Comparing Lessons

     During one of my days away from class during the week I like to spend it volunteering at the schools I have previously taught in. On this particular day I volunteered in a grade 4/5 classroom that I was put in for my second practicum placement. As part of my learning I asked my previous associate teacher if I could teach the lesson my group created for dance since it corresponded with the science unit they were in. Here I had the chance to see how this lesson would work with an actual group of grade 4/5 students and get more experience in teaching dance, a subject area that I could use some improvement in. What I learned from this experience is the difference between simulating a lesson in class with my peers and the reality of teaching dance. In this post I will discuss the main differences between the two that I saw and what I have learned from them.

     The first difference that I noticed was that children are a lot more expressive and open to being vulnerable than we are as adults. I really enjoyed watching them dance with the music and using their bodies as a form of communicating the animal or ecosystem I gave them. I was not sure how these students would react to this lesson in terms of being open enough to participate in it fully, but for the most part they were receptive. I learned that I needed to focus less on getting them started like I would with my peers and more on keeping them on task or directing them to the right way.

The second main difference that I saw is one that I believe everyone faces when being introduced to dance, understanding what it truly it. Like many other classrooms this class believed that dance was following to the steps of Just Dance or a routine created by someone else. While these are not necessarily negative activities, it does not teach students about how dance is a series of movements used to express or convey a message. For instance, during this lesson the students began by acting out the animals, but by the end they were moving in a way that expresses that animal. Students were able to realize at the end that dance is just another way to show their knowledge and they created wonderful performances about their ecosystem and the animals within it.

     Finally, I noticed during this lesson that there is a substantial amount of classroom management involved as the students work through the activities. In the beginning of the lesson it was challenging to get the students to focus on the dancing and not be silly with it, but by the end they were able to see the point. In particular I had a student with ADHD who needed multiple prompts to stay on task, but I believe this lesson was to his benefit because he was able to get up and move around. It also helped a student I had who was below grade level in terms of reading and writing, so this gave the student a chance to show the knowledge he has about animals and their habitats.

     Overall teaching lesson in class with my peers and with a group of grade 4/5 students has been an enlightening experience for me. Though both provide their own unique challenges it has shown me how I can alter my lessons to make sure all students participate and learn about dance as a language.