I am sooo pleased.
Using several of the tips from the MK8 listers and a few of my own, I have
just survived the first class of 3rd grade recorder players. Without
horrible sounds and without ear plugs.

By the time we were done, they were actually playing an 8 beat written
pattern on B and sounding good.

I did use the "accident" idea from Jennifer, and there were knowing smiles
around the room.
I used the idea of "whisper" into the recorder. WOW!! THAT REALLY MADE A
DIFFERENCE.
I used the word "air way" which I'd never done before.

I created a dorky ppt to help me stay focused and to let them see the
vocabulary. Then we played and it wasn't terrible even at first! Woo-hooo!

Then I showed them their homework - a couple kids about died right there....
MUSIC has homework?!? Only if you want to learn how to do this......

I projected the homework slide on the board. We practiced it. They did
well (OMG - I have been doing something right!!). Their homework is to
practice it at home and play it for me next week. "Do we get a white
ribbon?" someone asked. AHA! Finally, the recorder tradition is being
passed down from the older kids.

(To make the homework papers to handout, I saved the slide as a jpg,
imported it onto a blank ppt page, sized it to a quarter of the size, copied
it and thereby created 4 to a page, ran it off, cut them out and voila (NOT
walla - please! No French person ever said walla), a great nifty little
handout. If you are in my AOSA session, you'll hear this tip again. It's
extremely useful.)

Thank you, listers. You have touched me; I have grown.

--
Martha Stanley, NBCT
www.marthabeesmusic.com
The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas first!