It’s that time of year! Many of us have just finished up major concerts and WE. ARE. DONE! So are the kids frankly. We have worked super hard and it’s time to relax. Except – you might still have two weeks of school left. What are you going to do after the concert in music class? Here are a few ideas and resources to get you through these last few days before winter break when you don’t know what to do after the concert.
Write Thank You Notes!
It takes a village to put on a concert. Your students need to acknowledge this as well. Have them help you write thank you notes or make gifts for the people involved in the concert. Everyone from the principal to the custodian to parent volunteers! Grab one of these thank you cards!
Concert Reflection!
Whether the concert was awesome or it was one that left some room for improvement, taking the time to reflect on what they able to accomplish and/or can work on for next time is a valuable experience for the teacher and student. I love reading the students’ responses – they sometimes pick up on things (good and bad) that I didn’t! Video the concert and watch the recording! Like you, students are in the moment when performing, and may have trouble remembering what happened (adrenaline and all that!). Grab a reflection sheet from Sally’s Sea of Songs!
Put kids to work!
I firmly believe schools need to teach academics, but we also need to teach students how to become kind, responsible people. Often after a concert, there is a lot to inventory and pack away. Put students to work! Have them help box up props, collect music and file it, organize the room, clean the room, etc. Kids LOVE doing this stuff and it teaches them about what has to happen behind the scenes.
Review!
This is a great time to review concepts from semester 1! Maybe you just didn’t get to something or maybe you need a solid foundation for semester 2! This is the PERFECT time to play games or do really fun activities that reinforce previous concepts. Take a look at some of these activities that would be perfect for review from the Music Crew.
Have some fun!
Remember, one of the purposes of music is entertainment. Some people get miffed at the idea of doing a musical activity in class just for fun, but that is one of the purposes of music’s existence in the first place. Check out some of these great activities from the Music Crew that allow your students to do a fun, musical activity!
Let us know in the comments what you are doing this time of year! We are always looking for new ideas for what to do after the concert!