Seating Charts

I am thinking about new things that I want to do this coming year in my general music classes. Summer is a great time to let ideas roll around in your head. One thing that I have heard about that I have never done, and I know I should be doing, is to have seating charts for each class. These are what I think the advantages would be for me.

1. Getting to know all 300 kids' names. I know many names, but not all.
2. Students love to know what to expect and have some sort of routine. Knowing where to sit is the first thing that happens when they enter the room.
3. I could keep track of all kinds of information. Who got a turn, who needs a turn next time? Who should I call on? Who was absent last time? Who did a great job? Who acted out?
4. Teachers could assist me in letting me know who would sit best in what place (so they wouldn't aggravate their neighbor, or put the kid who needs help paying attention at the front or a kid who needs to be separated in the back near the classroom teacher).
5. I could have several seating charts per class - one for rows, one for circle.
6. I would like ways to create small groups from these seating charts.

Being a technology person, I would love to have an app that would work for me. I am starting a search for the best one for my purposes.

Summer Brain

This week I had two, count 'em, two students simply forget to come to their lessons. I think it was coincidence that they are my two viola students.... Summer brain....

Zip Code Boogie for Public Consumption

Nearly two years ago I sent my Zip Code Boogie to the American Recorder Society to see if they wanted to publish it in their newsletter. They seemed interested, and then I forgot about it. A few weeks ago I got an email from them and they said that it had risen to the top of the list and would come out in September. I got to see a preview of what it would look like, and I am pretty excited that some other groups may get to enjoy this little piece that the Village Pipers have had fun playing.

Recorder Haiku

I haven't posted for a little while, but I have been busy working on music. I have private students for the summer, I'm working on Celtic and Fiddle Music with Lynn, I'm playing recorder with the Village Pipers.

The Village Pipers is going to play at the Haiku North America Conference next month, and I have composed 5 very short pieces for our group based on the haiku of one of the musicians. This weekend my goal is to finish the final haiku so we'll have two sets of three. I rather like that idea since haiku generally has three lines in it, and symmetry pleases me.