Virtual Games I Love!

This past year I used a lot of virtual games in my classroom. The awesome thing was, the students at home could play as well without having to feel like they were missing out on the fun of in-person school! Believe it or not, but most of my game ideas came from TikTok! The teacher resources on there are so useful and it's almost always relatable (personally and professionally). I follow a couple of music teachers on there and they've been really great about sharing their resources and answering questions! 

Here are my top 5 games! 

1. Bop or Flop
• This is more of an activity than a game, there are no real "winners" unless you count the points for songs. In this activity, students will hear a selection of a song, after they have heard a good amount they vote "bop" if they liked the song and "flop" if they didn't. This is a great way to authentically start conversations about music in my class! I just use a google slides page with a Pear Deck add on voting tool. 
2. Kahoot (www.kahoot.com)
• I feel like this goes without saying, but Kahoot is ol'reliable. Kahoot is a quiz-game style virtual game that create the perfect amount of competition in my class. Teachers can design questions or use pre-made Kahoots and students have to guess the correct answers. Students are given points based on quickness and correctness. 
3. Blooket (www.blooket.com)
• Blooket was the game I couldn't get my students to stop playing. There are over 8 different game modes you can play, which basically means it'll never get boring. Just like Kahoot, you design or pick the questions and students get "tokens" to use in the games. Students must answer the questions right to earn tokens for their games. 
4. Jeopardy Labs (www.jeopardylabs.com)
• Not gonna lie, it's a personal dream of mine to play Jeopardy (Rest in Peace, Alex Trebek). So I love playing this with my students. I create categories and clues based on the information we learn in class. I love to use this for review! 
5. Would You Rather
• Would You Rather is a campfire style game, you are asked a question that starts with "Would you rather" for example "Would you rather only eat chicken for the rest of your life, or only be allowed to drink pickle juice". I put a few slides on the board and students select their response, I usually assign a rhythm to it- so students clap the response they would rather do! It's great because students start to really learn to listen for the choices of others around them! 

Here's a jeopardy labs I made this year! 

10 Things Middle Schoolers Taught Me

 The 2020-2021 school year was an interesting one to say the least. I thought I'd share some things my middle schoolers taught me this past year! 

     1. If you don't say "Kobe" before you shoot in trashket ball, it 

        doesn't count 

     2. It's mandatory to have at least one back up TikTok account 

     3. No matter what the temperature is, wear a hoodie. 

     4. All non-essential papers must be turned into airplanes 

     5. Tying your shoelaces is a personal choice

     6. You can't walk under a door frame normally, you must jump and   

         slap it

     7. Wearing black Doc Martens means you're emo, so wear white   

          instead

     8. Cap = Lying, No Cap = Telling the truth

     9. If you're enjoying your meal, unless it's cafeteria food, you must 

        say "this is bussin' bussin'" 

     10. SHEEEEEEEESH 

(me during "dress like your students

day"... yes, I told myself to pull my 

mask up) 

Interviewing During A Pandemic

 When I graduated college, I was seeking a job in any music education position I could find. Most of the job openings at the time were elementary general music positions and although I wanted to teach middle school, I wanted to get some experience under my belt and see where I could go from there. Fast forward to March 2019, we are in the beginnings of the pandemic, and I am job searching for secondary positions in Pennsylvania (a different state than I was currently living in). While I was on a hiatus from teaching as our district was making plans for the rest of the year, I decided I needed to use this time to refine my cover letters, resume, and digitize my portfolio. Knowing my interview would most likely be online, I created a website to showcase my experience. I applied for jobs, listed my website, and waited to see what would come. 

During the spring and summer months, I went on 7 zoom interviews, and wow what a different experience. On one hand, I enjoyed being in a comfortable environment and not having to travel (some of my interview locations were several hours away), but it was very strange to get to know my potential employers/colleagues without physically meeting them. During my interviews, I had to demonstrate a variety of musical skills such as singing, conducting, piano playing, etc. I've had to demonstrate musically before, but this was the first time I would have to think about technical difficulties. Luckily my interviewers were okay with a pre-recorded piano video since my piano was in a construction zone with no internet access. 

(see the cabinet doors laying on the floor behind me)

I was offered and signed a position teaching elementary general music in a school near my hometown, but it was a long term substitute job, and wasn't able to offer me employment guarantee the next year. I continued to interview, despite already securing job, and I was convinced by a team of teachers and administrators that I wanted to move to Lancaster Pennsylvania and teach in a rural middle school. This was the first interview I was on that felt like I was equally interviewing them as they were me. I accepted their offer and moved to the southern end! 

(Long story short, I wore shorts under my blazer and landed the job of my dreams!) 

Beginning My Middle School Journey

    During my student teaching experiences in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, I discovered my love for teaching middle level students. I student taught 8th-12th grade and felt the strongest bond with the youngest students. The 8th graders (who are now going to be seniors) were goofy in all of the right ways. The stories they would tell and the questions they would ask always kept me on my toes. As a young teacher, student's felt like they could relate to me more than their older teachers, and of course this was highly flattering for a new teacher. Since this was a junior-senior high school, often times the "junior" students were given the short end of the stick with the 11th and 12th graders getting the most attention and credit. While this wasn't evident in their teacher's love for them, it was evident amongst the student population. Since there were two choirs and two teachers I was in charge of the 8th grade choir while my cooperating teacher took the 9th-12th grade choir. From my first time observing, to the first time I conducted them, I noticed a dramatic change in their demeanor. The 8th graders loved the extra attention and focus they were getting. This opened my eye to the idea that middle schoolers are just kids who need permission to be kids! They get a bad rep for being "moody" or "mean" but I see that side of them way less than I think people assume. Teaching middle school is fun. It's unpredictable, but every day is a new adventure. One thing's for sure, my job will never get boring! 

 (last day party- wasn't expecting to be lifted)