Okay, so I'm starting Tuesday at my new school, as the music teacher. Looking through the cloak room, I see boxes and boxes and boxes of props for musicals. Talking to my new students at Back to School night, they exclaim how they like to sing, but they like to act even more. Apparently two music teachers ago, the school put on a production that brought in $4000 for the school! I'm also told that very few of the school families actually go to Mass, due to some very unfortunate past circumstances at the parish. They also have had regular turnovers of music teachers (the typical 1-3 year employment that music teachers have at Catholic schools). This means that the kids are less likely to trust that I'll stay around, and less likely to be interested in what I'm doing.

So, here I am, liturgical music geek. I turned all my classes into choirs at the last school (I was there three years, and in the beginning it was a challenge just to get them interested in singing), and the classes would switch off to sing for the all-school Mass every week. By the time I left they were all singing in harmony, at least in canon. I taught the whole school the Missa de Angelis and they sang it beautifully a capella.

But now I'm in a new situation, and don't want to make too many waves too soon, although start immediately with my project of teaching kids about the Liturgy and singing at Mass. Eventually our plan is to get these kids also singing at Sunday Mass (one class once a month). I just took a job as associate music director at the parish. I have the full support of the pastor, and the principal says I have free rein to teach what I want, as long as they get a few of their fun songs in and the fourth grade gets their recorder curriculum part of the year. I get K thru 2 twice for half an hour a week, 3-5 fifteen minutes more per week, and 6-8 45 minutes per week.

So, what do I do? I'm looking for practical tips and lesson plan ideas. I'd especially like to hear ways I can incorporate acting into the lesson plans, and still accomplish my mission. A positive impression at the beginning is crucial to keep parent support.