Why build Classroom Culture?

Why is it important to create a warm, welcoming environment in the Music Classroom?

I’ve seen some debate recently in the Facebook Music Teacher groups I’m a part of regarding classroom culture.  Some music teachers are all for it, while others feel like they just want to get started with ALL.THE.THINGS we have to cover as part of our curriculum.  I’m putting in my two cents, for what it’s worth, and I feel strongly that classroom culture is ESSENTIAL in all classrooms, including yours.  Let me tell you why!

For most teachers, creating a safe, warm environment is something we do naturally.  We’re certainly not in the teaching field for the glory or the paycheck!  We’re in the business of helping people, specifically little people.  In fact, it’s our entire focus!  So why not make it a deliberate practice?  Spend the first month of school (that’s just 4 classes) focused on creating a warm, inviting, safe classroom culture.  Now I’m not saying you need to focus exclusively on this (stay with me…I promise there’s a music teacher aspect to this).  I like to focus on classroom culture while teaching or reviewing some basic music skills. Let’s talk for a moment about why building classroom culture is important:

• You want your students to feel safe – Your classroom is the only place in the building where many students are learning completely new skills.  This can be scary for the best of us.  Add in those 5th grade mean girls and guys, and now you’re talking about a really scary experience.   No one wants to be caught saying or doing something that is going to help others make fun of or laugh at them. Here are some ways to help your students feel safe:
  • Let your students know up front that meanness will NOT be tolerated in your classroom, and remind them of that often.  Is this going to prevent that behavior?  Absolutely not.  But it will encourage your students to express themselves if they know you have their back.
  • Tell your kiddos that a mistake is always the best way to get better.  Many students are nervous about playing your classroom instruments (even though they’re also excited), because they are afraid to make mistakes.  Remind them often that it’s o.k. to make mistakes or to do it wrong.  And point it out when you make a mistake.  If they see that you can laugh at yourself, they will feel more comfortable laughing at themselves too.
  • Encourage your students to answer questions and to share their opinions.  When asking for your students’ opinions, tell them to remember that there’s no right or wrong answer, because this is your opinion.  If no one is raising their hand, or the same people are raising their hands, encourage them to take a guess.  Let them know that taking a guess is a scientific method that has led to MANY new discoveries.
• You’ll have better success with classroom management – If your students feel safe, cared for, and encouraged, they are going to be much more likely to behave in your classroom.  Of course, consistent rules and consequences matter, but if the classroom culture is warm and welcoming, your students will feel like they’re part of your team, and they will be more likely to follow directions.  They will want to be a positive, working member of the ensemble (this is what we call our class while they’re in the music room).
• You want your students to be excited about coming to your class – Did you ever have a teacher who just didn’t get you, and you were constantly in trouble in their class? I know I have.  How did you feel about going to school every day?  I have vivid memories of that teacher.  She wasn’t necessarily mean, but she didn’t get me, and she didn’t take the time to even try.  I LOVE to learn, and I was always excited about going to school.  But that year, I was nervous every day, and I dreaded going to school.  Your students may be having that experience this year.  Wouldn’t it be nice if your class was the one place they could enter and be exactly who they are meant to be?  If your class is well-structured, fun, and silly, with easy-to-follow rules and consequences, your students will be excited to come to music every time!

Let’s take a look at some steps to take as you start your school year (if you’ve already started your school year, it’s not too late):

1. Learn their names – This can be tricky if you have a large school.  You may never learn everyone’s name, but you can certainly give it a good shot.  Here are some great ways to help you do just this:
   • Play name games – click here (use names instead of another category) and here for 2 great options for 3-5!  This one works really well for littles!
   • Greet your students by name as they enter – the first week of school, each student tells me their name and I say or sing “Welcome, Welcome (insert name)  melody is s  m  s  m  s  m and then I play my gong once.  The 2nd week of school we do the same activity but they get to play the gong.
   • Practice using their names when you see them.  Encourage your students to politely correct you if you say their name incorrectly or you get it completely wrong
2. Use your classroom to help them through challenges – You see every student in the school.  Part of our job as the teacher of every student is to help out where we can.  What better way to help students through challenges and help them solve problems than through music and movement?  Think about using some of the strategies:
   • Problem solving – what happens if you don’t have a partner to work with? You can take these steps:
     • Meet in the partner finding area
     • Raise a hand and look around for a partner
     • Look to make sure everyone has a partner.  If someone is left out, invite them to be in your group
   • Disagreements – what happens if you disagree with someone?  Usually, we take these steps:
     • Listen to their point
     • Echo it back (Do you mean…?)
     • Agree or agree to disagree

In the music room, we can use call and response songs as a platform to talk about disagreements.  For example, we can talk about how an echo is different from a call and response, and relate that back to how an echo is simply repeating something someone else has said, while a call and response requires a different answer from the original question.

1. • You can use storybook lessons to help with this.  For example, this month, my 5th graders are doing a soundscape project for What the Road Said, by Cleo Wade.  This story is all about the challenges life brings you and how to overcome them.  I’ll be releasing this lesson plan free next month in my email community.  If you’re not a part of the community yet, be sure to join us!  When you join my community, you’ll receive an email download with two storybook lessons and a fun bouncy ball activity!  Plus, I release a new free lesson plan every month!
2. Allow them to be themselves –  How do we do this?
   • Allow them to express their opinions by asking for their opinions (ie. do you think we should use this rhythm or that rhythm?; what do you think the setting of this song is?, etc.) 
   • Give them time to do free movement (as long as they are moving to the steady beat, they get to pick their own movement).
   • Give them a chance to find different ways to play an instrument.
3. Allow them some talking time – This is a BIG deal for our students.  They get very little time to talk, so if we can give them directed talking time, it really helps them with the challenge of not talking at inappropriate times.  Here’s how:
   • Tell them to turn and talk instead of doing a whole group discussion
   • Instruct them to review last week’s lesson as they are entering the classroom (this may seem dangerous, but as long as you give them specific parameters and consequences, it works really well.  Be prepared to stop them, turn around, and bring them back in silently if they aren’t following the directions of what to talk about.

Classroom culture is truly the most important part of the beginning of the year.  How you spend the first month of school will make a huge difference in how you spend the remainder of the year.  Leave some time for active fun, games, and silly in your first weeks.  Check out my most recent post here for a great example of fun and silly while still teaching basic music skills!