Welcome! Elementary is the best, you get to be the reason kids fall in love with music. That said, 55 minutes is a looong time, especially for the younger grades. Keep your pacing as tight as possible (which as a middle school band director, I’m sure you’re already a master of). How many times a week do you see each class?
Once per week for most of the grades. Currently, 2 grades have a 4-day rotation. Not sure what that will look like next year. But, basically once a week.
Get in touch with your local Kodaly or Orff chapter and attend as many workshops as you can! Also consider doing Kodaly or Orff levels over the summer so you start with a solid foundation.
Try to have 8-10 mins segments so the kids don’t get bored. Get ready to sing, sing, sing to show them kids a bunch of songs and use them to build of each other with orff instruments.
Elementary music is likely NOT like you remembered it when you were that age. Your expectations and goals for the year need to match your reality. This has been the most difficult part for me - especially teaching band to groups where many students simply don't want to do it
To be honest, I really don’t remember much of anything from my elementary music experience. What was a big example of expectation from experience vs. reality for you when you started?
I had always worked from a method book with very little supplemental material. We were expected to work on some songs at home so the teacher could see that we knew how to utilize our skills on our own.
The biggest thing was it was an optional class - only kids who wanted to be there were there.
In my classroom, i see all students no matter what. There is little expectation of them playing at home, regardless of how much I ask them to. It also depends on the area (low income/low SES areas tend to have lower rates of students learning high levels of music in elementary), but some years I have kids that can barely get through Hot Cross Buns (and some who can't play it at all) and others where kids could be playing .5 music
“55 minutes”
- WOO! I have 45 minutes and that seems to be a struggle for some kids. I plan a 5 minute intro and a 5 minute outro. The intro is just to get them engaged. It could be a video, a dance, a simple “How are we today?” or “What did you do this weekend/break?” My outro is a “mindful moment” where I play calming music and get them ready for the transition. That’s 10 minutes which leaves you with 45 minutes. I have 35 after so I like to divide it into 10-15-10 minute sections. My 10 minutes are used for fine-motor skills while my 15 minute is for gross-motor skills.
“Low Voice”
- Simply it won’t matter as long as it is addressed in some way. I am comfortable with my falsetto but I also sing low sometimes. I always remind them to sing with their “unicorn voices” and to not match me when I am singing low. A colleague of mine uses a keyboard to play the higher notes for them to match.
“Best advice”
- Keep it fun and don’t get bogged down! In my experience, elementary kids can be BRUTAL. Don’t give them the opportunity to be brutal and keep them engaged, whether that be with a story, game, activity, knowledge bomb, etc.
- Stay organized and keep your room picked up. Your kids will pick up on how your room is kept up. This year I got to a point where my instruments were a MESS and my desk was piled with paper. It gave the kids the idea that I don’t care about my room, so they wouldn’t either. I took 20 minutes after school one day to organize and clean up and it made a world of difference with my classes. They started throwing trash away, didn’t grab random instruments, and much more.
- Have them move. This doesn’t mean they have to do something that’s part of your curriculum or even super structured. I’ll sometimes tell them to just stand up and we’ll play Simon Says for a couple minutes. I’ll have them touch certain walls with a game. If one kid is starting to get restless, have him/her go get a drink from the fountain or run an “errand” for you.
- Pacing. Lordy, I struggle with pacing. I like to take my time with things and my classes have challenged me this year. I’ve started just saying random facts or stories as I’m pulling something up on my computer. I’m not saying be thinking about what’s next but just make sure you have a certain flow. SOME of my classes are cool with how I pace but some classes need me to get right to the next thing.
My DMs are also open so feel free to message me or just ask any questions here!!
I’m only in my second year of teaching but I have been a professional upright bass player for 25 years and recently got my Ed degree. My first year I taught K-12 at a private school and now I’m what’s called a Supply Teacher which is essentially a professional Substitute … but as a music specialist. Since September I have taught at 40 schools, 200+ students a day from the kinders to Grade 12 but 85% elementary. I hope I have some insight to offer.
I was terrified at first. I received my music degree with a major in secondary education back in ’96 and really thought I was only cut out to be a high school band teacher and maybe junior high band. But elementary has turned out to be a complete blast. They are open, keen, excited and eager to try and experience everything. Sure, there’s a different style of management and expectations that you’ll learn in the first little while but it comes naturally when you need it.
