Q: Why did you start using music in your classroom?

A: When I taught third grade, my student population was English Language Learners (ELL). During my first year, I asked myself, “How are these kids going to get words like ‘isosceles triangle’ and ‘parallel lines,’ if they don’t speak English with friends or at home?” I’m not a professional musician, but I know the power of music, and music is an important part of my life. So I had this idea of using songs to teach. There are different things out there related to how to teach with music, but I really got kids involved by asking them to compose their own songs about concepts like isosceles triangles, and subject-verb agreement. And it worked! I see them taking tests and singing songs to themselves, and using different strategies for recalling the information. You can’t underestimate the power of music. I believe that we are fighting a war against video games and action-packed films. So what can I do in my classroom to make it exciting? Teachers have the choice to teach from the book in the 1950s way, or they can be given a little bit of freedom to investigate the material and get active with the material.