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Lately, I’ve been thinking about how fortunate I am in the supplies I have for my classroom. I remember the month before my first year of teaching, knowing that there was so much I needed, basically nothing I had, and being overwhelmed with decisions. Instruments, books, and puppets aside, there are things that have made my teaching life much easier. Now that I’ve been teaching for nearly 10 years, I know of seven basic tools, mostly inexpensive or free, that I wouldn’t want to teach without. These tools help me to go about my lessons with the least interruptions, which is key.
1. Projector
Remember in the last paragraph when I said most of the tools are inexpensive or free? Well this is the exception. Teaching without a projector is hard, because you need to create or print all of your visuals. And if you teach English Language Learners, visuals are even more important. If you do not have an interactive whiteboard or LCD projector, there are ways to get your hands on one. DonorsChoose is a great option for public school teachers. I posted a request for a projector, and it was filled within a couple of days.
If your district does not allow DonorsChoose, or if you are in a private school, another option is to look to the community. Call businesses in your area, and see if they have a projector that they could donate to you. Businesses get to replace technology much more often than schools do, and they are likely to have a gently used projector that they won’t need anymore.
2. Presentation Remote
The first day of teaching with a presentation remote had me kicking myself for not getting one sooner. Gone were the days of wasting instructional time going back and forth to my computer. Now, there are so many features on these remotes. You can click through slides of a presentation, change tabs, click on videos, and even adjust the sound. The laser pointer is especially helpful when following vocal exploration pathways or new music.
Although this remote makes my life easier, the best part is that it improves my lessons. The time wasted going over to my computer also meant time for students to begin talking or lose attention. Now, transitions are quick and smooth. Much better. And all for about $15. For a few years, I’ve been using this remote, though I’ve had to replace it a few times, and it does not have some of the capabilities that others now offer. I recently upgraded to this remote, which has more abilities, and is the same price.
3. Magnet Tape
This tool has been with me since the very beginning, and my love for it is still going strong. 🙂 If you don’t have a roll of magnet tape, what are you waiting for?! For example, you can print and laminate clipart stars, slap some magnet tape on the back, and you’ve got icons for teaching Star Light Star Bright. Draw a staff on your whiteboard, and kids will beg to come up and place the stars on the staff. There are different kinds of magnet tape, and I keep two kinds in my desk. This kind that comes in a tape dispenser is super convenient, and great for lightweight items like melodic and rhythmic icons. And this kind on a roll is stronger, and great to use to larger items. I use this tape for larger pieces, like my visual schedule cards.
4. Dry Erase Pockets
Over the years, I’ve heard horror stories from teachers whose schools didn’t provide them with much. My friend once taught at a school where each teacher was given one ream of paper each quarter, and they kept no paper in the copy room. What?! Well dry erase pockets cut down on paper use, which is great for economic and environmental reasons. Print a class set of an activity sheet, beat chart, or blank staff, and stuff them in these babies to keep them good as new. I buy dry erase markers at Dollar Tree, and black felt that I cut into strips to use as erasers, and then we’re good to go for so many activities. If you’d like, Dollar Tree usually carries dry erase pockets, too, but the ones I linked earlier have held up better.
5. Bluetooth Speaker with Spotify Premium
In the same vein as saving time with a presentation remote, playing music with a bluetooth speaker is another blessing for music teachers everywhere. My husband and I are both musicians, so we invest in a Spotify Premium family account. I can create playlists for my lessons, keep my phone in my apron ( read more about that in a minute), and when I’m at that point in a lesson, I just grab my phone and press play.
6. YouTube
I’m in my 30’s, so I remember when YouTube was just a place to watch funny videos with friends. But now, this website can be a game changer in the classroom. Want to show your kids a demonstration of a talking drum? YouTube has it. Want to play an interview of John Williams when studying film scoring? YouTube has it. Need a karaoke track? YouTube has it.
The only trick with my favorite site is that the ads and suggested videos are not always appropriate, and are definitely distracting. SafeShare is a great option to use with YouTube. I also found a blog post by a fellow teacher with more ideas for sharing YouTube videos in class. And if your school blocks YouTube, there’s still hope. ClipGrab is a free app which allows you to download the videos to your computer. You can download the video at home on your personal computer, put it on a flash drive or in Google Drive, and open it up at school.
7. Teacher Apron
My apron has been incredibly helpful in my teaching. I’ve been teaching with an apron for years now, and I don’t think I could go back to teaching without it. You can read all about how I use a teacher apron in this blog post.
These seven tools are the ones I wouldn’t want to teach without. They save instructional time, planning time, and keep me organized. We’d all like to have access to all the bells and whistles a music teacher can dream of, but if you find the right tools, you can teach in any situation. Is there anything you’d add to this list?
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