Why I love using these musical prompts to start off each class:

As a (very sudden remote) music teacher, I am constantly jumping into a new class meeting every 40 minutes. And honestly, I need a few minutes to take attendance, open up the files I need, and just get organized for my next class.

That’s why these prompts are so great. I share my screen to display a prompt and my students know I expect each of them to answer either in the chat box or out loud by raising their hand. It’s a great way to get your students engaged and participating right from the start.

It’s an easy routine to implement at the start of your middle school music classes.

Perfect for distance learning AND in person learning

Even when I was still teaching in person, I used these prompts. I would post a slide on the board as the students came into the room. It gave them something to think about as we were getting settled. Sometimes we would take a few minutes to share, other times we would just move on with the class.

These prompts are a great way to connect with my students and get them thinking about music beyond the classroom. A lot of the questions also tie in really nicely with the material that we have been learning in class, making them a great Minds On activity. These prompts have allowed students to have rich and thought-provoking discussions, which is always a plus!

But how many prompts are there?

What I also love is that there are 64 prompts to choose from. Since I see my classes once a week, I can use one prompt a week, which is enough to last me an entire year! I keep track of which prompts I have already used by check-marking them on the tracker sheet (as seen in the image on the right).