Today’s horoscope — Today is an 8. Write down your thoughts, even if they don’t make any sense, to make space for the new. You may discover that your skills are worth more than you thought. On the days when I read my horoscope, my engagement with it lasts all of about 10 seconds, as […]
Entries Tagged as 'Uncategorized'
Letting go
May 29th, 2011 · 3 Comments · Uncategorized
Tags:autism·choreography·curriculum integration·performance·reflection·teaching
My other life
May 23rd, 2011 · 7 Comments · Uncategorized
I haven’t written much about dance education this year. 16 entries, in the same time I wrote 42 last year. It’s not because I don’t think about it. I have lists of thoughts I mean to translate into communication: Carly’s blog, dance for boys, new DVDs & resources I’ve found, LXD, inspiring TED talks, integrated […]
Tags:
Persistence — learned in dance class
February 11th, 2011 · 5 Comments · Uncategorized
Yesterday I was preparing 4 groups to perform on Monday. It’s always touch-and-go. I want whatever we’re rehearsing to challenge them to practice new skills. But I don’t want rehearsal to usurp too many of our sessions together. I taught my 3rd graders a lovely dance I learned from Sanna Longden last week — “I […]
Children with autism: dancing together
January 18th, 2011 · 6 Comments · Autism, Uncategorized
They arrive every day, my students with autism, barefoot & ready. I don’t always have a great idea of how I’m helping them, but it’s no longer so daunting as it was at first! We’ve come a long way. Each of my 2 classes is a little older this year & more experienced with school. […]
“Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…”
January 10th, 2011 · 5 Comments · Uncategorized
Have you ever been giving instructions in class & suddenly had a flash of what the kids are actually hearing? Maybe it’s more so for me because 60% of my kids speak English as a second language, so for them it really is “blah, blah, blah…” I remember that experience from my years in Japan. […]
Tags:goals·management·playfulness
Wow! Mid-year progress!
January 9th, 2011 · Comments Off · Uncategorized
I have to admit I had to sort of draaaaaaaag myself out of winter break last week. Fiiiiiind my plan book. Reorient myself to whiiiiiiiich students I’d be seeing. Adjust my calendar to make up for the four extra weeks I’m spending this year on world dances because my pre-assessment revealed students with a woooooooeful […]
Oh %$#&, another broken toe
January 8th, 2011 · 4 Comments · Uncategorized
Occupational hazard? Maybe. But I’ve only had one break dancing. Not to shift the blame, but I couldn’t help noticing this week as I was reflecting-to-learn, that 3 of the 5 times I’ve broken a part of my foot have been with 5th graders. Not generally the 5th graders that still look like 4th graders, […]
Whispers barely heard in the current cacophony on education
November 14th, 2010 · 4 Comments · Uncategorized
Yipes. I’ve had too much on my plate of late to blog. But this is still a place to capture & share thoughts for later.. Play is a central condition for learning. There are & have always been teachers who know that play is central to learning. When I have time, perhaps I’ll elaborate on […]
Tags:African American·dancing·intermediate·lesson plans·management·primary·why dance matters
It’s early yet…
September 15th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Uncategorized
This year we have 3 fifth-grade classrooms instead of 2. Two of them share a space, while the 3rd is located between the two 4th grade classrooms. Among 5th graders, anticipation about their end-of-year choreography (that’s June of 2011!) is so high that they arrived to dance class on the first day last week, worried […]
Another transition: gearing up for the start of the year
September 3rd, 2010 · 1 Comment · Uncategorized
As I gear up from summer to back-to-school, the to-do list is long: Continue healing from a partial knee replacement. My knee’s doing beautifully, with range of motion returning, but my energy’s not its normal self yet. Integrate structures & concepts from the Readers Workshop. I started using this material last year, following a week […]
Tags:curriculum·thinking·time