Have you noticed how attention spans seem to be dwindling? Well, you are definitely not imagining it! Our students’ abilities to focus are decreasing and behavior issues are on the rise!

Here are 10 ways to capture and maintain their attention:

1. Never have one section play or sing alone (while the rest are just waiting around) for more than 2.5 minutes at a time. 
2. Always have recorded music ready to play from speakers for moments like this. (Imagine this lesson without the pop music…) 
3. Limit your transition time between pieces! 
4. Adjust your seating chart every 2 weeks!
5. Use musical momentum to move class forward
6. Speak in rhythm as often as possible. 
7. Get off the podium and walk around! 
8. Create a cell phone charging station and require students to stash devices before rehearsals
9. Talk less and play more! 
10. Start class with PLAYING or SINGING rather than announcements. 

Try these 10 steps, and then take a look at my Mac Mic Meal Rehearsal Strategy!

You first start with an engaging hook or activity as students arrive in your classroom. Make sure it is accompanied by their favorite songs, blasting from speakers!

You then move onto the music making activities:

1. Macro Music Making – Longer stretches of sections (32 measures or more!) where students just get to enjoy playing, fix mistakes on their own, and build stamina.
2. Micro Music Making – This is where we zoom in to do the detail work.
3. Announcements – Yep, I put them here in the middle!
4. Micro Music Making again
   • Mini Social Moment – Let them interact with each other (preferably in a musical way!)
5. Macro Music Making
6. HAPPY MEAL CLOSERS! – This is just where you revisit a spot you know they will be successful in so they will leave wanting to return, feeling great about what they did in your class, and ready to go home and practice that which they love!

Note: For longer rehearsals, I repeat steps 1 – 5 over and over again, skipping announcements. I then make sure I still end with the Happy Meal Closer!

Will you try this? Let me know how it goes!