Lesson planning is a balancing act, both in practice and in theory. The experienced teacher understands that practice requires balancing active and calming activities, individual and group activities, those with props and those without props, repetition and contrast, new experience and the familiar, and song literature—not to mention creating an overall structure of a class, accommodating children of various ages and maturity levels, creating variety within a class and from one week to another, while sustaining continuity within a class and from one week to another.
Theory also requires balancing—rhythm and tonal, meters, tonalities, easy and more difficult content, immersion and interactivity, solo and group response, repetition and variety, not to mention moving forward from one week to the next, while reinforcing earlier content. A teacher who understands the process of music learning and the need for content of increasing difficulty to meet children’s growing musical needs knows the what, why, and when of curriculum/lesson planning. How is the creative challenge of the music teacher.
A teacher who understands the what, why and when finds potential for the how in all of life’s activities. Looking at familiar songs, activities, toys, games, and household items through the eyes of music learning offers many new options for “playing music,” as does employing new ways to do old things and old ways to do new things. The Pied Piper can truly become enchanting, drawing children into rich activities for music learning that are every bit as charming as any favorite activities, but with the added attraction of musical depth. What a wonderful balancing act!
