October Training with Susan Kenney

What a fabulous training we had last night. We are so grateful that Susan Kenney was willing to come share her knowledge and expertise to inspire and empower us. This post will have some ideas from the training, but we gleaned so much more there than can ever be shared in a blog post. :)


Some of my favorite take-aways:

• Expect Precision - "if we get sloppy, they start to behave sloppy." Students brains will thrive with the approachable challenge of precision, and it will help immensely with management.
• Reason for repetition - every time you repeat something, give the children a reason, a challenge, or meaning. 
• A Kenney Rule: Don't sing a round with a song the same day you just taught that song.

We reviewed songs from the last training at marathon speed. We talked about adaptations to Rig a Jig, and here are the ways Susan discussed to play Rig a Jig:

1. Teacher takes a turn by approaching each student. Students stay seated.
2. Teacher takes a turn with a students. The teacher then takes the student's seat, and the student takes a turn with another student.
3. Snowball - teacher starts, each time she takes a turn with a student, that student joins in. The next round the teacher and the student each find a new partner, and numbers double. Follow the pattern and eventually all of the students will be up and moving.

Mystery Song Game
Susan played the mystery song game with us, and we had to guess a song by the rhythm. She gave us some ideas of giving the students clues..such as clapping the rhythm but singing just one word, slowly adding words or pitches until the students can guess the song.


Video clips:

Old Grumbler

Susan asked about how to choose students for this game. I love that she emphasized there is no right answer. Do what works best in your classroom. Here is a way that I love to choose students for this type of song: Using a drum, ask students to make their best tree shape. Praise differences...look at that tall tree, this tree with jagged branches, this tree on a low level, etc.  Do this several times, and then choose your three trees based on which students you think will lend the best success. Repeat this process for an old lady, Old Grumbler, and the wind. Teach the lesson this way, and you have dance, drama, and music all in one. :) (here's a link to some great descriptive words for dance: click here

Ghost of Tom

Breathing to change cells

Old Abram Brown (in a round)

Song Dotting to Beethoven Symphony no.7

This song is just so powerful. Here's a link to a youtube performance of it. Movement 2 starts at 14:50.