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Classroom Practice/Program

Valerie Vinnard,
dancing, and keeping a steady beat while performing with a proper tone and M.M., is a National
posture along to the audio technology recordings found in our Quaver (2022) Board Certified Teacher,
education digital music curriculum. Learners also count quarter notes and half Grammy Music Educator
notes, integrating music rhythmic reading with note writing on their white boards. Award nominee,
Additionally, students develop an awareness of the musical scale as they California Music Educator
combine reading by numbers, solfege (the study of singing and musicianship using Association (CMEA)
syllables to represent each note of the scale), and art. The children use paper and Award winner and 2022
nominee for the Ernest
colored pencils and crayons to write the eight notes of the scale and draw a ladder R. Yee Illuminating
going upward—do (1), re (2), mi (3), fa (4), so [sol] (5), la (6), ti (7), do’ [high do] Culture Award, Long
(8)—to represent the melody. Students also use their chromebooks, composing Beach Unified School
music utilizing the “Chrome Music Lab” app (https://musiclab.chromeexperiments. District Teacher of the
com/) that incorporates music, technology, and art. The app ties together visual Year nominee, two-time
arts and sound as students can tap on grids to highlight colors corresponding to winner of the California
State Organization Area
the musical scale (Do: red; Re: orange; Mi: yellow; Fa: light green; So [Sol]: Professional Service
dark green; La: purple; Ti: pink; and high Do: red). They thus can explore sound, Award, and president of
rhythm, melody, tempo, and form as part of the art of conceiving a piece of music Delta Epsilon Chapter
(composition) and then can play back the finished product. in California State
Organization. Vinnard
Social-Emotional Learning utilizes her art—writing,
According to the California Department of Education (CDE), photography, and
singing—to promote
Social and Emotional Learning reflects the critical role of positive the benefits of music
relationships and emotional connections in the learning process and helps education in schools.
students develop a range of skills they need for school and life. All of these VVinnard@lbschools.net
skills are necessary—both for educators and students—to function well in the
classroom, in the community, and in college and careers. (Agostinelli, 2019)
During music instruction, Grade 2 students learn to manage and regulate
various emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, silliness, fear, surprise, and
bravery through music. Utilizing their content knowledge of the music, pupils
connect elements of music such as tempo, dynamics, and melody to feelings—i.e.,
fast/happy, slow/sad, and angry/loud—through the use of body movement as well
as facial expressions to mimic their emotions.
In moving, responding to music, singing, dancing, acting, and drawing,
students develop strategies for better self-
management, self-awareness, social awareness,
and relationship building. During the lesson, plans
for resisting negative feelings and developing
empathy for others are discussed. Students who are
experiencing sadness can think about something
for which they are grateful, talk to a teacher or
counselor about their feelings, or sing a happy
song. Students who are experiencing anger may
count to ten, take some deep breaths, go for a time
out, or listen to calming music. Classmates may
demonstrate empathy for their peers as they may
give them a hug, play with them, or make up a
dance together if they are sad. Grade 2 students display their drawings of emotional
expressions as part of social-emotional learning.

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