Erie Canal Work Song

The Erie Canal Work Songhttp://www.bethsnotesplus.com/2015/09/work-songs.html

https://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2014/05/26/erie-canal-an-illustrated-song/
http://www.trinityhistory.org/AmH/u2maps.htm

Curriculum Mapping--Parent/Language Involvement

Around the first week of school, send home a syllabus for parents to see what skills their students will learn this year. ALSO include that each student will be the music class leader at least once in which they will be in charge of the Language Greeting, teaching us an easy song or game in their language, and making a display/poster which celebrates the music from their country (local instruments, famous musicians). Parents are more than welcome to accompany their students on this day to enjoy the fun!

August 20-31st No one

September: No One (everyone will bring poster about themselves and country. Class talent shows.)

October: English speakers: America/UK/Canada

November: Arabic students (prepare us for National Day on Dec 2nd!)

December: Spanish/Brazilian students (Is Feliz Navidad allowed? Probably not.)

January: Indian/Pakistani students

February: European (French is the language of l'amour)

March: African students

April: Asian students

May: Ramadan begins 27th ish

June: Ramadan

Silly Songs to Sing in School!

• Peel Banana Song
• If All the Raindrops (guitar accompaniment & timed PPT)
• Singing in the Rain :) 
• Do Your Ears Hang Low?
• B-I-N-G-O
• For He's a Jolly Good Fellow (To the Secret Student of the day)
• Nobody Likes Me Everybody Hates Me (Learn guitar part & make PPT) Check out video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRzhflMkGLg 
• Wishy Washy Washer Woman 
• Tony Chestnut
• Body Boogie (Learning Station Pre-K through Year 4)
• Body Bop (Learning Station Pre-K Year 1)
• Tarzan Song (Learning Station Pre-K and K)
• Move and Freeze (Learning Station Prek-K through Year 2)
• Get Funky (Learning Station Pre-K through Year 2)
• Down By the Bay (Rhyming Words. No movements, just silly words).
• I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas (Rhyming Words. No movements, just silly words).
• John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt (Year 3-4)
• Boom Chicka Boom (Call and Response Camp Song)
• More Songs on this website http://www.songsforteaching.com/sillysongs/ 

Fun/Silly Dances:

• Hokey Pokey
• Macarena
• Drive the Bus
• Anything from Koo Koo Kangaroo station on gonoodle.com

Books with Silly Songs:

• On Top of Spaghetti
• There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Partner/Group Hand-Clapping Games!

Singing/Chanting AND Clapping Games:

• Lum Sum Sum (Whole Group Ice Breaker)
• Ram Sam Sam (Similar to Lum Sum Sum but singing)
• Up the Ladder Down the Ladder (Whole Group Get to Know You)
• I Let Her Go Go (Rotating Partner)
• Sasha (Partner)
• One Legged Sailor (Partner)
• Four White Horses (Groups of 4)
• Jan Kan Pon Yo (Japanese Rock Paper Scissors Partner Game)
• Hot Cross Buns Hand Clapping Game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN_53kogwfw&feature=share (Rotating Partner)
• Head and Shoulders Baby (Partner)
• It's Not Hard I Tell You So (Group)
• Dr. Knickerbocker (Group but could try partner hand-clapping!)

Clapping and Thinking Games:

• Ta Ti-Ti Circle Game (Ta moves to the right, Ti-Ti switches direction like an Uno Reverse Card. Have to keep a steady beat. Challenge Ti-ssippi skips a person.)
• Modified Ta Ti-Ti Circle Game (Pass the same rhythm in a circle while keeping the beat. For instance Ta Ta Ti-Ti Ta is passed on person at a time to complete the rhythm without losing beat.

Ones I Have not Tried Yet that should work:

• Patty Cake (Pre-K and K)
• Double Double This This
• Down Down Baby (Mama called the doctor version. Year 3-4)
• Miss Mary Mack (Year 2. Maybe some boys will be too cool for this in older grades)
• Say Say My Playmate (Tricky!! Maybe have one girly verse and one dragon verse (see this website: http://icebreakerideas.com/hand-clapping-games/ 
• A Sailor Went to Sea Sea Sea (Good for any age starting out hand-clapping)
• Lemonade Crunchy Ice (Year 1-3)

Are you ready for this? (Insert Space Jam theme song)

Hi all!

Welcome to my first blog! I'm not a huge fan of writing but I am a long-winded story teller (thanks Dad ;). haha I will compile a quick synopsis of my unpredictable journey so far. (Insert rollercoaster spiel that I gave as the M.C. when I worked at Blazing Fury in Dollywood...keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times...bla bla...I don't remember...FIRE IN THE HOLE!)

Why teach overseas?

I think it had always been on my mind, but I never truly thought I'd follow through with the dream. When I felt such a strong pull to other ethnicities and languages in college, I started looking into an ESL degree. However, I am not one to waste money so staying longer than four years and/or switching my major was not even an option. The hurtles for me to teach overseas were my high monthly loan payments, finding a music teaching position without being fluent in another language, and having courage to leave.

How did you find this position?

It found me! I signed up for teachaway.com in May 2013. They began emailing me teaching opportunities. I was hoping to teach in Europe or South America because I love those languages. I told God, anywhere but Asia or the Middle East. Their languages have symbols and are too hard. God laughed ;) When I kept getting emails for the Middle East, I looked into earning a TEFL degree in order to teach English as a Foreign Language instead of music. I signed up for the International TEFL Academy and spoke with a rep. He said Europe and South America positions usually pay teachers just enough to sustain themselves, but not enough to afford $600 loan payments every month. Asia and the Middle East were my two options haha I decided upon Asia. Jenny Choi is from Korea. I could teach there! The Middle East was too scary. That day, I saw an email from TeachAway about a music position in Abu Dhabi teaching royalty! I had to at least apply. I probably wouldn't get it. After a phone interview, skype interview, and an in-person interview in Chicago for a school in Abu Dhabi, I did not make the cut. I was a bit relieved. No Middle East for me! It wasn't God's plan. Now back to Asia... Then I received a follow-up email saying they recommended me for a position in Qatar. I skyped with the principal and got offered the position right away! To my surprise, I felt completely calm about the decision. I did not have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach like I did for the Abu Dhabi school. God's ways are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

What happened to Qatar??

Haha, well........ funny story. Apparently international teaching is known for being unpredictable. So THAT is why they stressed the importance of being flexible in the interviews! Long story short, AAQ cut 40 or more teachers because enrollment wasn't what they planned for it to be. They said they would honor our contracts and place us in a different GEMS school. I got placed with 7 other AAQ hires at a UK school in Abu Dhabi called Cambridge International Academy. I was glad that I was placed with these 7 teachers that I had already been corresponding with and who could relate to everything I was going through. I flew out the 26th, got to my hotel in Abu Dhabi late on the 27th, and caught the tail-end of induction week on Thursday the 28th. First day of school was Sunday the 31st.

Any other hiccups?

haha Yep! But we're surviving!