Name:
Jennifer Hibbard
Store Name:
Yellow Brick Road
What I Have Taught:
I taught elementary music (K-4) for seven years in Indiana. My degree allows me to teach K-12 general music, band, and choir, which means that I was involved in several areas outside of elementary music. I started an elementary choir, assisted with solo and ensemble events for choir and band, developed curriculum, taught private music lessons, and assisted with the high school band. I was certainly never bored!
Quick, Fun Facts About Me:
When I’m not creating resources (which isn’t often), I’m spending time with my husband Brandon. We love to travel, engage in deep discussions, and try our best to agree on what to watch on Netflix.
I love spending time with friends, family, and coffee (not always in that order). My unique talents include:
- knitting things halfway
- choosing the perfect GIF for any situation
- finding new ways to drink coffee
Why I Love TpT:
Being the only elementary music teacher in a school system, I often felt like I was on an island by myself. That sense of isolation was what inspired me to start blogging. Soon after, I became interested in creating resources to share, which led me to TpT. The community was inspiring and was a daily reminder that I wasn’t on an island by myself. I was surrounded by teacher-authors who were passionate to share their calling with the world.
TpT allows me to be both teacher and student. I have the privilege of providing resources that music teachers use every day. I get to share my lesson ideas through my blog and resources. Yet, I’m always learning from the TpT community. Whether that’s through social media or an insightful comment from a customer. It’s the best of both worlds!
Music Teacher Quick Tip:
Always keep a package of pipe cleaners on hand. Here are three ways you can use them in your classroom:
1. Vocal exploration
Have the students bend the pipe cleaners into different shapes. They could create zig-zags, spirals, circles, wavy lines, etc. Then, ask them to sing the lines and shapes. This gives you a chance to assess their skills, and the kids love it!
2. Rhythms
Ask students to shape the pipe cleaners into rhythms. Then, they can share those rhythms with partners by speaking or clapping. You could also have them speak the patterns to you as a form of assessment.
3. Cleaning
This one’s for you. Use those pipe cleaners to clean out the inside of those straws from your to-go cups. You’d be amazed and disgusted with the grime that builds up on the inside of those things!
Two products you may not have seen in my store:
I love designing classic resources; ones that you can use year after year in your classroom. They’re like your favorite pair of jeans. They’re comfortable, the perfect size, and they always make you look good.
That’s why I introduced the Basics Series last year. Each set focuses on a specific music concept, such as beat, rhythm, or dynamics. They show students how the concept looks, sounds, and feels. Best of all, I use a variety of real-world examples that are engaging for students of any age or background.
The Music History Quick Guide Bundle is a complete set of music samples, videos, fun facts, vocabulary, and major composers from each period in western art music history. The interactive slideshows allow you to introduce middle school or junior high students to music from each period in western music history, while keeping them engaged with relevant content and creative supplemental activities. Each presentation comes with a Google Slides option.
Basics of Rhythm is an all-in-one interactive music lesson which guides students through the sights, sounds, and feel of rhythm in music. This PowerPoint Presentation uses real-life images, audio, playalong recordings, and video links to keep students meaningfully engaged in the concept of rhythm. It even comes with a Google Slides option!
I’m thrilled to be a part of the Music Crew, and I’m looking forward to all the amazing resources we’ll be able to share with you over the coming year!
If you want to know more about me or browse all of my lesson ideas, please visit the Yellow Brick Road Blog.
Musically,
Jennifer Hibbard
Yellow Brick Road
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Your “basics” series is absolutely amazing. So well done. Also I love coffee. And I am a new convert to pipe cleaners- I have found lots of different kinds at the Dollar Tree this school year, including giant ones that are great for vocal exploration, and seasonal colors that are great to use in centers. Thanks for the great ideas!
Thanks Elizabeth! I’m going to have to check out our local Dollar Tree and see if they have the giant ones. Thanks for the tip!
My favorite part about this entire post is “…and try our best to agree on what to watch on Netflix” 🙂
It’s a job in and of itself! I was thrilled when he was willing to watch The Great British Bake Off. Most recently, we both enjoyed the Iron Fist 🙂