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Pumpkin

So whilst the shops are already starting to stock mince pies and play Christmas albums (no joke, I heard Winter Wonderland the other...

Jenny Ferris

Oct 11, 20182 min read

KMEIA National Conference Wrap-Up

As I write this, I am sitting in the airport on my way back from Perth where I have been attending the biennial KMEIA National Kodaly...

Jenny Ferris

Oct 5, 20186 min read

Two Old Tortoises

For my birthday, my Mum got me one of these adorable Folkmanis tortoise puppets, as she is something of an enabler of my puppet obsession...

Jenny Ferris

Oct 5, 20181 min read

Songs from Other Mother Tongues

In today's multicultural age, it is important that the music we teach in our classrooms is reflective of the multitude of languages,...

Jenny Ferris

Sep 22, 20183 min read

Art Music Ideas

One of my ongoing missions as a classroom music teacher is to introduce my students to a wide variety of musical styles and genres. In...

Jenny Ferris

Sep 14, 20185 min read

Lesson Booklets Available!

I am proud to announce that I have just released a series of my favourite lesson plan packs as booklets available for purchase & digital...

Jenny Ferris

Sep 7, 20181 min read

Getting prepared for Prep Music

Music lessons at the beginning of a school year can be tough for any grade - you've just come back from several weeks' holiday, it takes...

Jenny Ferris

Aug 31, 20185 min read

Teaching silence with a candlestick

Today I'd like to talk about my saa presentation strategy. In case you're not too familiar with Kodaly methodology, the "presentation"...

Jenny Ferris

Aug 25, 20183 min read

I See A Sea Creature

One aspect of musicianship that a lot of people can feel uncertain about teaching is Improvisation. As you're just making stuff up on the...

Jenny Ferris

Aug 17, 20182 min read

Junior School Concert Program

This year my school's major performance was a Junior Concert for all students in Prep - Year 3. This was the first time I had put...

Jenny Ferris

Aug 12, 20185 min read

Giant staves for BIG music literacy results

One of my favourite teaching sequences happens when students have discovered so & mi and are ready to start writing down the notes they...

Jenny Ferris

Aug 9, 20183 min read

Instruments of the Orchestra

An important part of any music education should be discovering the wide variety of instruments available to us. These instrumental units...

Jenny Ferris

Aug 4, 20184 min read

Centres - a great setup for learning and assessment in the music room

I first came across the concept of centres or stations a few years ago when I was doing some classroom release for a leading teacher. The...

Jenny Ferris

Jul 27, 20184 min read

Songs for teaching Tika Tika

Teaching Tika-tika is perhaps one of my favourite units of Primary Music! The students are becoming more familiar with the process of...

Jenny Ferris

Jul 20, 20182 min read

Kodaly wasn't built in a day...

Starting at a new school can be tough - and not just when you're a student! Starting work as a teacher at a new school can present lots...

Jenny Ferris

Jul 7, 20185 min read

Ooey Gooey Worm

The other day, while down an internet rabbit-hole, I discovered this little beauty of a plushie. I thought to myself, this guy would be...

Jenny Ferris

Jul 5, 20181 min read

Basic Sewing Procedures

To get you started on some of the wonderful sewing patterns you'll find on this website, here are a few how-to's. Click on the videos...

Jenny Ferris

Jun 27, 20181 min read

Ripper Rhythm Activities

So you've just made conscious taa and ti-ti. Now what? Instead of charging full speed into the next rhythmic discovery, it's important to...

Jenny Ferris

Jun 22, 20183 min read

A Home Among The Gumtrees... Australian Folksong and its place in our classrooms

Kodaly wrote about the importance of introducing children to songs from their "musical mother tongue". In order for them to pick up new...

Jenny Ferris

Jun 15, 20183 min read

Scoot!

Today I'd like to talk about a fantastic fun activity that makes for a great summative assessment at the end of a unit - and also a great...

Jenny Ferris

Jun 8, 20182 min read