Students Chime in on Music in Our Classroom

Earlier I wrote a post regarding using music to set the mood in my classroom. As the year winds down, I'm trying to solicit as much feedback as possible from students about what worked well and what should be changed next year. On Friday students responded to a survey about our use of music in the classroom. The results were overwhelmingly positive. Not a single student said they didn't like it!

Below is an excerpt of the results from this survey (note that these results haven't been revised/edited for grammar, spelling, etc.):

How does the music in our classroom make you feel?

The music makes me feel good because we use it for when we are doing our work and it makes me feel calm inside.

The music makes me feel calm and it cheers me up when I'm mad or I got in trouble. When I listen to the music I don't have to be mad.

I like listening to music in class because  when I am not in a good mood the music make me feel happy again.

It makes me happy and It makes me focus better some times it is away that every one connects in the class by music

The music makes me feel calm I like the beats like some times when she plays katy perry firework I would dance and sing to the tone.

It makes me feel happy during transition cause we make it more fun than just walking and sometimes stop me from talking a lot.

I love the music it make me feel thrilled and happy. I like when we have music when we work and in the morning and the transition it help me concentrate and help me by telling me when to stop of when to go it is really helpful and some of the songs I hear I be singing along

I love the music because it helps me relax. I like the morning music because it is the main music you know it gets you energized. I also like the work time music I love to hear the voilins in my ear

We have music in the morning, trasitions, in the math message, and in work time. It makes me feel relaxed and it makes me consentrate with my work.

The songs makes me feel happy in the morning and in the evening it makes me fell relexed and good and in the tradition it makes me fell happy  funny inside that is how the music and trasittion makes me feel

The music make me feel like it is a good morning.

The music make Feel so energetic because when you are going slow eating then the music comes on it makes us go fast. The time we do music is math message morning and also sometimes during transitions. EMOTIONS for the music: Happy, Peacefully,Calm

I like the music in the morning the transition and the music in work time because it makes me feel HAPPY. Like in the work time the music makes me stay on task. And in the morning, I can enjoy myself ALL the time while eating (that is one of my favorite things to do).

Music makes me feel excited during morning entry because it helps me think better and clears my head. I like the beat and the words. It helps me clam down when I'm upset. I also like the slow motion transition because it's fun and I get to express myself.

We hear the music during math message and it help me concentrate more.

I like to listen to music in the morning because it is calming and helps you to get energy. Also because it is fun makes your day go smooooooth and not bumpy. The music can also teach you about people and to make you feel better like the song goes " you may think that I'm a 0. But hey I'm a superstar just be who you are."

I really enjoy listening to music because it makes me feel com.we listen to music at transition and when we come in the morning.sometimes we listen to a music that we get to get a homework pass for wining.I think it's fun to listen to music.I hope get to listen to music next year in my class room.

I love the music it make me feel thrilled and happy,I like when we have music when we work and in the morning and the transition it help me concentrate and help me by telling me when to stop of when to go it is really helpful and some of the songs I hear I be singing along

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Using Music to set the Mood

Recently I've been running my classroom through iTunes playlists. Transitions, worktime, tests, small groups - they all have their own playlist. I hook my computer up to the speakers, use the Remote App on my iPhone, iTouch or iPad and voila! - I am able to wirelessly change the mood and instruction using music.

I've found that this is a fun and low-stress way to cue students to different tasks, moods and periods of the day. It has added a sense of levity to our day that once it was characterized as... well... perhaps a bit militant (clapping to get students' attention, transitioning in lines with arms folded and marching single file... effective but no fun). It is amazing to see a student trudge up the stairs, grumble through getting breakfast, roll their eyes as they walk in to the classroom and then - bam - they are shaking their hips to Shakira and greeting classmates with a grin. Come time for the math challenge in the daily math message, my normally frustrated students are tapping their feet, and putting pencil to paper when I play the math message playlist. Talking has all but ceased during work time as students quiet down to listen to the instrumental work time playlist. It's been a great change in our classroom environment. Music really can lighten the mood and help soothe the souls of our weary students (and teachers)!

Some examples of tunes and times:

• Morning Entry: I love to use popular, upbeat songs with a positive message. As kids enter the classroom, they dance in listening to "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa" by Shakira, "Firework" by Katy Perry, "Loser Like Me" by the Glee Cast, "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan, and "Born this Way" by Lady Gaga (I use the Glee version).

• Math Message: This is the time for our kids to problem solve, and challenge themselves with difficult problems. Therefore this playlist is more mellow but still has a "you can do it" message. They work listening to either "The World's Greatest" by R. Kelly or "Wake Up Everybody" by John Legend. Both are about 4 minutes and so time our Math Message well.

• Work Time: When it is time for kids to work, but lyrics would be distracting, I turn to Vitamin String Quartet. A fellow teacher told me about this group - as the name suggests they are a string quartet - who performs popular music (Queen! Michael Jackson! Lady Gaga!). Pretty funny the first time you hear it - but a great background soundtrack for worktime!

• Transitions: We do an action-movie Slo-Mo transition. Kids know where to go and begin transitioning as soon as the music turns on. They make ridiculous Slo-Mo faces, over-exaggerated movements and have a total ball moving from their seats to centers, the bathroom line, etc. In this way, 25 kids can get from point A to point B safely, without pushing, yet while still smiling. The perfect song for this is from the Kill Bill soundtrack - "Battle without Honor or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei. At the end of the transition we name an "Academy Award Winner" for best silent and slo-mo transition. 

 Note: See a follow-up to this post here (posted June 5, 2011).

You have read this article Classroom Management / Music in the Classroom with the title Music in the Classroom. You can bookmark this page URL https://fieldecho.blogspot.com/2011/05/using-music-to-set-mood.html. Thanks!