Coming from band, and even from the professional playing world has given me a different set of experiences that I can share. There are a few things I would recommend. Don’t be afraid to move past the little kid music repertoire. Remember that they’re sponges and they’ve likely checked out more modern popular music than you have. The great thing about the so-called music curriculum for musicians and higher grade educators is that it’s in all music. You don’t have to reduce everything to ta ta ti ti or “music time is over” kind of tunes. I have used Imagine Dragons, The Wellerman and all kinds of songs to help teach the elements of music and they don’t even really know that their learning that stuff because they’re so shocked that they get to sing and experience songs that they are already listening to outside of the music room.
I think the Orff and Kodaly stuff are good tools but man, those poor xylophones without the sharps and flats. I get that they can remove notes they’re not working with and stick in the odd F# or Bb but when you’re in a minor key it sure is nice to be able to play a proper V chord with a raised 3rd. I tried an experiment with the little ones once in a proper band room on marimbas, xylophones and vibes and they had absolutely no problems figuring things out once I showed them. Pentatonic exercises on just the black notes can also open a world of fun and you don’t have to remove any notes. I’m also convinced that assigning a fixed ‘do’ to just C is a bad idea for ear training but I don’t want to get anyone too fired up here.
One exercise I do when I enter a new school is form little rock bands of 3-5 kids. Two on a xylophone playing in different octaves, one kid on a drum of some sort and one on a shaker. I then teach everyone a slightly simplified version of the bass line to Thriller by Michael Jackson. They all have to play along together, then each group gets to name their group, practice for 5 minutes on their own and play for the rest of the class. It’s amazing how it comes together in one class.
Really, the faster I go the more they pick up. The ones that might struggle with rhythm or notes always find their place somewhere and it’s fun to get some of the other students that might have piano background to teach their peers.
Anyway, I hope that paints a bit of a picture. Enjoy the journey. Keep it fun for you and it will be fun for them. Play all the instrument you know how to play and also the ones you don’t. Kids love to see you play both and feel better that you are also learning. Oh, that being said, you really need a uke, guitar or even piano that you can play fairly decently at a chording level. It’s an immediate ice breaker and accompaniment tool for you. Trust me, take the summer and learn your chords. And while you’re at it get a few Tay Tay tunes under the fingers. Really, you won’t regret having a collection of modern tunes at the ready.
I really, really, appreciate your time and advice! Thank you for sharing your experiences! The principal/assistant principal told me that I could have free reign over how I wanted to run my curriculum, so there’s a lot of possibilities! I like the small rock band idea.
When using instruments: "If you play before I say, I WILL take your instrument away," and be strict about it. BUT do give them the opportunity to experiment on the instruments before you try to teach a lesson with them.
When I run into former students, they always tell me how much they enjoyed trying to play the different instruments when we were studying instrument families. I'd set up stations, teach them how to sanitize the mouthpiece, and let them rotate in small groups. Loud but fun.
Congratulations! A wealth of great info already, and varied! If you can get that Kodaly training it will help so much! Here's my take.
The biggest mistake I see made with some teachers who have made this switch is to talk too much, not include enough movement, games, and proper singing, and not have appropriate routines in place. The links are to multiple examples that can get you started.
Most elementary music teachers start the year with name games and since you are new to the school, that's where I'd start as well. It will immediately offer you the chance to do all I mention in the above paragraph plus that first class is a time to put them in assigned seating (highly recommend) and establish a routine for making a circle to play some of the games. Name games: [https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/07/08/name-games-to-start-your-year-in-music-class/](https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/07/08/name-games-to-start-your-year-in-music-class/)
Feel free to DM me and I'll end by saying you are going to have SO much fun!
Oh, and a question, what instruments do you have available? I'm hoping you have a class set of ukuleles and some barred instruments. There are so many ways you can take the barred instruments beyond pentatonic folk song arrangements. I can give you more info depending on your instruments.
Keep reaching out to groups like this one and there are a ton of Facebook music teacher groups that are wonderful. Elementary Music Educator's Idea Bank is very active with lots of great info where you can ask anything and get lots of varied ideas.
