Classroom Management with Music

Last summer, I came across this article and decided I was going to give music a try in my classroom. I am so glad I did! It has helped my classroom management so much.

You've heard of Pavlov's Dog? That's what I feel like using music in my classroom. The children become trained to respond a certain way to a certain song. It's beautiful. It makes things run so smoothly. Plus, who doesn't love music?!?

Here's how I use music in my classroom on a daily basis:

Classical station on Pandora
Every morning, I turn on the classical station on Pandora as my students come in and work on their morning work. I believe that this helps them to come in calmer and quieter.

Morning Fun Song
After the morning announcement, I play a fun song. During this time, my students can get up out of their seats and talk to their friends. By the time the song is over, they are supposed to be back in their seat, quiet, with their morning work out ready to check it. This gives them time to get up and talk before the day gets started. It also gives me time to take attendance and do any last minute things. These songs can be anything fun that's child appropriate.

Lining Up Song
I  play the Pink Panther TV theme to signal to my students that it's time to clean up and line up. This song is a minute long, so it's just enough time for them to clean up and get lined up. When the music is over, they should be in line correctly and quietly.

Center Transitions
When students are working in centers, it can get noisy. Instead of trying to yell over them to give directions, I play a song to signal to them that it's time to clean up and change to a new center. During reading centers, I play the theme from American Idol. During math centers, I play music from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Working Music
Depending on what the students are working on, I will sometimes play music. If I want them working quietly and independently, I play classical music. Otherwise, I might play some school appropriate music that they are more familiar with. I always ask them if they'd like to listen to music while they work to try and be respectful of their opinion of their working environment.

Packing Up Music
This is my favorite usage of music in my classroom. One of my least favorite times used to be the time that I was trying to get my students to pack up. They would take forever! At my school, the 4th graders have a specials class, such as art or music, at the end of the day. So, we pack up then line up to go to that class. Music solved this problem. About 5 minutes before their class, I play the James Bond theme. They have until the end of the song to pack up and line up. The first few times they do this, they're in shock because they're not used to packing up so fast. They get used to it, though, and it cuts packing up time WAY down. Plus, that song is just fun to rush around the room to.

Friday Dance Party
By Friday afternoons, the kids are done. To give them something to look forward to, I play music during dismissal on Fridays. They can get up, dance, and have fun while waiting for their bus.

As with any classroom management tool, you must let the students know what your expectations are from the beginning. Then, you have to be consistent and hold them to your expectations. Once you get them "trained," everything will run so much smoother.

Have you ever used music in your classroom? If not, I highly recommend it. It's one of the best things I've implemented in my classroom.

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