Hello everyone! After taking the summer off (and then some) from blogging, I am refreshed and ready to start posting more regularly. One of the wonderful things about the Internet is that I have been able to learn and use free music teaching resources developed by fellow music teachers all over the world. Now, it's my turn to start sharing some music teacher freebies.

Active Listening Handout

When I'm really organized, I have a set of audio and/or video clips lined up for students to listen to. I used to aim for a weekly "Clip of the Week" but we just go too busy. When my students and I do the Clip of the Week exercise, I normally bring out this Active Listening handout to help guide my students in the art of active listening.

These sheets, like all materials I will be sharing here, are free to download and print for teaching and private study only.

Ways to Describe Music

My younger brother attended Piano Camp for several years in a row. I attended once as an adult. We both had the pleasure of working with Ingrid Clarfield of Westminster Choir College. She had a sheet with some adjectives to help students play more expressively.

Inspired, I found more adjectives and used my basic desktop layout skills to create this handout. One side lists various expressive adjectives while the other has what is the beginning of Maestro's Music Tricks with a bit of a music practice guide, entitled, "Am I Done Yet?"

Visual Music Practice Planners (AKA "Assignment Sheets")

This summer, I researched teaching strategies for autistic students. I don't have any students with autism (that I know of), but there is a person in one of my volunteer groups that might be.

When I looked at various planners and To Do Lists, I realized that this concept would work well for my highly visual-kinesthetic learners (see Teaching Music Using VARK Learning Preferences). I came up with these assignment sheets:

Visual Planner #1: Ideal for younger students, highly visual-kinesthetic learners, and autistic students. I laminated the sheet. Cutting up the practice squares and trying to position them carefully on a laminator sheet was quite the challenge.

Visual Planner #2: For older visual learners. Probably can work with some students on the autism spectrum.

Visual Assignment Sheet #3:Good for multi-modal students with a high score in visual learning.