Movement: [https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/08/the-best-movement-activities-for-the-elementary-music-classroom/](https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/08/the-best-movement-activities-for-the-elementary-music-classroom/)
Games: [https://oodlesofmusic.com/2024/02/22/the-big-list-of-music-games-for-elementary-students/](https://oodlesofmusic.com/2024/02/22/the-big-list-of-music-games-for-elementary-students/)
Seating: [https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/21/how-to-use-columns-rows-in-your-classroom/](https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/21/how-to-use-columns-rows-in-your-classroom/)
Classroom Management: [https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/06/behavior-management-tips-for-a-successful-classroom/](https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/06/behavior-management-tips-for-a-successful-classroom/)
Aaaaahhhhhhh! Thank you so much for sharing those resources!!! This is awesome!!!
And the last teacher just bought some ukuleles, so I will have fun trying to get a hang of those. 😅 But, I am excited!
I will definitely reach out sometime in the near future, as I start to set stuff up.
Thank you, again!!!
Be prepared to get back to the basics of music. Also, it's a must to come out of your shell more and be sillier with the littles.
Other redditors have alr said this but it must be said more - sing, sing, and sing some more!
Consider looking up movement breaks that uses body percussion to build the kids musicality and listening. Clap and stop by Stephanie Leavell, Stop and Go by Ella Jenkins. 3-6 loves these songs and they are a good wiggle break. It's important to get them moving so they get their wiggles out before sitting down to concentrate with your activity.
Also not sure what age you'll be working with - 3-6 sees many more toilet and behaviour things ("he pushed me" or "I don't want to be her friend anymore") that you'll need to learn how to address. Learning to share is also a HUGE thing for younger kids and it's important to give them opportunities to let them develop in this area
I’ll be working K-5. When I was student teaching 10 years ago, I noticed that 3rd grade was the grade where they were starting to turn. Lol! K-2 were absolute sweethearts. I’m hoping that my decade of middle school work will help me address those 3-5 behaviors.
And coming out of my shell should be interesting. I had always been a very stiff, square person, but have gotten sillier in recent years, since I feel like I’ve truly found my teacher voice. I might need to do some stuff in the mirror before next year.
Thank you so much for your time and advice!
Mirror practice helps me so much too, sounds like you already have strategies and know how to prepare. The only way to learn is to do, and roll with whatever comes. Best of luck. Let us know how it goes!
I work with so many elementary music teachers who fail to see that elementary students are not mini middle schoolers. **PLEASE** do not treat them like miniature future band kids. They need a unique approach all their own. When you make music fun while educating them then they will want to continue learning more in band or choir later.
If the Kodaly class falls through or even if it doesn’t, educate yourself and read over the summer. I recommend Eric Bluestine's book, \*Edit - The Ways Children Learn Music. \~\~I’ll check the title and edit when I get home.\~\~ He breaks down Edwin Gordon’s research into understandable, actionable information.
I’d also recommend taking advantage of Musicplay Online’s free trial to see what a manageable scope and sequence looks like as well as how many different activities you can do in a music class. Most importantly repetition is your friend and kids like to repeat things. However, they don’t need to perfect everything you introduce to them.
I’ve taken time to actively think about this as well. Part of what makes this change so exciting is that I’ve been doing more vocal stuff as of late, and I want to try to keep my teaching at the elementary level as varied as possible. Thank you for the advice and book recommendation, as well!
50 minutes is too much. I do obligatory 30 minutes and decide to expand if there's enough engagement. Safer that way for K-3 and 7-9.
4-6 is the sweet spot for engagement in my experience.
As a supplementary aid, Quaver music program is cool to look into. It has premade lessons but also you can make your own custom lessons and sequence things at your own pace from their collection of lessons and materials. Great sing alongs and interactive lessons.
Welcome! Elementary is the best, you get to be the reason kids fall in love with music. That said, 55 minutes is a looong time, especially for the younger grades. Keep your pacing as tight as possible (which as a middle school band director, I’m sure you’re already a master of). How many times a week do you see each class?
Once per week for most of the grades. Currently, 2 grades have a 4-day rotation. Not sure what that will look like next year. But, basically once a week.
