Music Teacher Tips - #1 - Focusing Your Students

Music Teacher Tip #1 - #FocusingYourStudents: If your kids come to you with too much energy and not enough focus, practice deep breathing from the diaphragm as a first warmup/focusing activity. Have them suck in through an imaginary straw as they feel their midsection expand and then blow out. Do this slowly at least 8 times to calm and center them. Medical research proves that this calms the heart and nervous system, but it’s also one of our standards, so we get to teach it! Be sure to model it properly. I would always begin my rehearsal with 75 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders this way. They came in the rehearsal space bouncing off of the walls. After 8 methodical breaths, they were calm, focused, and ready to learn. If they’re really amped up, you can have them close their eyes. It also works great before a concert. Have a great beginning of your school year! ❤️🎶