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Caring for your games
Helpful hintsI still remember frantically trying to make games when I first started teaching MYC back in 1991. Not fully understanding the program until I had actually taught made it difficult to say the least. After teaching for about 11 years I had definitely made a few improvements and a few years ago decided to start a little side business selling my games to other teachers. I am “semi-retired” from piano and MYC teaching at this time, although I substitute at times and still do some private teaching. I am more focused on my own family and this little creative endeavor. I enjoy keeping my hand in and getting to see all my MYC friends at the conferences.
-RoseCaring for your games
Handled with care they should give you at least several years of use. When you are cutting out you may want to round the corners slightly or leave some white area around the more intricate pieces. The games printed on the glossy paper are pretty much impervious to fingerprints, rubbing, bending and dog-earing. They are NOT impervious to folding, scratching, sharp objects or water. Do not get them wet! (Of course you will want your students to have reasonably clean hands!) The colours should remain vibrant, unless stored in direct sunlight. Most children can be taught to take reasonable care. If you have a large number of students or they are very rambunctious you may want to consider laminating. Laminating is definitely recommended for games and game pieces printed on the card stock. Be creative in your use of the games and enjoy the extra time you will save! If you have questions or comments about my games please e-mail rosynotes@hotmail.com
helpful hints from Rose
Most MYC students really enjoy games, and in my twelve years of teaching I have learned by trial and error what works and what doesn’t. Deciding the rules as you go doesn’t usually work. Making the game half an hour before your class is not usually a good plan either. You will feel stressed and the quality of the game may not be what it should. It’s a good idea to figure out some objective for the game, even if it’s a non-competitive activity. Speaking of competition, some students love it, others cry if they lose. Being able to predict your students and how they may react is very valuable. Review games reveal to you what the students actually have learned. This may not be exactly the same as what you thought you taught them, so I have found that making the game a little on what I think is the “easy” side makes it go a lot faster and is more fun for everyone. If it’s too easy, choose a more difficult game or add more questions for next time. You will want to keep all your game-making supplies in a convenient place. If you choose to use quality materials you will probably be happier with the end result. In addition, professional looking games adds to your image as a professional teacher. Having your very own stuff, separate from your kid’s craft and school supplies can prevent a few headaches too like when you realize the glue has been used up or your son used your last sheet of yellow bristol board for his science project. Storing large sheets of bristol board, then trying to find that game you want presents a difficulty for many teachers, especially if you have limited space. I discovered a few years back that many smaller games and visual aids could store nicely in a plastic sleeve and binder. Games stored in direct light can fade very quickly, especially if they are made from construction paper. Laminating or covering with tye-tac immediately is crucial to extending the life of your game. If you are using tye-tac, I have found it best to cut the cards, laminate, then cut around leaving a 2 millimetre border around the item to prevent peeling. (Be prepared though, this sometimes happens anyway!) Remember to write up instructions for your games, because 6 months later you might not remember the rules. The obvious drawback about games is the time it takes planning, designing and preparing your game. Then, after having gone to all that work you may find out that you have run short of time in the lesson and couldn’t fit in a game. Rosynotes Minigames are designed to save you time and effort so you can put more energy into things like your teaching, your music and your family. You just cut the games out and they store in the plastic sleeve provided or a small ziplock. Most of the games and activities take between 5 and 10 minutes to play so you should have time in almost every lesson for a “minigame”!
© Rose Scott Rosynotes music games