This is not a post of how to integrate Orff-Schulwerk into recorder class, nor what curriculum I use, but really, the housekeeping end of teaching recorders.
Right now I have 48 plastic recorders going through my dishwasher. It is the end of the school year and time to clean up so when I start to prepare for the fall, things will be ready to go.
First, I got the school to buy me recorders for the students. I chose the Bare Bones recorders from West Music for $2.25. These have the West logo on them, are 3-piece, and are similar to the Yamaha. The first year I assigned each student a recorder with a homemade strap (made of ribbon and small hair bands just like I learned in my Orff Level 1 class). I wrote the number on each recorder with a sharpie. I have to rewrite the numbers occasionally. I picked up some boxes used for wine and covered up the words on the outside with construction paper and a little sign that said "Room 10 Recorders". I put two recorders in each slot, and each slot has written the correct numbers on the cardboard.
So far, so good. However, that first year I let the students take these recorders home to practice if they wanted. Of course, there were always a few who forgot them on music class day, so I either had to have an old one around for them to use (and clean after), or they could play air recorder or use a pencil.
This was so frustrating that I finally figured out that these were the class set to stay at school. I offered the children a chance to buy their own recorder to keep at home for practice. I order the same recorders as we use in class, and the kids are so excited when the recorders come and they can take them home. After all, most of the kids can afford a $3 recorder. Of course, I order extra since some kids don't jump on the bandwagon at first and decide later they want their own recorder. I charge a little extra so that it can include shipping, and then with the extra money I can buy the materials for the straps and whatever else I need for recorder class.
Some kids use a recorder from an older sibling, or just happen to have one around the house anyway.
This has worked marvelously well. I have to replace straps most years, and occasionally I replace a recorder (one group of students left teeth marks on theirs - yuck, and I had to replace a whole bunch).
I also keep classroom sets of recorders in my music room and offer the opportunity for students to purchase if they choose. I store them differently though. I hang a multi-pocket(16 usually) shoe holder. Each pocket holds up to 8 recorders. I divide the class into 4 groups and 4 "quad leaders", get the recorders from their shoe pockets and make quick work of handing out/collecting our recorders.
ReplyDeleteThis may not fly in everyone's district, but I keep "Clean" (green) and "Dirty" (red) buckets in my classroom, decorated with snazzy Recorder Karate clipart. I have about 15 extra recorders and when students forget to bring theirs, they may borrow a "clean" one and place it in the "dirty" bucket at the end of class. For obvious reasons, I keep these two buckets in different locations so there is no mix-up! I take home a few each night, wash them in my dishwasher at home on the top rack at the highest temperature, shake them out and dry them in a crock overnight. Because the students receive points for bringing their own recorder, they are usually more responsible in doing so. If they forget, however, they can still participate if they choose. I run a contest between homerooms for "best recorder attendance" and the winning class gets an ice cream party on me! This is working pretty well and I have had only one parent in three years express concern about borrowing an instrument. The best class had only 9 recorder absences from October through May. The worst: 50 absences. Now if I could only be sure they were really practicing at home... :-)
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