(Part 2) The #1 Teaching Tool I Couldn’t Live Without
Why is “focus activities” my TOP teaching tool?
The answer is simple. When a student is focused and engaged, the lesson is much more productive. Without student’s attention, even with the best lesson plan, very little can be achieved.
Have you tried the focus activity “Up Down Upside Down” introduced in the previous blog? Are you ready to fire up your student’s focus with the second activity “Pass the Eggs?” It’s great for parents to try with the children at home, too.
In today’s short 2-minute video, you will see “Pass the Eggs” in action and you’ll know why FOCUS activity is my #1 teaching tool of choice. Just see the big smiles on everyone’s face.
Pass the Eggs
Pass the egg shaker to the neighbor while chanting “Shake, Shake, Pass and Take” and doing the movement at the same time.
After watching this video, please take a moment to reflect this question:
What music concepts does the student learn through “passing the eggs?”
This activity may seem very simple, however, the students are learning all these concepts: steady beat, left and right, coordination, tempo change, quarter and eighth notes, ensemble skills.
Most importantly, these music concepts are learned in a way that seems invisible to the students. They learn through playing. While watching the video, did you notice that when the egg was dropped on the floor accidentally, we just simply pick it up and wait for the right moment to pass the egg again? This is the fundamental of ensemble playing.
It also shows students how to handle mistakes. Dropping the egg is totally fine and making mistakes is totally cool. I believe in creating a fun-loving environment that allows for mistakes. Perfection is not a learning goal. It is more important to quickly find creative, spontaneous reaction to handle the mistake.
Please make sure to leave me a comment or feedback if you would like to see other activities.
Get My Top Five Focus Activities Instant Download NOW
I have prepared my Top Five Focus Activities for download, simply Click below and Get it Now.
The activities are Dalcroze based and always require creative, quick and spontaneous reaction from the student. If you would like to learn more about Dalcroze Eurhythmics, please visit American Eurhythmics Society website. I regularly attend their workshop and always have an amazing experience each time.