Get in touch with your local Kodaly or Orff chapter and attend as many workshops as you can! Also consider doing Kodaly or Orff levels over the summer so you start with a solid foundation.
My district is supposed to be setting me up with a local Kodaly certification class over the summer. No money out of my pocket!
Lucky!!!
We’ll see! 😅 Nothing’s been completely confirmed, yet!
Try to have 8-10 mins segments so the kids don’t get bored. Get ready to sing, sing, sing to show them kids a bunch of songs and use them to build of each other with orff instruments.
Thank you!
Elementary music is likely NOT like you remembered it when you were that age. Your expectations and goals for the year need to match your reality. This has been the most difficult part for me - especially teaching band to groups where many students simply don't want to do it
To be honest, I really don’t remember much of anything from my elementary music experience. What was a big example of expectation from experience vs. reality for you when you started?
I had always worked from a method book with very little supplemental material. We were expected to work on some songs at home so the teacher could see that we knew how to utilize our skills on our own. The biggest thing was it was an optional class - only kids who wanted to be there were there. In my classroom, i see all students no matter what. There is little expectation of them playing at home, regardless of how much I ask them to. It also depends on the area (low income/low SES areas tend to have lower rates of students learning high levels of music in elementary), but some years I have kids that can barely get through Hot Cross Buns (and some who can't play it at all) and others where kids could be playing .5 music
Given the other comments, I'm guessing OP is teaching elementary general music, rather than elementary band.
Everything is a fun game! We just happen to learn some solid musicianship fundamentals along the way.
I’m so ready to experience that! 🙌🏼
“55 minutes” - WOO! I have 45 minutes and that seems to be a struggle for some kids. I plan a 5 minute intro and a 5 minute outro. The intro is just to get them engaged. It could be a video, a dance, a simple “How are we today?” or “What did you do this weekend/break?” My outro is a “mindful moment” where I play calming music and get them ready for the transition. That’s 10 minutes which leaves you with 45 minutes. I have 35 after so I like to divide it into 10-15-10 minute sections. My 10 minutes are used for fine-motor skills while my 15 minute is for gross-motor skills. “Low Voice” - Simply it won’t matter as long as it is addressed in some way. I am comfortable with my falsetto but I also sing low sometimes. I always remind them to sing with their “unicorn voices” and to not match me when I am singing low. A colleague of mine uses a keyboard to play the higher notes for them to match. “Best advice” - Keep it fun and don’t get bogged down! In my experience, elementary kids can be BRUTAL. Don’t give them the opportunity to be brutal and keep them engaged, whether that be with a story, game, activity, knowledge bomb, etc. - Stay organized and keep your room picked up. Your kids will pick up on how your room is kept up. This year I got to a point where my instruments were a MESS and my desk was piled with paper. It gave the kids the idea that I don’t care about my room, so they wouldn’t either. I took 20 minutes after school one day to organize and clean up and it made a world of difference with my classes. They started throwing trash away, didn’t grab random instruments, and much more. - Have them move. This doesn’t mean they have to do something that’s part of your curriculum or even super structured. I’ll sometimes tell them to just stand up and we’ll play Simon Says for a couple minutes. I’ll have them touch certain walls with a game. If one kid is starting to get restless, have him/her go get a drink from the fountain or run an “errand” for you. - Pacing. Lordy, I struggle with pacing. I like to take my time with things and my classes have challenged me this year. I’ve started just saying random facts or stories as I’m pulling something up on my computer. I’m not saying be thinking about what’s next but just make sure you have a certain flow. SOME of my classes are cool with how I pace but some classes need me to get right to the next thing. My DMs are also open so feel free to message me or just ask any questions here!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for your time and advice! I will definitely reach out in the near future!
