Transition Procedures Can Be a Life Saver!

Let’s talk transitions.  This may be something you learned early in your student teaching experience.  If not, read carefully.  Transitions can totally save you, especially with your littles.  Children of all ages need structure.  I know what you’re thinking.  I’m the music teacher, so things can be a little more hippity dippity in my classroom.  Nope!  If anything, your procedures are even more important, because students already think they’re in your classroom just to have fun!  Of course, we hope they have fun, but we want them to have fun while learning great music skills and not at the expense of your teaching time.

So how do we make sure the learning is happening?  The two most important things to have in place from the beginning are a great behavior management plan, and SUPER structured procedures.  Next week we’ll feature behavior management, but today is all about procedures, especially transitions.  First of all, what are transitions?  These are the spaces in your lesson plan where you’re changing activities.  Your students may be moving from your movement area to your storybook area.  You may be passing out instruments or entering or leaving the classroom.  Transitions are the perfect time for an explosion of talking or some type of chaotic behavior.

We prevent students from getting off track by putting transition procedures in place from the very beginning of the school year.  Believe it or not, your

students love a structured classroom.  They like to know what to expect and what you are expecting.  That being said, transitions are super easy to put in place, but consistency is the key.  You MUST transition the same way EVERY SINGLE TIME your students are in Music class.  Let’s take a look at some procedures you may want to put in place.

Entering the classroom:

• Greet your students at the door – My students line up in the hallway outside my door. The sign outside my door says, Safe, Silent, & Still.  I wait patiently until every student has followed these directions, then I give them instructions on how to enter my classroom that day.
• Entering activity – I begin teaching from the moment my students enter my classroom. I suggest a rhythm reading activity or teaching the song we are learning by rote as they enter.  Not only does this prevent random talking, but it gives you an extra 5 minutes of teaching time, which is super important if you only have 30 minute classes.  You could also instruct your students to review 3 things they remember about what you taught in the last class.  I listen as students are entering, and if they are talking about anything else, everyone goes back into the hallway, and we try again.
• Assigned seats – I allow my students to select their own spot on the first day of Music class. I let them know before we enter that this will be their assigned spot for the entire school year, and we talk about how to choose the best place to sit.  I do reserve the right to change a student’s seat if they do not follow directions.  Once seats have been chosen, students are expected to sit in their assigned seat when they enter my classroom.

Transitions:

1. Echo chants or songs – I have composed some easy echo chants and songs that I use during transition times. Echo songs are great, because you don’t have to teach the song, and students are actively involved from the first time they hear the song.  Just say “Echo, echo, let’s all echo”, and begin your transition song. I am the call and the students are the response until everyone is very familiar with the song.  For example:
   • When we’re moving from the teaching area to the movement area

We are going (echo)  To have some fun (echo)  Let’s move and groove (echo)  Let’s walk don’t run (echo)

• • When we’re moving to storybook station

Let’s all go (echo)  To storybook station (echo)  Tip Toe Tip Toe (echo)  And then sit down (echo)

2. Silly song transitions – I love to use silly songs to transition to different activities. I don’t take time to teach these songs.  I just start singing, and students will follow the directions in the song.  Before too long, they are singing with me.
   • When we’re passing out instruments

Pass it down, to the right  Pass it down don’t stop don’t stop  Pass it down, to the right  Pass it down we don’t have all night    

• • When we’re moving to the storybook area

Let’s hear a story  A fun new story  Tip toe tip toe and then sit down

• • When we’re making a circle

Let’s make a circle, a great big circle  Let’s make a circle and have some fun!

Let’s talk for a moment about making a circle.  This can be super challenging, even for older kiddos.  My procedure for making circles is as follows:

1. Everyone stands up
2. Everyone uses their force field hands (put hands out and as close as possible to your neighbor’s hands without touching)
3. Tip toe carefully backwards until everyone is in the circle and you have a little room behind you and away from walls, furniture, and instruments
4. Arms by your side

I choose several students to Woo Woo.  For example, “Woo woo Yareli for using tip toes.”  “Woo woo Chantel for putting your hands at your side.”

3. Moving around the instrumentorium – One of mine and my students favorite, favorite activities is to create a path around the room of lots different instruments and explore ALL of those instruments. If you haven’t seen these types of activities, take a look at one of Artie Almeida’s Mallet Madness books!  They get a verse or two to play, and then they get to move to the next instrument.  This can be a tricky time, because students’ natural tendency is to talk as they move, and then it takes forever to begin again.  The best way to prevent the talky talky is to keep their voices busy!  I use something catchy like:
   • “Move on down, move on down the road” !!!! link to The Jefferson’s theme song
   • “Move down, move down, everybody move down”
   • !!!! find another pop song that works

4. Leaving the classroom – Notoriously, students tend to chat as they are leaving the classroom, unless you keep them busy. Here are a couple of ways I’ve found that work:
   • Sing or chant an echo song like this

Class is over (echo)  Line up now (echo)  Walk don’t jog (echo)  We all know how (echo)

• • Use a ticket out the door
    • Each student reads a rhythm flash card on the way out
    • Each student tells you one thing they learned (they can only use one word and can’t repeat what the last student said)
    • Each student echoes one phrase of solfege

Setting up specific procedures for every activity will not only make your teaching life easier; it will also help your students to learn and have fun while they do it.  A structured classroom is a productive and safe space for your students.  Remember, procedures only work if you are consistent.  Have a great procedure you’d like to share?  Be sure to join my Facebook community and let us know about it!  https://www.facebook.com/storiesthatsingforteachers