Teaching in Tune: Using Music in the Classroom

As an educator you serve as the maestro of a class (the word maestro even comes from the Latin word for teacher). You conduct the students so that they can perform harmoniously with their peers, and you praise students when they shine in their solo efforts throughout the day. You help them to course correct when they fall off the beat of the room. Some of you even compose your own lessons with activities for students to perform. And while you may already use a litany of strategies to conduct your students academically and behaviorally, the following are instances when you can use music to fine tune your classroom.

• Transitions - Helping students find their rhythm during transition periods can be difficult regardless of the grade level. Using music to cue, time, and ease transitions is an incredibly effective technique.
• Call-and-Responses - As an educator it can be difficult to get a large group of students to stop the cacophony of an activity and quickly get them to march to the beat of your instructional drum. The attention grabber style of call and responses can allow for an enjoyable, quick, and even musical way to get students to be in harmony. While not all call-and-responses are musical, many memorable ones are. See CCE’s YouTube video on Attention Grabbers.
• Cool Down - After a chaotic moment inside or outside of the classroom a ‘behavioral key change’ is necessary. Relaxing, quiet, and soft music can be the auditory signal that helps students get back on track. Research shows that there’s “ value of music listening for positive mood change and enhanced perception on design while working”.
• Brain Breaks - Breaks are undeniably useful in the classroom. But the term “brain breaks" is specifically geared towards mentally recharging students to make them available for future learning. Music can create an enjoyable way to use a melodic circuit breaker during the school day.
• Instruction - Whether it’s using time signatures to teach fractions, digging into historical cultural movements through song, or having students digest lyrics to learn rhetorical strategies such as use of metaphors, similes, and word choice music has got you covered. Not only is it an effective instructional tool but it’s one that can take a typical lesson and put a melodic twist on it.

What does the research say?

It’s evident that using music isn’t merely a way to make your classroom standout but research shows that “exposure to music can improve learning and increase positive classroom atmosphere”. ¹ Furthermore “active engagement with music can impact the way that the brain processes information, enhancing the perception of language and speech, and subsequently improving our ability to communicate with others and learn to read”. ²⁺³Not all music is created equal when it comes to utilizing it in a classroom setting. The evidence shows that “students perform better when listening to music they perceive as calming rather than music that is perceived as more aggressive”. ⁴ As somebody who can appreciate both it seems Mozart might just be better than metal in a classroom setting.

Music can be an incredibly powerful tool. When used appropriately it can not only add to your educational day, but it can make a potentially frustrating task a tad more enjoyable. For our proverbial outro we hope that these tuneful tips don’t fall flat and that you can help your students hit all the right notes.

References:

1. Eerola, P. S., and Eerola, T. (2014). Extended music education enhances the quality of school life. Music Education Research. 16 (1), 88-104.
2. Hallam, S. (2010). The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social, and personal development of children and young people. International Journal of Music Education. 28 (3) 269-289.
3. Bokiev, D., Bokiev, U., Aralas, D., Ismail, L., & Othman, M. (2018). Utilizing music and songs to promote student engagement in ESL classrooms. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(12), 314–332
4. Hallam, S., Price, J., & Katsarou, G. (2002). The effects of background music on primary school pupils' task performance. Educational Studies, 28(2), 111-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055690220124551