by Melissa Stouffer | May 12, 2026 | Lesson Planning
Time fillers are necessary and important. Sometimes a lesson takes less time than we think. Other times, it’s necessary to have a time filler if students are struggling with behavior on a game. Sometimes the classroom teacher is late even when they dropped their...
by Melissa Stouffer | May 5, 2026 | Lesson Planning, Music History
Listening activities are underrated. I said what I said. They are a wonderful way to engage students, highlight a variety of cultures, and introduce the wide world of instruments. Heritage months tend to bring out our desire to share different cultures (which we...
by Melissa Stouffer | Dec 9, 2025 | Holidays, Learning Through Play, Lesson Planning
Once December hits, you better have the sleigh bells ready because kids are INTO it. Whether you lean into the Christmas holiday or if you are simply looking for winter activities with bells, here are a few that you can do with your students. Jingle-y Songs Listen to...
by Melissa Stouffer | Nov 18, 2025 | Holidays, Lesson Planning
All the histories aside, Thanksgiving is supposed to be a moment to pause and give thanks. It was actually one of my favorite holidays as a kid because it was about spending time with family, and some of my favorite foods. In the music classroom, Thanksgiving feels...
by Melissa Stouffer | Sep 2, 2025 | Lesson Planning
Around this time of year when we are all thinking about lesson planning, I get a lot of the same questions, and see a lot of similar ones in Facebook groups. I thought it would be helpful to put all my answers to those questions in one place! Q: How do you know what...
by Melissa Stouffer | Aug 4, 2025 | Back To School, Classroom Decor, Classroom Management, Kodaly, Lesson Planning, Teacher Tips
Once August hits, we all know it’s coming. Some of our Southern friends are already back, and if you are in the North like me, it starts becoming a reality even though school supplies have been in stores since before some of us were actually OUT for summer. So...
