Who loves lesson planning for elementary music?? Anyone? Okay, I actually do love it. I really enjoy sitting down to come up with fun ideas for my kids to do, making everything organized and streamlined…I kind of nerd out with it! Add in a cup of coffee and some film music and *chefs kiss.*
Now, all that being said, when I’m stressed and have a million things on the to-do list, I don’t love lesson planning as much as when it’s summer and I have more time to think about new ideas for school. But I know that lesson plans are important, and I have some ways to make it easier for you! Today we’re going to talk about lesson plans, how to organize them, what to put in them, and how to make it easier and faster to write one.
PS- Are you a new music teacher reading this? Are you a veteran teacher looking for new ideas? Check out this free checklist for new music teachers. You’ll get classroom management and organization tips, a free lesson plan template, and more! You can get that guide by clicking here.
Why have a lesson plan and who is it for?
So, first of all, why are we lesson planning for elementary music in the first place? Is it for your principal in case (s)he walks in to observe you? Do you just write them because you have to turn them in each week? I hope not!
A lesson plan is a guide that helps keep us on track. So, most of all, a lesson plan is for us. Yes, your principal may want to see your lesson plan during an unannounced observation, but the lesson plan is for you to make sure that you are planning out smooth, effective lessons. Writing plans allows you to think about where you can extend activities or work through any potential problems that could arise. This is why I, even as a veteran teacher, write full lesson plans for each grade every week, and I encourage you to do the same.
In addition to having a written or typed-out lesson plan, I also transfer all of that onto an agenda, like the picture you see above. I project it on the board when students come in so students can see the activities we’re doing as well as the learning objective. I try to link any presentations, websites, and videos that I can within the presentation. This helps keep everything organized and saves time during the lesson.
This also comes in handy when I need to make emergency sub plans. Our district allows us to share a Google Drive folder with the sub computers. I can make a copy of the agenda and keep some of the videos and websites that they don’t need me for, then adjust the activities that I have to be present for. It helps keep the class at least partly on track with the other classes in the grade level. It’s an extra step, but one that I’ve found incredibly helpful.
Organization methods for lesson plans
I have tried many (many) different formats of lesson planning for elementary music over the years, both written and typed.
Hand Written
Hand-written plans- I love a good pen and paper planner, but it took much longer to handwrite my plans than it did to type, so I didn’t stick with this method for very long.
Unit Plan Templates- I tried to use a unit plan template like what my colleagues in the general classrooms were using, but I struggled to use it because I would be presenting or practicing one concept in the same class I would be prepping the next concept. It just got a little confusing for me to use when I was scaffolding units this way. However, if you’re looking for a unit plan template to use, I recommend using this template! It took a little adapting to fit my music room, but it’s well thought out and the formatting makes the Google Sheet do a lot of the work for you. This can be both handwritten and digital.
Digital
Planbook- I used Planbook for many years. This was by far the best way for me to keep my plans. I loved that I could easily access plans from past years, I could access plans from anywhere, choose standards, and easily copy and paste and adapt plans for different classes within the same grade level each week. I would have my Planbook site up on my computer to reference if I needed to, and each week I would print my plans to put in a binder on my desk for future reference or for my principal if she came in. Planbook is a really easy program to use that I still stand by, although I’m trying something new this year.
Google Sheets- This year, I’m trying out my plans in Google Sheets. I have a workbook with a new spreadsheet for each week that has all of my grades in each column. Each row is a section of my plan like I Can statements, materials, and the procedure. I’ll still print this out and put it in a binder for my desk. I like this because it’s still accessible from anywhere (this is especially helpful if you are out sick and don’t have your computer to make sub plans or if you have a random e-learning/weather day!) but I like that I can see the information for each grade level very quickly. I also can search for a song or activity to quickly see if my kids have done it before.
