Can you talk about what emergent curriculum is for you?
Rossana’s response:
I plan the classes in advance and I have a structure to help me guide the work. In a typical situation, my class includes a gathering, a warm-up (normally I use the Brain Dance adapted to the theme of the class), an exploration, improvisation, show and reflection and a closing circle. So that’s my basic structure, but I can make changes in the moment I am teaching based on what I see during the class. So I can change the order of the class and I open space for ideas, movements, and suggestions coming from the kids. So, emergent curriculum is a way to incorporate what emerges during the class coming from the students – their movements, ideas, and suggestions.
Let’s think about a concrete example: The theme of my class is the ocean water and the ocean animals. During the exploration, I’ll give some prompts encouraging kids to move like the water in the ocean in different ways – like a big wave at the beach, or a small one; water that is very calm or very fast, swirling, etc. When kids are moving, I’ll name the movements I see and I can bring some of them to be explored by the whole group.
In another moment, I’ll talk about ocean animals for them to explore – the fish, the starfish, the dolphin, the whale, etc. This is a perfect moment to ask kids what other animals we can think about and then explore their movements. The children always have good ideas, because they are fascinated by the animals and their movements.
Another example happened with me in a class with 3 and 4 years old, when we were exploring heavy and light movements. To encourage kids to feel the light quality, I gave them scarves, so they could explore the light movements in many ways. But, to my surprise, they put the scarves on their head, they wrapped themselves up their waist, they made themselves look like they were wearing Superman capes. So, I allowed them to use the scarves in all the ways they want, because that was their curiosity at the moment.
I hope I answered your question about emergent curriculum. Thanks for asking about it – it made me reflect on that subject.
Do you have any secrets about how to start dancing for/with children?
Rossana’s response:
I think I have some secrets or suggestions to start dancing with children:
The first one is making a plan/structure for the class: decide what’s the theme, what are the goals, define what you want to do in each section of the class and if you are going to use props/objects or not, etc. But be open to change and adapt your class based on what emerges in the moment coming from the kids.
Don’t be discouraged if your children are not so engaged and able to explore what you bring to the class and want to do something a bit different. Some days you leave the class feeling great, because things worked well, and some days you feel sad and have doubts about your teaching capacity. It’s part of the game and we learn a lot with these challenging experiences.
It’s important to name what you see during the class. I like to name the students’ movements like: “I see John moving very slow”, “I see Karen jumping high”, “ I see Trisha shaking her head and arms”, and so on. Naming the movements is a way for kids to be seen and also helps them to learn to put words into their movements.
I always open my classes with a moment of gathering, when we talk about the theme for that class and I ask the kids questions so they have an opportunity to show what they already know, which they love.
At the end of class, we make a circle and I ask them what they learned in this class, or what was more fun or what was more challenging. If class was about light and heavy movements, for example, I will ask what they prefer: light or heavy. It’s a great way to get feedback from kids, which helps me in my reflection process.
After the class, I take some time to reflect about it: what worked well, what didn’t work, new ideas for the next class, what kids said during the closing circle. It’s very helpful to guide my planning, make changes, and bring new ideas.
These are ideas I have been using in my classes over the years and they’ve helped me to connect and engage with kids. I hope they are useful for you. Thank you!!
Can you talk about emergent curriculum? Do you still feel like a teacher when you’re taking the lead from your students? How does your role as a teacher change?
Alisa’s response:
Emergent curriculum and inclusive practice have a nice partnership. Imagine you are teaching a preschool dance class and your goal is to learn different locomotor movements, but all of the children want to move as if they are flying, just like the flying animal unit they just learned about! What a great opportunity to integrate those ideas of what they already know and relate to, and let go of the locomotor-only focus. I think it is safe to say that the majority of us need a sketch or a plan before entering a teaching scenario. The beauty of that plan is that it may trigger a learner to take you (the teacher) down a whole other path of learning that you had not intended, but can have a really successful result. Teachers are also learners and even if the curriculum shifts down a different path, it is our job (as the teachers) to go on that journey, if possible. Perhaps that is the path to better inclusivity? The role of the teacher may shift and feel different but by allowing an idea to grow more fully through the lens of a learner seems like a successful outcome. It is easy to feel uncomfortable with this idea but I highly encourage trying it out and see where it lands you.
