any advice for a music teacher with no classroom?

Question

I am a new teacher beginning the middle of the year. There is no music classroom at the school, so I will be travelling from room to room with a cart. Any experienced teachers have advice for me on teaching and classroom management when you move around like this? It's an elementary school pre-k through 5th grade. Thanks.

Answer 1

Bless your heart! I mean that! I taught music and Band for 18 years and always was fortunate enough to work at a school where I had my own room. It will NOT be as easy working form a cart.

Be as organized as you can be with supplies you need each day. You can teach a lot of things such as dance/movement, music listening/appreciation, reading written music, singing by rote without books, marching to beats, clapping, making homemade instruments, etc...

One of my most favorite lessons was sound science. The kids always loved it! We talked about how the ear works and vibrations. We'd use tuning forks to see, feel, and hear vibrations. How vibrations transfer differently in air, and water. Try a tuning fork in water. It will "spit" at the kids and they love that surprise! In a tub of water a concert cymbal will make a strange noise when lowered into water! There are tons of things you can do with sound science for the kids in 3rd through 5th grades!

Answer 2

I am a first year music teacher and I spend half my time on the cart. I'm still trying to figure out ways to make it work, but here are some ideas: even though you do different songs with different grade levels, you can use the same instruments that day for every grade. Ask the classroom teachers if they would mind storing the music textbooks in their room. Even just half of the books if space is a problem - students can share.

It's not the ideal situation, but I know you can make it work! It just takes time to get an idea of what works best.

Answer 3

Being a cart teacher bites. You have to make the most of your cart. I was a cart teacher for science...in high school...do you know how hard it is to run experiments when you only have a cart? Use every surface you can of that cart, get some storage containers, hooks, velcro, whatever you need to pile it on.

Teaching music appreciation is a always great idea. Have a keyboard, a CD player, or a laptop with speakers on your cart. Maybe get together some simple instruments like a tambourine, maracas, harmonica, or some drums or get the kids to make them first (maybe coordinate with the art teacher??). You can play various music to your kids, have them learn the songs, discuss the historical importance of each song, maybe teach a dance with it.

For your younger kids, you wouldn't really need any music books. Teach them sing-a-longs, hand games, simple dance moves, etc. For your older kids, you can get some music books or you might be able to find online sites to just download music and make copies for your kids. Teach them how to read music or whatever. If the room(s) you use have overheads, just have the students read off of that. You can partner the kids up to teach them some dance steps. It all depends on what your strengths are and what curriculum guidelines each level has.

Good luck! Cart teachers can do it!

Answer 4

You are coming into their classroom and their teacher's classroom and taking charge. It can be a bit tricky as people tend to be "territorial".

If appropriate, ask the teachers whose rooms you are visiting if they can provide you with a shelf space for storing workbooks and such. Select students from each class to help you reorganize and pack your cart for your move to the next room. In fact, if the teacher doesn't mind, have these students help you move the cart on. Making them your special helpers is a big motivator. (Be sure to rotate the privilege.)

You won't want to be setting up multiple bulletin boards - one for each class - so find out if there is a centrally located bulletin (or two) board in the school where you can post displays.

Visit each classroom before you start working with the children and find out how it is arranged. See if you can work things out so that there are places for the children to be involved in movement activities as well as seatwork.

I used to have the students make name cards to put on their desks when I was in the room so that I could always address them by name. Try to arrive at each class on time so the teacher can "hand off" to you with the class settled and ready for you. In fact, if the teacher is willing, tell them how you want the children seated for you when you arrive. e.g. at their desks, at the carpet. Be sure to hand them back equally ready for their teacher. Good relationships with the teachers whose rooms you are visiting will be very helpful to you.

Answer 5

i love cart teachers. I had one at the school i was teaching for art and music. you will have your storage so when u have your lesson plans make sure u dont have to constantly change use the same stuff for example 4,5,6. maybe different songs they dont care they love music. be very creative and make it fun. You wont have any problems just set you expectations from your class the first day. I had some of the naughtiest kids ever but they were alot of fun when music teacher came around!!

Answer 6

our music teacher shares a room with the art teacher and the G/T teacher so she travels from classroom to classroom to teach and she uses the cd player in the classroom and the vcr/tv but she carries her materials like in a plastic storage box with handles

Answer 7

I clearly remember a traveling music teacher when i was in elementary school.
You school have your lesson plans well in advance but be flexible.
I say music is fun. Get the kids up and moving and singing.
Teach music appreciation.
Have fun.

Answer 8

My heart goes out to you! I used to teach out of a cart myself in middle school--it was rough and I hated it.

Have good lesson plans and strongly enforce disciplinary problems.

I hope you get your own classroom soon! :)

Answer 9

That's a tricky question.

Answer 10

Sorry, I have nothing insightful regarding this question