Category: Inspiring

Dance in School Makes Kids Smarter

We know this already, but it’s always nice to have some science to back it up 🙂

How Learning Dance in School Can Produce Smarter Kids by Sheri Leblanc

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“Using dance to teach standard subjects allows students to have fun with the material, but also helps them gain a deeper understanding of concepts by approaching them from new angles. “

“In dance class, Carter explains, students practice physical exercises that “‘stimulate mental alertness, modeling, sequencing, attention to detail, and memorization skills’… —thereby promoting the learning process.” “

DIY Dance: Flocking

Flocking

This intermediate exercise teaches students to move together and communicate without speaking.

  • Have students stand in a clump, all facing the same direction. Choose a student at the front of the clump to be the first leader.
  • The leader begins to move their arms slowly, and the group behind follows. Depending on the size of the group, students at the back of the clump may not be able to see the leader, but that is not a problem. They simply need to follow the students directly in front of them.
  • After a few minutes, the leader will turn slightly and the group will follow until they are facing a new direction. The student who is now at the front of the clump will become the new leader and continue from the movement of the previous leader.
  • Once students master changing leaders as the movement turns, they can add travelling steps to their arm movements. Move slowly at first, especially with a large group, so that the students learn to move together and shift seamlessly from one leader to the next.

Yoga for Teachers

Need a little “me time” in your hectic schedule? Yoga for teachers is a gentle but challenging workout designed to balance the body and calm the mind. In this all-levels class you’ll breathe deeply, lengthen and strengthen your body and bring more inspired focus to your work. You give your all to your students every day, take an hour to give yourself the gift of yoga!

Everyday Movement Experiences

Want to get your class moving every day? In this workshop you’ll explore the beneficial effects of movement on the brain and develop a toolbox of tricks that will warm-up, focus and inspire your students in just a few minutes every day. You’ll also learn how to incorporate movement into your lesson plans to reinforce classroom learning and help students (especially those kinesthetic learners!) stay engaged.

Increase Emotional IQ

Students also benefit on a social and emotional level by practicing group participation and learning group leadership skills in Movement Experience Workshops. Movement increases body awareness, and movement activities in a positive environment will give students an opportunity to gain confidence in their bodies and their movement skills. Improved self-awareness through movement will also promote increased emotional intelligence, and by playing different roles students will have the chance to reinforce what they’ve learned through teaching and guiding others and thus build confidence in their own movement skills.