This entry was written for ALT/space, online forum of the Teaching Artists Journal. I’ve been honored to be a contributor to the TAJ online exchange of ideas since last August, even as I’ve felt sort of odd-man-outish. Being a certified dance specialist, located in one school for the past fifteen years, my context is quite […]
Entries Tagged as 'curriculum'
Choreographers can be inspired by poetry!
January 19th, 2012 · 6 Comments · Uncategorized
Here’s a lesson I’ve used with 5th graders over the years. Often I integrate this lesson with other lessons on Martin Luke King Jr. and Alvin Ailey, since they were contemporaries — all alive & working toward change during the civil rights movement.* I’m posting this lesson just now in response to a Read & […]
Tags:African American·choreography·curriculum·literature·teaching
“Meeting performance standards at this time, with steady progress”
November 20th, 2011 · 2 Comments · Uncategorized
It’s been 12 weeks since school started, and the dust is just beginning to settle. The term “ratchet up” came to me this last week, as associated with pressure. Such is the climate in education of late, midst educational reform, standardized testing, furlough days, and cries for teacher accountability. I’m wondering when — if — […]
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
Dancing – and constantly growing — with autism
March 31st, 2010 · 10 Comments · Autism, Uncategorized
OK, so today has been my days for multiple appointments: doctors, dentist, Apple one-to-one, exercise, lecture. And in between, in the fractional hours when it’s easier to stop at a cafe than to drive home, I’ve been collecting my thoughts… Next week I’ll start my 7th month of teaching dance to 16 students with autism, […]
Tap Dance in the public schools
March 7th, 2010 · Comments Off · Uncategorized
… is hard to do. No tap dance shoes. Even if I did have shoes for the kids, no way am I going to let the floor get scuffed up. Nonetheless, we just finished some tap dancing, and it was successful, thanks to the instructional DVD Rhythm Kidz — Tap Dance in Tennis Shoes with […]
Teaching Portfolios
January 13th, 2010 · 3 Comments · Uncategorized
Well, this is interesting! …the why’s, how’s, and where-to’s of making a teaching portfolio from Chicago Artists Resource, via 4dancers — which is also a good resource for useful items of import. So I’m going to stash this information right here on my blog where I can find it again, just in case I ever […]
A single clear teaching point
January 10th, 2010 · 5 Comments · Uncategorized
With my classes cut to 30 minutes this year, it’s been more important than ever to define a single clear teaching point for each class, so I’ve taken to writing on the board the kernel of learning I want the kids to grasp. I start with it, I teach to it, & I end with […]
Lesson Plan: The Toy Shop
December 31st, 2009 · 1 Comment · Lesson Plans
Grades: Kindergarten-2nd grade Teaching points: Dancers use free & bound flow. Dancers tell stories through narrative dance. Targets: Explore free & bound flow; Participate in a story-telling dance. Context: This lesson takes two 30-minute sessions, one to introduce/explore the element of flow and the other to develop/enact the story (or one session of more reasonable […]
Tags:curriculum·curriculum integration·kindergarten·lesson plans·primary·teaching
Dancing through thick and thin…
December 9th, 2009 · Comments Off · Uncategorized
November was a challenging month, and I’m still looking for December to work some special magic. Upheaval and turmoil aside, the daily schedule continues… 25 kids, 8 times a day, five days a week… sometimes I wonder how. But classes get planned, executed, tracked & reflected upon. ‘Cause appropriate instruction is the difference between order […]
Tags:curriculum·teaching·video