I was wondering if there are any techiniques/tips of teaching a large group of primary aged children, be it an instrumental lesson, recorder, or in a percussive sense, they all have their own instruments, and are given a task? I am sorry that this is a bit vague!! Is there a more intersting way of teaching instrumental lessons, that do not mean just going around the room listen to each child play, and getting them to all play together, can not hear the individuals and those who need/want extra assistance??
Hope there is someone who can help!!!!!
Cheers

Teaching large groups can be difficult, as the children will progress at different speeds. After a few weeks you will be able to sort out the more able from the less advanced and then you can do some work if you divide the class into two or three smaller groups. (Be careful that they do not realise that they are being grouped according to ability of course; I used to call my groups "badgers, bush babies and bears" when teaching years one and two classes.) Then you can do some part work with them. It will take a little preparation and planning but will be worthwhile. You could teach group one a melody, group two an easier countermelody and group three if you have one a simpler repeated pattern. If you have recorders and percussion instruments working together you can help the ones with less sense of rhythm by pairing them with more capable ones too. I used to have a rule that when not actually playing their recorders the children had to keep then held under their arms to keep them warm, but mostly to stop them squeaking when they shouldn't have been playing!

There have been threads on this before.. try a search? The ABRSM book "ALL together! Teaching music in groups", although written with rather smaller groups in mind, has some good ideas and general principals.
I have 16 in my current beginner recorder group (for half an hour at lunch time). As they are coming in they play something short individually (maybe just three notes) - it is enough for me to identify anyone with issues which need sorting out. After that they play in various sized groups, with the rest of the class "helping" by clapping the beat or rhythm, or by following the notes on the page with their fingers (children in pairs - one points, the other plays), or by listening and making comments (normally positive ones!) afterwards. They key is keeping everyone involved even if not everyone is playing.