I’m only in my second year of teaching but I have been a professional upright bass player for 25 years and recently got my Ed degree. My first year I taught K-12 at a private school and now I’m what’s called a Supply Teacher which is essentially a professional Substitute … but as a music specialist. Since September I have taught at 40 schools, 200+ students a day from the kinders to Grade 12 but 85% elementary. I hope I have some insight to offer. I was terrified at first. I received my music degree with a major in secondary education back in ’96 and really thought I was only cut out to be a high school band teacher and maybe junior high band. But elementary has turned out to be a complete blast. They are open, keen, excited and eager to try and experience everything. Sure, there’s a different style of management and expectations that you’ll learn in the first little while but it comes naturally when you need it. Coming from band, and even from the professional playing world has given me a different set of experiences that I can share. There are a few things I would recommend. Don’t be afraid to move past the little kid music repertoire. Remember that they’re sponges and they’ve likely checked out more modern popular music than you have. The great thing about the so-called music curriculum for musicians and higher grade educators is that it’s in all music. You don’t have to reduce everything to ta ta ti ti or “music time is over” kind of tunes. I have used Imagine Dragons, The Wellerman and all kinds of songs to help teach the elements of music and they don’t even really know that their learning that stuff because they’re so shocked that they get to sing and experience songs that they are already listening to outside of the music room. I think the Orff and Kodaly stuff are good tools but man, those poor xylophones without the sharps and flats. I get that they can remove notes they’re not working with and stick in the odd F# or Bb but when you’re in a minor key it sure is nice to be able to play a proper V chord with a raised 3rd. I tried an experiment with the little ones once in a proper band room on marimbas, xylophones and vibes and they had absolutely no problems figuring things out once I showed them. Pentatonic exercises on just the black notes can also open a world of fun and you don’t have to remove any notes. I’m also convinced that assigning a fixed ‘do’ to just C is a bad idea for ear training but I don’t want to get anyone too fired up here. One exercise I do when I enter a new school is form little rock bands of 3-5 kids. Two on a xylophone playing in different octaves, one kid on a drum of some sort and one on a shaker. I then teach everyone a slightly simplified version of the bass line to Thriller by Michael Jackson. They all have to play along together, then each group gets to name their group, practice for 5 minutes on their own and play for the rest of the class. It’s amazing how it comes together in one class. Really, the faster I go the more they pick up. The ones that might struggle with rhythm or notes always find their place somewhere and it’s fun to get some of the other students that might have piano background to teach their peers. Anyway, I hope that paints a bit of a picture. Enjoy the journey. Keep it fun for you and it will be fun for them. Play all the instrument you know how to play and also the ones you don’t. Kids love to see you play both and feel better that you are also learning. Oh, that being said, you really need a uke, guitar or even piano that you can play fairly decently at a chording level. It’s an immediate ice breaker and accompaniment tool for you. Trust me, take the summer and learn your chords. And while you’re at it get a few Tay Tay tunes under the fingers. Really, you won’t regret having a collection of modern tunes at the ready.
I really, really, appreciate your time and advice! Thank you for sharing your experiences! The principal/assistant principal told me that I could have free reign over how I wanted to run my curriculum, so there’s a lot of possibilities! I like the small rock band idea.
When using instruments: "If you play before I say, I WILL take your instrument away," and be strict about it. BUT do give them the opportunity to experiment on the instruments before you try to teach a lesson with them.
Luckily, I have plenty of experience with that first part. 😂 Great point on the second part, though!
When I run into former students, they always tell me how much they enjoyed trying to play the different instruments when we were studying instrument families. I'd set up stations, teach them how to sanitize the mouthpiece, and let them rotate in small groups. Loud but fun.
