Quick and Easy Music Class Transitions

Looking for a some fun ways to create flow from welcome, to lesson to activity, to closing in your music classroom? Creating a classroom environment of respect and accountability requires procedures, plans, rewards and consequences in your classroom. One way to keep everything flowing is to use transitions. This blog post has a ton of ideas for music class transitions.

Honestly, I know from experience that the time I put into teaching these transitions and procedures is well worth the effort because then I can really focus on teaching and not managing.

When it’s time to get quiet, what do you say?

Do you have some set responses you want your students to show you?

I’ve experimented with a lot of different types of transitions-

I’ve found that transitions are personal-

Hopefully you’ll find some inspiration in my ideas and tips.

I can promise you that when I teach my students to respond to my verbal or non-verbal cues so I can keep the lesson going, it eliminates a lot of classroom chatter and keeps everyone focused and learning.

That’s why music class transitions can make or break your students and your experience.

Keep reading for the tips and freebies included.

Music Class Transitions

Here’s some quick and easy music class transition activities to get you started.

Here’s a Video I made of some of the kinds of transitions you can use in your classroom. 

SILENT SIGNALS

I say to my students; “Would you rather talk in Music Class or Make Music?” They all say; “Make Music”. Then I explain that when I ask questions we’re going to use our hands to show our answers.

Thumbs up, down and sideways work great for yes, no, maybe answers. Double thumb up can mean, “awesome”.

You’ll find a link to this FREE RESOURCE in the Sing Play Create Resource Library

I also use the Thumbs for my classroom management plan.

You can learn more about that in this blog post about Back to School Classroom Management Tips where you’ll get some great ideas for music class transitions.

SONGS AND CHANTS AS MUSIC CLASS TRANSITIONS

Establish your classroom routines using these creative line up songs and chants. Help students breathe and take a break with the silent brain break chants.

Best for Preschool – 2nd graders and perfect for music class transitions.

ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM SONGS AND CHANTS 

HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE:

Enjoy these line up songs sung to familiar tunes and the easy to learn chants.

Encourage mindful teaching and learning using the brain break silent movement activities.

Use the brain breaks between activities, for the few extra minutes in line or as a morning circle time activity to help students transition between learning activities.

*Each Song or chant comes in a poster and flash card size.

LINE UP SONGS AND CHANTS

1. Line Up Quietly

2. Line Up 1-2-3

3. Line Up Let’s Go

GATHERING AND CLEAN UP SONGS AND CHANTS

1. Put Your Work Away

2. Calling Students

BRAIN BREAK AND STRETCHING SONGS AND CHANTS

1. Like a Tree

2. Tree Stretch

3. I Am a Clock

4. Robot Moves

LINEUP IDEAS FOR MUSIC CLASS TRANSITIONS

How about when it’s time to line up?

Do you have a set phrase?

How do you want your students to line up?

Should they be quiet or singing?

In my classroom I have my students stand in rows to sing our hello song. Then I sing each student’s name and the class echoes. Then that student sits down.

This is how I begin all of my classes K-4. During the lesson we’ll move into a circle to do activities or games.

I usually have them come back to their numbers before the end of class to recap and calm down and get ready to leave the music room. I’ll say something like this; “Three seconds to find your number.” Or, “When the song is over be in your personal space.” (I’ll play a short song on the piano)Then it’s time to line up.

Then I have them  practice lining up for the first 4-5 lessons. In Kindergarten and First Grade I show my students exactly where they will go when it’s time to line up.

REPETITION IS A GOLDEN KEY TO LEARNING

Since the students are in rows I teach them how to find a dot on the circle and to follow the leader around the room.

The first person in line (whom I delegate) knows exactly where to stop and then the rest of the class lines up behind that student.

We sing a little song as we march around the circle to practice this music class transition.

This song and many more are part of a bundle of the Music Class Essentials Teacher Resource.

It’s sung to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”.

Here we go round the classroom, the classroom, the classroom.
Here we go round the classroom. When it’s time to line up.

I use songs and chants to transition students from standing to sitting down.

