I loved reading @thatboycanteach’s blog this morning about music and his classroom-based Youtube battles with a former colleague.
It got me thinking about how I use music within my lessons.
To jolly my Y8 students along, I play 3 minutes of Bennie Hill’s theme music as a signal that they should clear away practical equipment and return to their seats. It’s great to see the startled look on their faces as soon as they hear the tune and then remember that they need to completely pack away before the music ends.
With group circus activities, I play the start of Justin Bieber’s ‘Sorry’ to signal to my Y8’s that they have to move on. After a few times, they move automatically as soon as they hear the first few notes.
In the past with a Y9 group, I used Republica’s ‘Ready to go’ to signal the end of the lesson so that they could clear away and get ready to leave.
Sometimes, I quietly play a few tunes when I want my groups to reflect upon or review their learning. These include:
Cocteau Twins – The Thinner The Air
Cocteau Twins – Blue Bell Knoll
Hadouken – Levitate
Once, I played the chorus to Blu Cantrell’s ‘Make me wanna scream’ in jest and as one way to get the attention of my set 8 of 8 Y11 group.
I generally tend to play tunes that my students are unfamiliar with, so it’s quite interesting to see their responses.
As intrigued as I am by a YouTube music battle, due to my musical tastes, I doubt anyone would be interested in competing with me!
https://staffrm.io/@byusuf/QT09LMguWB
Image credited to this site (https://www.emaze.com/@ALZTQQIQ).
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