Music class can be a confusing place for elementary students. It’s the one academic subject that engages every part of a child’s brain. It’s also one of the only classes that teaches students to express themselves, think creatively, and collaborate as a team. A lot is happening! Teaching students to sing, clap rhythms, read music, count, and refine their fine motor skills can be a tall order. If students don’t feel supported in the process, it can lead to confusion, frustration, and disengagement. That’s why positive feedback is essential—it transforms confusion into confidence, and keeps students motivated to grow and succeed in music class. Let’s explore the power of feedback in the music room, so you can support your students through every phase of their music journey.

Why Positive Feedback Matters

Everyone craves positivity. Think about it. When you get a letter in the mail, do you hope for a birthday card, or a credit card bill? When your phone rings, do you want a call from a best friend, or a telemarketer? While these scenarios don’t necessarily apply to children, the logic does. Consider these examples…

Which Feedback Resonates More?

“You need to fix the rhythm. Go back and try it one more time.”

or

“You did a great job playing the correct notes. Do you think you could do that again while counting the note values?”

The second one is powerful because it reinforces what the student did well, while additionally identifying an area of growth, and making a suggestion. Students are more motivated by the second feedback option because the music teacher has already shared something they’re doing well. As music teachers and musicians we can sometimes get so laser-focused on accuracy and perfection, that we forget our students are still growing and learning. Even when something is a complete trainwreck, usually it is possible to find at least one piece of positive feedback, even if that piece of feedback is just that your students maintained a steady beat, or watched the conductor. Celebrating small achievements leads to big achievements later on.

The Happy Phone Call

Have you ever made a happy phone call to a parent? If not, let me explain. As music teachers, we work with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of students every week, often across multiple school buildings. When we have rosters filled with so many students, families usually only hear from us when something is going wrong in our classroom.

A Personal Experience

Early in my career, I was making the mistake  of only calling a home when student behavior issues needed to be addressed. And, while it was impossible and unrealistic to try to contact every family for both good and poor behavior, I didn’t want to have a reputation as the music teacher who only called to complain.

A Positive Reaction 

My third year, I decided to make a change for the better. For every negative call I had to make, I made sure to call two other families with some positive feedback about their child. The outcome was amazing. My students:

• Started treating me differently – I went from being the music teacher who only told them what they did wrong to the music teacher who helped them celebrate what they were getting right.

• Started making positive changes in music class – Word got out about the happy phone calls home, and every student wanted to be the one who got one.

 

• Shifted their mindsets – Instead of focusing on what was going wrong, my students started focusing on what they could do right.

This can also be a great method for reaching those music students who are quiet, introverted, or tend to fall under the radar for one reason or another.

A Few Suggestions:

You don’t have to think too hard about making a happy phone call. I bet if you take a moment, you’ll find SOMETHING positive to say about every student. Here are some examples:

• “_________________ got to play a special instrument in music class today.”
• “Today ______________ was a good friend during music class because _______________.”
• “I noticed __________________ is really good at _____________ and I’m so happy to have them in music class.”

When all else fails you can say, “I just wanted to tell you that ____________ is such a joy to have in music class.”

Parents won’t just tell their children that you called – they’ll celebrate it! 🎉

How I Used Uh-Oh and Hip-Hip Hooray Slips in Music Class

I discovered that another method that worked well for balancing positive and negative feedback were these Music Behavior Slips that I created. I think you’ll find it’s a great alternative to time-consuming phone calls because these behavior slips are a quick, print-and-go resource. 

The slips can be stored in your music classroom, or wherever your home base is. I used to keep a stack on my music cart while traveling from classroom to classroom. They worked really well. I often was able to fill one out during my lesson, without stopping or saying a word to the students. It allowed me to praise and discipline students in a discreet way that didn’t interrupt the flow of the lesson. 

At the end of class, I’d take a moment to distribute slips to whoever needed them, and discuss with the students as necessary. Students would take their behavior slip home for a parent signature, and I would keep track of the forms in my grade book. It helped me to avoid having a long list of phone calls to make at the end of the school day, providing a quick and easy method for delivering feedback to students. If you’d like to purchase a set of Uh-Oh and Hip-Hip Hooray slips for your music class, click here to learn more.

Build Your Positive Feedback Bank

Sometimes you may have trouble finding the positive, and that’s okay. If you’re struggling due to a challenging class, low musical skill level, or any other reason, you might feel at a loss. Here are some starting points for finding something positive to celebrate:

• Setting a great example for others
• Mastering a musical skill that the student previously struggled with
• Demonstrating role model behavior in class
• Helping others
• Thinking creatively or outside the box
• Making a great connection during class time

If you’re looking for more ideas, you can access a complete list of 100 Positive Feedback Phrases for Music Class by joining the Chamber of Freebies. You can keep this list pinned to your desk, teacher planner, or whatever until this process feels easy and natural.

Dealing with Negative Nellies in Music Class

Sometimes you’ll encounter students who are their own worst enemy.

“We sounded bad!”

“That sucked!”

“Music is stupid!”

It can be hard when you have students who are constantly focused on the negative. I find that the most effective thing in these situations is to discuss their feelings head on. Ask your students, “Why would you say that? What created that feeling for you?” Their answers are often the first step to identifying what’s really bothering them. From there, you can often redirect their negative feedback by pointing out something positive that they may not have considered. 

Student: “We sounded bad because no one practiced.”

Teacher: “I know it’s really frustrating when things aren’t as prepared as they should be, but did you notice how everyone worked together to recover from the mistakes? We’re really learning how to cooperate and work as a team during performances.”

It’s important to not discredit or dismiss the students’ opinions in these moments—they matter! However, this is still a great time to reframe their thinking and remind them that they are, in fact, making progress.

Positive Feedback Leads to Powerful Results

Can I tell you a secret? Your students want to be good at music, even if they won’t come out and say it. No one is upset or frustrated when they’re told they’re good at something. No one is going to give you a hard time for praising or complimenting a student’s effort or achievement, even if there’s still progress to be made. I have turned so many jocks into enthusiastic choir kids just by saying, “Hey, you have a pretty awesome voice, you should really join us in chorus! I bet you’d be great!” Try it and see what happens.

And finally, when you’re delivering positive feedback in music class it’s important to be kind, but honest. Saying “great job!” when a student clearly made a ton of mistakes is the wrong approach. Itcan make perceptive students lose trust rather than build it with you. Instead, find the positivity in the moments of failure, even if your positive feedback is just about how they recovered from a mistake and didn’t give up. 

When your students know that you’re willing to respect them, show them honesty, and celebrate their achievements, I promise you will win over every student in your music class, even if music isn’t their favorite subject. What’s your favorite way of giving positive feedback? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to sign-up for the Chamber of Freebies so you can get the complete list of 100 Positive Feedback Phrases for Music Class. Looking for more support? Join the Sharing the Magic Facebook group!