How do you know you’re being inclusive when you’re teaching? What indicators are you looking for in your students or yourself?
Alisa’s response:
This is a really good question that I imagine many educators ask themselves (or perhaps should!). I feel a great responsibility with the word “inclusive” because it covers so many scenarios. By definition – not excluding any parties involved in something – we are being asked to think broadly about this word. I try to think about inclusivity as a word that reminds me about to keep my mind, words and actions welcoming, inquiring and compassionate. How do I know if this is working? I may not. I could also insert opportunities for learners to share their ideas, reflections and creative selves. Also, I try to pay attention to students that are struggling with engagement and REALLY try to learn names quickly because knowing someone’s name is a powerful tool for making connections. While no class is perfect, I find it helpful to look at where the success is (big or small) and keep building the idea of inclusion from there. I am interested in authentic teaching and learning and having open expectations. Teaching really young children is a great place to practice this.
Dance Makers at Grass Valley
by Heather Stockton, Luna Teaching Artist
shared from the Grass Valley Elementary Makers Blog
Last fall I was asked by a fourth grader, “Why do we have dance class?” I got excited by this question because it meant they were curious. I asked the question back to the class, “Why do you think we have dance classes? Why do you want to dance?” I heard answers like:
“Because it’s good for our body!”
“Because it gives us energy”
“To move our bodies”
“Because it makes me happy.”
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Yes, yes, and yes! All of these are true, and I also wanted to dig deeper with them into the conversation. “How do you feel when you learn a new way to move your body? How do you feel when you create a move you have never tried before?” I asked.
“Proud”
“Surprised”
“Embarrassed”
“Good”, they responded.
I asked them why they feel those ways. We talked about when you work really hard to learn something new, don’t give up on it. That moment where it all clicks together and the feeling of accomplishment gives you a boost of energy and pride.
In dance classes you can get these feelings of accomplishment from learning different dances and moves from all kinds of styles. In the classes that Luna Dance teaches at Grass Valley, students learn all of the basic movements from the elements of dance (body, time, space, action, energy) and create their own dances.
“But what do you mean by make my own dance?” the fourth grader asked.
“Well, you know all those dances you learn on Tik Tok? They were created by someone else.”
After I said this I heard a lot of “Whoas and ohs!” In this dance class you get to be the choreographer making all of the choices, and maybe one day all these other people will be learning your dances! Your dances can be performed on Tik Tok, or a big fancy stage, on the street with friends, for your family, or even just for yourself.
This idea seemed to make sense in a way it might not have before. There is always someone behind a movement and an idea.
In all the dance classes at Grass Valley (GV), students make dances and share them with each other. Performing in front of others can be really vulnerable and at times I know students feel shy. It’s all worth it when students share their dance, truly express themselves, and are seen by their classmates. Right before winter break, the Spartans, Pioneers, and Huskies had a dance movie party where they shared the dance videos they had been working so hard on with each other. The way that they screamed and supported each other, you would have thought that Beyoncé was performing! It was such an awesome moment of peers supporting each other, the work that they had created and performed. Truly, it was one of the best highlights of my time teaching dance at Grass Valley.
I have been teaching at GV for six years now as a faculty member of Luna Dance Institute. Luna has been building a dance program with classroom teachers and administrators at GV for 8 years and each year we learn more about how to support dance learners with different needs from kindergarten to fifth grade. Every class is so different. I work with every classroom teacher to create classes that are meant to support individual student needs and overall community building for the whole class. I learn so much from every class, teacher, and student. In our dance classes we are co-learners and co-teachers.
So why do we teach creative dance? So that students can learn and create while dancing. Imagine how powerful it can feel to be in complete control of your body, discover new ways of moving it to express how you feel and communicate with others. The dream is for every student at Grass Valley and beyond to feel that sense of belonging and empowerment. The future belongs to the learners and the creators. Make moves to make change!
