hear on the radio and even better they also record Holiday Themed music. I currently own the Halloween and the Christmas playlist.

Option #2 Go Instrumental

This is a good option for all levels. If the students not the lyrics then they can sing along, if they do not they can enjoy the music. Not only can you find top 40 songs that are instrumental, but you can also find some good mixed techno music such as David Guetta. David Guetta does a lot of the background beats and music for most of the top songs these days. Most of his stuff is upbeat and can be found with or without singing. This is great for dance units, step aerobics, and running activities where you want the students to be motivated for long periods of time.

 

Option #3 Create your own P.E. Playlist

If the first two options do not suit you do not keep your gym silent. Self select songs you like that are appropriate for your age level. You can listen to the songs and make sure that there are not any cuss words or content issues and build your own playlist.

Most of you are aware already, but with the the technology we have these days finding music is easier than ever. You do not have to run to the store and buy a full CD that has two songs you need on it and bust your budget creating your library. With sites like Apples ITunes and Amazon you can buy individual songs and build your own playlist on your computer, Apple device, or MP3 player.