 Can you even BELIEVE that 2021 is here?! This year has been a DOOZY for sure so I can’t say I’m sad to see 2020 go. BUT! One of my favorite times of the year are those first few days when I can rest and plan and dream for the year ahead. 2021 is a little bit different because I’m planning for my music teacher life, my mama life, and now, for my business life! I was looking allll over the place for a good TpT seller’s planner and honestly, nothing was was exactly what I needed. Soooo I made one! I am seriously so proud of this planner. It is exactly what I wanted it to be and I’m just overjoyed to be planning with it. I know you probably want a flip through, so you can either watch the video below or hop over to my Instagram page (@joyfulnoiseteaching) to check out the story highlight with even more detail. Then when you’re done checking out all that is inside of this planner, I wanted to let you guys try it out for yourselves! Here is a little sample of two of my favorite pages from the planner! They can be printed to use in hard copy or used in Goodnotes 5 or Noteability on your iPad. If you guys need a tutorial about how to use your iPad for digital planning - comment below or shoot me a message and I’ll put one together for you! Happy planning friends! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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At least for the teachers in this family, we are officially on BREAK! Normally, we talk about teaching ideas here but today I wanted to pause and talk about self-care. As I write this, it’s just 5 days until Christmas. This has the potential to be a really busy and hectic time or one full of sweetness and rest. I want to encourage you to pursue the second - even when it’s really hard. Here are some ideas for finding rest over the last few days before the big day:
I admit it. I’m a pajama addict. I LOVE comfortable lounge clothes - especially since the pandemic started and we all just stay home all the time you know? The power of a super comfy outfit cannot be exaggerated. Any way I have some recommendations for what you need and if you pop into your Target, or get them on drive up, you can get them before Christmas. Check them out here!
Ben and I took some time a few nights ago to make homemade garlands for our home and it was the sweetest thing. We played some Christmas music, mixed up some homemade hot chocolate, and decorated our house with stuff we already had. We usually use clippings from our tree, popcorn, and cranberries, but this year we also cut some oranges into thing slices and baked them in the oven at 200 degrees for 4 hours until completely dry. Then we strung them on twine and hung them on the mantle and the whole experience was just a little bit magical.
I find that these days can be so full of hustle and bustle that they can fly by me before I know it. One thing that really helps is taking a minutes away to be alone, get quiet, and take a deep breath. At least for me, this centers me again, reminds me of what really matters, and helps me soak in these precious holiday moments with my whole heart. Don’t feel guilty about it. It’s important.
My family and I have been doing Advent gathered around the table together and it has been so helpful as a way to bring us together no matter what else is going on in the day and help us to refocus on the bigger picture. I’ve linked some of my favorite Christmas read alouds here!
Ok last one, but SO important. I am sometimes guilty of just trying to get the tasks related to the Christmas season over as soon as possible instead of taking the time to make them FUN. So, first, invest in wrapping paper that makes you really happy. I linked the paper I’m using this year here! And then put on your FAVORITE Christmas movie. Whether it’s Elf or The Holiday or The Grinch or if you’re one of those crazy people that likes It’s a Wonderful Life, make wrapping an event and soak up the holiday spirit while we still can! Ok that’s it for me, but I want to know about YOUR holiday traditions! Reply to the email or comment below to tell me all about it! Merry Christmas everyone!  Ok so if you’re a music teacher, then it’s definitely Nutcracker week in the music room right?? I’ve been stretching myself to get some new resources in rotation for this Christmas season and I wanted to share them with you! Not all Nutcracker resources are created alike haha so this is a list of the tried and true stuff my kids love! What do you love using?? Comment below to tell me all about it! 1. Music and MotivateBought this one this year and I love the way she incorporates solfege, rhythm patterns, AND form! My second graders and I completed this today and they were totally engaged the whole time! 2. Nutcracker StorybookOne of the biggest points of pride in my life (literally) is being Aileen’s student teacher. She seriously taught me everything I know. So I’ve been using this resource since my very first year and it still holds up. I recommend for kindergarten and first grade! 3. Virtual Nutcracker LibraryWhen I’m just over it and ready for a breather, a Nutcracker read-aloud is truly a life saver. I whipped up this little virtual library this week and my kids are LOVING it! It’s so nice to have it all in one pretty place. 4. Youtube Play AlongsYoutube never fails us, amiright?? These two play alongs are SO fun! First, this poison pattern game is perfect for fifth grade, and this play along is perfect for third grade! 5. Nutcracker Virtual Field TripOk so this upper elementary engagement can be ROUGH right? This virtual field trip is going to save the day, promise. My fifth graders were working through this over this week, but honestly this would really also rock for middle school general music!
I hope this list helped give direction to your Nutcracker week! Let me know what Nutcracker resources you love below!  Well this is, without a doubt the WEIRDEST Christmas season in the music room, BUT I'm determined to make the most of it! I'm writing this on the night before Thanksgiving and I still don't know whether I'm going back in December in the hybrid mode or continuing to try and figure virtual learning out. But either way, I'm going to look on the bright side so let's talk about my five FAVORITE activities for Christmas time in the music room!
1. Holiday Sing-a-long! One of my go-to traditions in the music room is a school wide holiday sing-a-long! We usually gather in the gym for the jolliest sing-a-long you've ever seen and maybe we'll somehow figure it out for this year too! Are any of you doing a sing-a-long still? If so, how are you pulling it off? Let me know in the comments! If you need a presentation and karaoke playlist for your sing-a-long, click here. 2. Elf on the Music Room Shelf I wrote a whole blog post about this, that you can check out here, but I am absolutely determined to do this for my youngest kiddos even if we have to do it virtually. I think building a classroom culture is every bit as important in the music room as anywhere else in school and our elf on the shelf tradition is going help with that so much! I'll keep you posted! 3. Virtual Field Trip to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party in Disney World Ok so recently we've been obsessed with virtual field trips in my classroom and this one is especially famous in my room. Especially during distance learning, this has been a life saver. The kids LOVE this so much and it keeps even my young kids engaged while working on their own. Scoop it up for yourself here if you want! 4. Musical Spots This is probably the silliest thing to tell you about, but honestly my kids LOVE this! While we've been in the hybrid model, my students have to sit 6 feet apart and we use little number spots to keep our distance. For musical spots we move them into a circle and play musical chairs with our spots as an excuse to get in a little movement and listen to our favorite holiday music. I especially recommend Lindsey Stirling's Christmas album for this! 5. The Nutcracker I have the perfect video for you. Seriously, you'll be obsessed. I showed this to my firsties this week and the kids were ROLLING with laughter. This year we're also trying out this Nutcracker Interactive Story book that I'll have to keep you posted on! What are your classroom holiday traditions? Are you finding a way to make them work with distance learning? Let me know in the comments! |
Welcome! I'm a wife, mama-to-be, foster mom, fourth year music teacher, and Jesus follower, and am chronically curious about just about everything. Join me as I explore the calling God has for my family's story.
"I am the Vine, you are the Branches. If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
March 2024
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