Get the Music Class Essential set of Songs, Games, Chants and Organization HERE:

I wrote this simple song to help my students transition from activities to sitting down quietly.
“Criss-Cross Applesauce” is a Cute and Easy Song for students to learn.

Now it’s on the Sing Play Create YouTube Channel

It’s easy to teach the song at the beginning of the year. Repetition is critical to reinforcing skills. So we practice it a lot until they can do it comfortably on their own.
Then I play a game to teach my students this song.
I ask them to find a friend and to talk. I tell them that I’m going to begin the song and I want them to finish it as they walk to their assigned seats and sit down.  They love playing the game!  Sometimes I’ll even tell them to go a little “crazy” and see if they can hear me start the song–I say I only want to begin it one time and I want to see who’s listening to my voice and who is following directions.

You’ll like the 1-2-3-4 I can clap! and then SILENCE part of the song. Remember, singing helps students stay active and positive.

MOVEMENT IDEAS FOR MUSIC CLASS TRANSITIONS

I do all of these activities in the confines of the student’s personal space. Sometimes I will extend the activity to move around in a circle or in the room-but as a transition, I have them stay in their personal space.

Most kids are in sports programs. So I will incorporate some sports like talk into my classes. You can have a lot of fun by asking the students to warm up by jogging in place. “Who can jog the fastest? The slowest?” Students respond well to jogging in place- it’s familiar. Keep it going for just a minute or two. Take a deep breath in between. This is where you can teach them good posture and breathing. By incorporating the concepts into the activity-the students don’t know you are teaching!

You can easily modify your directions to fit the grade level. “C’mon kinders let’s chase the doggie! He ran away from me and I need to get him back”. Or, “6^th graders- who is ready for the next school fun run? Who’s the fastest? Who can lead the class?”

Finish it off with:

Shoulders back, knees relaxed, hands at sides, smiling wide!

(get the free poster insert here and link to that post)

GET WIGGLING

Be like JELLO! Be silly! The kids love this one! I encourage them to “show me”, not “tell me” what Jello looks like.

Use specific body parts- fingers, toes, hips, head

Finish it off with:

Shoulders back, knees relaxed, hands at sides, smiling wide!

BE A RAG DOLL

It’s important to help students learn good posture. Go over the basics, how to stand with feet not too far apart, relaxed arms, shoulders back. The rag doll helps them find the sweet spot of good posture.

Let’s get loose, now bend over from the waist with knees bent and breathing! When you come up make sure your knees are bent and then come up one vertebra at a time-slowly straighten your back. Keep knees bent and finish off with- Shoulders back, knees relaxed, hands at sides, smiling wide!

TREE POSE

Feet flat, like roots going down into the ground looking for water. My arms are like the branches of a tree, reaching up to the sky to the sun.

Relax shoulders down.

Knees are bent

Air flows from my toes to the top of my head.

Take a deep breath, blow my branches down.

VOCAL POSTURE POEM – a FREE poster in the Sing Play Create Resource Library

Shoulders back, knees relaxed, hands at sides, smiling wide!

GET THE FREEBIES!

These are some Quick and Easy Music Class transitions that I use in between Singing and moving activities, to help students calm down after a movement activity and transition to lining up.

Sometimes keeping hands and feet active creates a calmer classroom environment. Less time for redirection and more time for teaching! Finally, as you use these transitions and activities you are also encouraging good posture, breathing and getting quiet skills.

It’s a fact that repeating the same types of transitions and activities will give students lot’s of practice so that when you perform they naturally will stand and sing with good form.

In addition, we all know that students gain the most from the cumulative effect of integrating these activities on a regular basis. Mostly, I think it’s important to come up with your own transitions, procedures and activities that  will feel natural to you to do with your students.

Honestly, I can promise you that whatever you do, if you take the time to teach, repeat and praise them, they will respond in time.

Be consistent, fair and nice and the students will want to learn from you.

Give transitions a try to help you with classroom management!

PIN ME

SHARE ON INSTAGRAM

SHARE ON FACEBOOK