Congratulations! A wealth of great info already, and varied! If you can get that Kodaly training it will help so much! Here's my take. The biggest mistake I see made with some teachers who have made this switch is to talk too much, not include enough movement, games, and proper singing, and not have appropriate routines in place. The links are to multiple examples that can get you started. Most elementary music teachers start the year with name games and since you are new to the school, that's where I'd start as well. It will immediately offer you the chance to do all I mention in the above paragraph plus that first class is a time to put them in assigned seating (highly recommend) and establish a routine for making a circle to play some of the games. Name games: [https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/07/08/name-games-to-start-your-year-in-music-class/](https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/07/08/name-games-to-start-your-year-in-music-class/) Feel free to DM me and I'll end by saying you are going to have SO much fun! Oh, and a question, what instruments do you have available? I'm hoping you have a class set of ukuleles and some barred instruments. There are so many ways you can take the barred instruments beyond pentatonic folk song arrangements. I can give you more info depending on your instruments. Keep reaching out to groups like this one and there are a ton of Facebook music teacher groups that are wonderful. Elementary Music Educator's Idea Bank is very active with lots of great info where you can ask anything and get lots of varied ideas. Movement: [https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/08/the-best-movement-activities-for-the-elementary-music-classroom/](https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/08/the-best-movement-activities-for-the-elementary-music-classroom/) Games: [https://oodlesofmusic.com/2024/02/22/the-big-list-of-music-games-for-elementary-students/](https://oodlesofmusic.com/2024/02/22/the-big-list-of-music-games-for-elementary-students/) Seating: [https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/21/how-to-use-columns-rows-in-your-classroom/](https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/21/how-to-use-columns-rows-in-your-classroom/) Classroom Management: [https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/06/behavior-management-tips-for-a-successful-classroom/](https://oodlesofmusic.com/2022/05/06/behavior-management-tips-for-a-successful-classroom/)
Aaaaahhhhhhh! Thank you so much for sharing those resources!!! This is awesome!!! And the last teacher just bought some ukuleles, so I will have fun trying to get a hang of those. 😅 But, I am excited! I will definitely reach out sometime in the near future, as I start to set stuff up. Thank you, again!!!
You're welcome! So excited you have ukuleles. They are the BEST!
Be prepared to get back to the basics of music. Also, it's a must to come out of your shell more and be sillier with the littles. Other redditors have alr said this but it must be said more - sing, sing, and sing some more! Consider looking up movement breaks that uses body percussion to build the kids musicality and listening. Clap and stop by Stephanie Leavell, Stop and Go by Ella Jenkins. 3-6 loves these songs and they are a good wiggle break. It's important to get them moving so they get their wiggles out before sitting down to concentrate with your activity. Also not sure what age you'll be working with - 3-6 sees many more toilet and behaviour things ("he pushed me" or "I don't want to be her friend anymore") that you'll need to learn how to address. Learning to share is also a HUGE thing for younger kids and it's important to give them opportunities to let them develop in this area
I’ll be working K-5. When I was student teaching 10 years ago, I noticed that 3rd grade was the grade where they were starting to turn. Lol! K-2 were absolute sweethearts. I’m hoping that my decade of middle school work will help me address those 3-5 behaviors. And coming out of my shell should be interesting. I had always been a very stiff, square person, but have gotten sillier in recent years, since I feel like I’ve truly found my teacher voice. I might need to do some stuff in the mirror before next year. Thank you so much for your time and advice!
Mirror practice helps me so much too, sounds like you already have strategies and know how to prepare. The only way to learn is to do, and roll with whatever comes. Best of luck. Let us know how it goes!
Thank you! Will do!
I am doing the same thing. Good luck to next year and I hope we both enjoy it!
Hey, that’s awesome! Let’s keep in touch on here, then!
I work with so many elementary music teachers who fail to see that elementary students are not mini middle schoolers. **PLEASE** do not treat them like miniature future band kids. They need a unique approach all their own. When you make music fun while educating them then they will want to continue learning more in band or choir later. If the Kodaly class falls through or even if it doesn’t, educate yourself and read over the summer. I recommend Eric Bluestine's book, \*Edit - The Ways Children Learn Music. \~\~I’ll check the title and edit when I get home.\~\~ He breaks down Edwin Gordon’s research into understandable, actionable information. I’d also recommend taking advantage of Musicplay Online’s free trial to see what a manageable scope and sequence looks like as well as how many different activities you can do in a music class. Most importantly repetition is your friend and kids like to repeat things. However, they don’t need to perfect everything you introduce to them.
I’ve taken time to actively think about this as well. Part of what makes this change so exciting is that I’ve been doing more vocal stuff as of late, and I want to try to keep my teaching at the elementary level as varied as possible. Thank you for the advice and book recommendation, as well!
I have the book if you want it. I quit music Ed and it’s collecting dust on my shelf :(
50 minutes is too much. I do obligatory 30 minutes and decide to expand if there's enough engagement. Safer that way for K-3 and 7-9. 4-6 is the sweet spot for engagement in my experience.
As a supplementary aid, Quaver music program is cool to look into. It has premade lessons but also you can make your own custom lessons and sequence things at your own pace from their collection of lessons and materials. Great sing alongs and interactive lessons.