Spring break may still be on my mind, but it ends quickly. Immediately following spring break, we start choreographing dances for the End-of-Year Performance. The assessments I did before spring break fulfill State requirements and provide data for evaluation of my own performance. But the End-of-Year Performance is for parents, the staff, and especially the […]
Entries Tagged as 'obstacles'
Classroom management: space vs. energy
April 16th, 2009 · Comments Off · Uncategorized
Tags:behavior·chaos·choreography·curriculum integration·getting started·management·obstacles·performance·primary·students·teaching
Conversations with India
January 24th, 2009 · 2 Comments · Uncategorized
My list of reflect-and-blog-about topics is growing, even as I reflect and blog not at all. Spare time and energy has been spent in conversations with India about my computer. The short story: 1. I moved to a laptop & iTunes sound system two years ago and love it. 2. Don’t buy a Dell computer! […]
Performing for human rights
December 27th, 2008 · Comments Off · Uncategorized
Thanks to Infinite Body for sending a link to this music video, featuring 16 performers from around the world, in celebration of human rights!
Creating closure by performing early
December 20th, 2008 · 3 Comments · Uncategorized
I’m not good at creating closure. Much as I know that the best last thing in class is to guide kids to acknowledge and reflect on the topic of the day, I’m too often going full steam ahead at the moment when class should end. We finish with a flourish, and they rush out the […]
The up side of “Oh, what a day…,” or the benefit of having doubts
December 15th, 2008 · Comments Off · Uncategorized
I was struck by something John Patrick Shanley, the director of the movie Doubt, said in an NPR interview during my morning commute on Friday. Asked about the relative merits of doubt and certainty, he replied that certainty is a closed door, while doubt is an open one. I like the thought, since at the […]
Tech challenges dance. Dance wins.
December 9th, 2008 · Comments Off · Uncategorized
I’m limping a bit of late… both literally and metaphorically. ~Not quite on top of my game physically, so I’ve added a wireless microphone to take the strain off my voice, and I’m making an extra effort to thank the kids for their help. It’s actually easier to dance with a microphone on than it […]
Tags:obstacles·technology
Daily challenges to classroom management
October 29th, 2008 · Comments Off · Uncategorized
Ten minutes into my first class on Monday morning this week (5th grade), Rasheedah let out a bloodcurdling scream. I stopped class to see whether we needed 911. We didn’t. No one had touched her, but apparently, during an exploration of strength and stomping, she thought Cammie was chasing her and reacted as if a […]