In this training, I'll share tips for teaching singing in elementary music. This is something that definitely didn't come naturally to me when I first started teaching, since I'm an instrumentalist. But, these are the strategies I began implementing that really helped not only me, but my students as well, gain confidence in their singing ability.

Key takeaways from this training include:
1. "Singing is not my cup of tea. Piano is my passion as well as clarinet, so singing didn't come naturally to me."
2. "I had to get my confidence going and realize these kids just needed to learn music and didn't care about how well I sang. They just wanted someone to teach them music."
3. "As an elementary music teacher, you're not just using your voice to talk, but you're singing all day. You may go home some days without much voice left."
4. "Just start singing and your kids will gain confidence by how much confidence you have."
5. "If your students come in, and you notice some of them aren't enjoying singing, don't take it personally. There will always be some resistance."
6. "Spread your stronger singers out when you're planning your seating chart, so they're sitting next to the kiddos who aren't as strong of singers."
7. "Don't simply just do songs all the time that have simple melodies. Throughout the year, sequence a variety of songs throughout the school year."
8. "If you vary up the repertoire of what you're teaching in your classroom, you'll eventually spark the interest of each child where they become more and more comfortable with singing."
9. "Vocal warm-ups really do help kids find their singing voices."
10. "Talk about how to sit and breathe before they even sing a single note."
11. "Adding movement or motions to songs helps turn things around quickly."