How to Survive Life as a Cart Teacher 

• Jenna Mahr
• Posted 3/22/24
• 0 comments

You Want Me to Teach on What?! 

I am starting my 5th year as a Fine Arts teacher at a Christian school and 2 1/2 of those years have been on a cart. When I heard that I would have to teach on a cart, I was TERRIFIED. I was still getting used to being a Music/Art teacher and now I had to do it all from a cart?  

I wasn’t sure if I was ready for this kind of challenge. However, after a couple of months of trial and error and making many mistakes, cart teaching became a little less terrifying. In these almost three years of being a cart teacher, I have learned what works and what doesn’t.  

I have tirelessly researched and brainstormed practical tips and tricks to make cart teaching easier and even enjoyable! If you are a cart teacher or are becoming a cart teacher, this article can help you roll with it (literally) and make the most of life as a cart teacher! 

ORGANIZE. ORGANIZE. ORGANIZE. 

I cannot emphasize this point enough. When you are used to having a whole classroom at your disposal and then have to fit all of your materials on a cart, organizing can save you from having a nervous breakdown…that’s the hope, anyways! 

I have learned over the past 2 1/2 years that labels are my best friend. Everything on my cart is labeled—scarves, rhythm sticks, miscellaneous instruments, pencils, notebook paper, cleaning supplies, etc. Having everything labeled saves time as I prepare for a class.  

In my first year of cart teaching, it took me forever to prep for a class because my cart looked like a music room caught on fire, and the remains of the fire were on my cart. Literally, but now I have learned that just the simple fact of having everything labeled saves so much time, especially in the blocks where I only have 10 minutes in-between classes. 

Rather than frantically searching for a specific instrument or wondering which bin I put it in, all I have to do is read the labels in big, bold words right on the front of my cart. In addition to labels, limit the number of materials you have in your cart. 

During my first year of cart teaching, I thought I had to have my entire music (and art) classroom on my cart. The result – I couldn’t find anything (as mentioned above) and was overwhelmed by the mess.  

At my school, I have a shelf in addition to my cart. It sounds funny that I only have one shelf, but it is what it is. This shelf is used to store materials that I use less often. So, the things on my cart are the materials I use regularly. If I need something not on my cart, I take it from my shelf and put it on my cart before class begins. This allows my cart to stay clean and organized and helps me see available materials. 

ESSENTIALS STAY ESSENTIALS 

Before the year begins, think about the tried and true things that you’ve used in your music classroom. Even though you’re on a cart now, they are probably the same. For me, these are the instruments/materials that I knew I used pretty often: 

1. Rhythm sticks: I use these in various ways for every grade I teach (K-7th). Whether it’s bucket drumming for my older students or just simple rhythm practice for my littles, rhythm sticks appear in most of my lessons. 

2. Scarves: Who doesn’t like to express themselves by dancing to music using manipulatives like scarves? I know my littles do! Scarves are a GREAT way to use stored energy and learn movement exploration. 

3. Bells/Shakers: (I keep them in the same bin) – I like to have a variety of instruments on hand, and bells/shakers are the most convenient because of their size. 

4. Ball: I always have a small ball on hand just in case I want to use it for a hello song such as “Bounce High, Bounce Low” or “Hickity, Tickety Bumblebee.” These are two of my favorites from The Yellow Brick Road, but there are many more to choose from (Hibbard).  

5. Whiteboard/Markers – I got spoiled having a massive whiteboard in my previous classroom. So, I bought a small, stand-up whiteboard from Amazon that I put right on top of my cart. No, it’s not the same, but it does the job! I use one side of the whiteboard for my discipline system. If a student is acting up, I write their name on the board and use the following punishments depending on how many times their name is on the board: 
   • 1 = Warning, 2 = Sit out of the activity that day, 3 = See the principal  

It is simple, but it works! There is something about seeing their name on the board that they do NOT like. So, it makes them think before getting their name on the board more than once. 

6. Paper and pencils: There have been so many times in my lesson plans that I quickly throw in some writing activity, especially for the older kids. Simple and fun writing prompts like “if you could meet one famous singer, who would it be?” are great ways to engage middle school students. I also like to have paper if I need a filler at the end of class. 

Note: I always have my laptop, TV, and HDMI chord in class (the TV is on a rolling cart too). Also, in my music bag, I have my clipboard with the student roster and whatever music/worksheets we are working on at that time. 

If you want some more inspiration about what to put on your cart, the author of Kodaly Corner has a great article about the world of cart teaching and has a list of her essentials of what to have on a cart (Bassler). Her essentials are slightly different from my essentials, but that’s okay. Even if you have different materials, seeing what other teachers use during cart teaching is helpful. 

SMALL IS OK

This point goes right along with point #2. One of the reasons that it was challenging to go from a classroom to a cart is that I thought I had to have a literal classroom ON my cart. I tried decorating my cart and everything. With the cart I am using, decorations just got in my way. I quickly learned that due to keeping some of my sanity, I didn’t need everything I thought I needed to still have a thriving class. 

It’s okay if you only have room for some instruments. It’s okay if you don’t have brightly colored music posters on your cart. It’s okay if you can’t teach a particular lesson like you usually could because of the accommodations on your cart. Start small; it’s okay!  

I just taught the simplest lesson from Organized Chaos, and my students LOVED it. I used items on my cart, plus a table and chair I borrowed from the gym (that’s where I have Music class). This lesson proved that you can teach an engaging lesson that kids will love with just a few simple materials. As Elisabeth Caldwell says, “there’s nothing fancy about it at all” (Caldwell). But that’s the great thing about teaching kids…they don’t always need fancy! 

Cart Teaching is a Piece of Cake, Right? 

Am I going to lie and tell you that cart teaching is easy, and I would choose it over having a classroom? No, no, I am not. But, I will tell you, it is doable because it is. If you are new to cart teaching, I hope this article will give you valuable tips to help you as you transition to this new way of teaching. 

Remember, stay organized, use the essentials, and start small. So, awesome cart teacher…plan your lessons, do your best, love your students, and drink your coffee! From one cart teacher to another, WE’VE GOT THIS! 

References

Bassler, Bethany. Music a La Cart: Limited Resource Edition, 31 Oct. 2016, http:// kodalycorner.blogspot.com/2016/10/music-la-cart-limited-resource-edition.html. Accessed 31 Aug. 2022. 

Caldwell, Elisabeth. “Teacher Tuesday: Kindergarten Lesson for ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ .” Organized Chaos, Aug. 2015, https://caldwellorganizedchaos.blogspot.com/2015/08/ teacher-tuesday-kindergarten-lesson-for.html. Accessed 31 Aug. 2022. 

Hibbard , Jennifer. “Name Games for the First Day of Music Class.” Yellow Brick Road, 25 July 2018,  https://yellowbrickroadblog.com/2018/07/name-games-for-the-first-day-in-music-class.html . Accessed 29 Aug. 2022.