What should be in a lesson plan
So let’s figure out what a good lesson plan should have in it. Now, be sure to check with your principal first, because it’s possible that there is a preferred format. Here are some important parts that you should include in your template:
I Can Statements
What is your objective in class today? What is the desired outcome? For your lesson plan, you can write these in kid-friendly language or teacher language. I personally choose kid-friendly language because I’ll then transfer that exact statement onto the agenda that I project. These statements should be observable. You don’t want an objective that says, “I know sol and mi.” Instead, try this: “I can show sol and mi with my body during (insert specific known song here.)”
Standards
You can list the specific standards that your district requires you to grade on or you can list out the national standards. I used to put the national standards, but have gone to noting the standards that I’m required to assess. However, I still keep the national standards in mind as I plan because I think it helps me plan a well-rounded class.
Materials
List all resources, instruments, etc. that you need in this section. This gives you a place to look to see exactly what you need when it comes time to set up for your lesson.
Assessment
What activity are you assessing during this lesson? Is it formative or summative? (You can read more about assessments in music class here.) I will actually bold or highlight this activity in my procedure so that I remember to assess it!
Procedure
Here’s where you’ll write out the order in which you are doing your activities. You may also consider writing questions you want to remember to ask your students throughout the lesson.
Tips for making it easier
Now all this information is all well and good, but you might be thinking, “Ok, but how do I actually put this into practice? How do I make this sustainable so that it’s effective but not take up my very little (if any) prep to write”? Here are ways to make lesson planning for elementary music quicker.
Use a Template
We already talked about what your template should include. The first tip is to actually have a template to work off of. Even if it’s just a few things written on a Google Doc, it will save you more time than you think.
Reuse Activities or Objectives
Can you use the same activity for several classes and build on it each time? If I’m teaching a folk dance, I’ll teach A in one class and B in the next class. Then I’ll combine them in the third class and add instruments in the fourth class. You might not spend a lot of time on the dance each class, but you still know what makes the most sense to add on the next time you see them. This makes the activity faster to plan for because you already know what’s coming next and just need to quickly write it out.
Combine Grade Levels
Can you combine songs for different grade levels? Many times I have my two grade levels doing the same song with different concepts. For example, if my kindergarten students are working on quarter and eighth notes and my first graders are working on La, I will have both grades doing the song “We Are Dancing.” That way I only have to work on presentation slides for one song for both grades. My third and fourth-grade students perform their grade-level program together so I’m only preparing one show.
Use a Scope and Sequence
In my first year of teaching I didn’t have a scope and sequence, or a list of what I wanted my students to learn and when we were going to cover it. I just kind of taught a concept that I felt was appropriate for that grade level and then pieced together some songs. It’s so helpful to have a general guide of when you’re going to teach each class. If you want to read more about creating your scope and sequence, you can check out this blog post.
Use Last Year’s Plans as a Guide
If you’re a first-year teacher, this doesn’t help you much. But you should also know that it does in fact get easier to write plans! If you have a year’s worth of plans, make sure you look at last year’s plans to give you something to go off of! This was actually something I really struggled with for several years. For some reason, it felt like cheating. However, I also missed out on using some great activities with my kids because I forgot about them until I went back through my old lesson plans! This is not to say that I just keep the same plans because my students and classes are not the same as they were last year. However, I now go back and look at activities I did to give me inspiration as I write this year’s plans.
Use a Checklist
Have a checklist at the bottom of each plan with the classes in that grade level. This way, you can check off when they’ve done the lesson. This was especially helpful when I missed my Friday classes for 4 weeks in a row in the spring because of planned and unplanned days off, field trips, testing, etc.
New teacher checklist
Whew, I had a lot to say about lesson planning for elementary music! If you’re a new teacher and are overwhelmed right now, don’t fret! I have a free new teacher checklist that will help you get organized and ready for the new school year. Download your free checklist to get started with lesson plans, organization, and more tips from a veteran teacher here. And if you have questions, I clearly love to talk about this stuff, so DM me on Instagram (@caffeinated.j). I would truly love to talk through more with you!
