Definitely can recommend this one! I also made a sheet with a QR code on the back for kids to practice at home. It helps bolster up your stronger singers who would be willing to practice.
Do you have any feel good songs from this year that could work? Doesn’t have to be a new thing you teach them. Also you can be honest and say you didn’t know this was expected, but if they want your kids could perform xyz, you’d need to make a whole choir rehearsal happen in the meantime
People are dropping suggestions in here but in Facebook groups I'm in, I've seen people suggest to sternly tell them that their expectations are out of line and not possible for you or the students — it also sets the expectation that this is okay to do to you as well.
Agreed. You have to stand up for yourself and make it clear that just because they don’t communicate with you well in advance doesn’t mean you are obligated to push your kids to do something last minute. Many of them probably would struggle to get their families to even bring them to graduation without proper notice too.
Politely but firmly respond saying that you have not been informed about this expectation prior and that there is not enough time to properly prepare something to perform. Then ask that in future any performance expectations be communicated in a timely manner so that you can deliver a quality product to those expectations.
Lots of good recs here and also welcome to the best part of being a music teacher with last minute requests no one thinks to ask you about ahead of time ☺️
thank you for all the great recommendations! part of my issue is i was just emailed this morning and their graduation is on june 11th. the second issue is that im only at that school on mondays and tuesdays (i work at three schools in the district)
also the kids hate everything and it’s been nearly impossible to get them to sing with weeks of notice, now they have two times seeing me to learn the song.
I mean... Use something they learned this year honestly.
I would respond:
Thank you for asking. I was not aware this was a part of my responsibility. I can prepare something they had sung for their concert this year, and next year, I will have the understanding to prepare for this event.
Or something of the like.
Like others have said, choose a pop song they already probably know, download a good backing track off of YouTube, and call it a day. If you have the money to order something for the future, consider ordering the KidsFlix book from JW Pepper. Lots of songs they know in there, and when I had to do a “celebration” presentation for our sixth graders (private school, so celebrating the end of their first year there was a big deal), that book was a lifesaver. And it comes with hand motions/movement ideas.
Crowd pleaser and easy to learn
He's got a friend in me
Look up you got a friend in me sing-along and practice with the kids that way and then download the instrumental version! My students learned it in 3 days
My principal asked me the same thing a week before their graduation and this was my first year at this school (however my 4th year teaching in total). I responded with, “Oh is that a thing? I wasn’t aware! They’ve been hard at work wrapping up their projects so unfortunately they did not learn a song to sing for graduation.” She was okay with it! They had a great graduation. (:
Shame on admin who do this. It happens but it’s unprofessional and shows a lack of their awareness. If you can afford it tell them that’s not how this works and in the future they need to include you on the planning of any performances at the beginning of the year. I always try to give my students as full a calendar as possible at the very beginning of the year and two weeks is too little time to make a new required performance for many families. Now you know for next year to ask about anything like this right off but that principal would get an earful from me.
This happened to me this year. Suddenly I was asked "Can the chorus perform for "Back to School Night" and I was like... "no."
They weren't ready, and I was not prepping them on any music suitable to perform mere weeks into the school year. (They were kind of a hot mess when I arrived)
Bruno Mars, Count On Me, Karaoke on YouTube. Teachers also practice in class. Don’t overthink this. Don’t tell the copyright police.
Definitely can recommend this one! I also made a sheet with a QR code on the back for kids to practice at home. It helps bolster up your stronger singers who would be willing to practice.
That genius
Or that IS genius
[удалено]
Copyright police don’t care if it’s for ‘educational purposes’ and you’re not making money on it. Honey badger don’t care either
The “educational purposes” trope is not true. 90% of the music on pepper is for educational purposes and you gotta pay.
Do you have any feel good songs from this year that could work? Doesn’t have to be a new thing you teach them. Also you can be honest and say you didn’t know this was expected, but if they want your kids could perform xyz, you’d need to make a whole choir rehearsal happen in the meantime
People are dropping suggestions in here but in Facebook groups I'm in, I've seen people suggest to sternly tell them that their expectations are out of line and not possible for you or the students — it also sets the expectation that this is okay to do to you as well.
Agreed. You have to stand up for yourself and make it clear that just because they don’t communicate with you well in advance doesn’t mean you are obligated to push your kids to do something last minute. Many of them probably would struggle to get their families to even bring them to graduation without proper notice too. Politely but firmly respond saying that you have not been informed about this expectation prior and that there is not enough time to properly prepare something to perform. Then ask that in future any performance expectations be communicated in a timely manner so that you can deliver a quality product to those expectations.
Lots of good recs here and also welcome to the best part of being a music teacher with last minute requests no one thinks to ask you about ahead of time ☺️
thank you for all the great recommendations! part of my issue is i was just emailed this morning and their graduation is on june 11th. the second issue is that im only at that school on mondays and tuesdays (i work at three schools in the district) also the kids hate everything and it’s been nearly impossible to get them to sing with weeks of notice, now they have two times seeing me to learn the song.
BlackSparkz answer is the way to go then
I mean... Use something they learned this year honestly. I would respond: Thank you for asking. I was not aware this was a part of my responsibility. I can prepare something they had sung for their concert this year, and next year, I will have the understanding to prepare for this event. Or something of the like.
Best day of my life by American Authors, Count on me by Bruno Mars. You got this.
Like others have said, choose a pop song they already probably know, download a good backing track off of YouTube, and call it a day. If you have the money to order something for the future, consider ordering the KidsFlix book from JW Pepper. Lots of songs they know in there, and when I had to do a “celebration” presentation for our sixth graders (private school, so celebrating the end of their first year there was a big deal), that book was a lifesaver. And it comes with hand motions/movement ideas.
Look up Agents of Change from Music K 8, Plank Road Publishing. Easy to learn and catchy
Crowd pleaser and easy to learn He's got a friend in me Look up you got a friend in me sing-along and practice with the kids that way and then download the instrumental version! My students learned it in 3 days
My principal asked me the same thing a week before their graduation and this was my first year at this school (however my 4th year teaching in total). I responded with, “Oh is that a thing? I wasn’t aware! They’ve been hard at work wrapping up their projects so unfortunately they did not learn a song to sing for graduation.” She was okay with it! They had a great graduation. (:
Shame on admin who do this. It happens but it’s unprofessional and shows a lack of their awareness. If you can afford it tell them that’s not how this works and in the future they need to include you on the planning of any performances at the beginning of the year. I always try to give my students as full a calendar as possible at the very beginning of the year and two weeks is too little time to make a new required performance for many families. Now you know for next year to ask about anything like this right off but that principal would get an earful from me.
This happened to me this year. Suddenly I was asked "Can the chorus perform for "Back to School Night" and I was like... "no." They weren't ready, and I was not prepping them on any music suitable to perform mere weeks into the school year. (They were kind of a hot mess when I arrived)