Educating Erin

I mentioned in my last post a new challenge that I (and my fellow dance teacher and sister, Alice) have with the students in our prep dance class. One big thing for the whole class is preparing them (both physically and mentally) for the annual dance performance/concert. We have choreographed their dance, and plan to introduce the skills in it, such as knowing left from right, remembering a sequence of movement, and working as a group, before we actually introduce the concert and the dance. Slow and steady should win the race!!

The more immediate challenge is in our new boy, who has behavioural issues which require a fair bit of planning and management on our part. I am very glad to say that his second class was much better than the first!! This is mainly because we planned strategies to deal with his behaviour, but he also was not so uncomfortable in the new environment.

What we think will help us teach the whole class without him dominating:

• He has a blanket up the front where he can sit, and be told to stay or go back to if need be. It is his space, and we will make sure not to have the other kids using it
• Accepting that he can watch - he doesn’t feel too comfortable participating yet, and when he does participate can get out of control, but he is happy to watch which is perfectly alright. Another dance teacher at the school has had kids who spend terms just watching before they are ready to dance themselves.
• not praising good behaviour that has only occurred because of prompting/discipline “thats better” is a better way to praise him
• Being more aware of my own authority as the teacher. I tried (and it worked!) to be firmer, and even a bit bossy. I think sometimes I am too nice, and too focused on everyone enjoying my classes. It helps a lot that we are bigger than prep kids!!
• Involving him in what the other kids are doing, mainly by giving him the prop that we are using (coloured scarves, feathers, balls…) he doesn’t get disconnected from the group, or bored, so he doesn’t act up as much, and also he can see how the others dancers behave.

These things are great management strategies, but mostly they work because there are two teachers in the room - one teaching the class, and one either focusing on, or working with him. I am conscious that this is not likely to be possible in a school setting, and I will have to deal with everything myself, but its great to be able to start like this, and learn from it, but