Best Day Dance.movDirect Instruction
This video shows my attempts at co-constructing a dance for our team's end of year prize-giving item.
As our Inquiry this term, 'Life's a Stage' incorporates Dance, I thought it would be a fun challenge to encourage as much student voice and participation in the formulation of our item as I could!
This was not without it's challenges but has proven to be a lot of fun.
Reflection
I loved interacting with children from throughout our Year 2 team, as this was an opportunity open to anyone within the team who wanted to participate. It was a lovely way to get to know more students better, in a different way from our usual learning setting. As these practices occurred during their lunch breaks, I only had children present who actually wanted to be there and participate, which was lovely!
They were all so very enthusiastic from the start, that my biggest challenge was getting them to take turns and hear each others’ ideas, so I had to take charge and make a lot of decisions for us as a group.
It was definitely a dance created by the students, for the students, and so felt a little lacking in control at times. I loved how the boys and the girls each got a chance to showcase their own dance moves (and therefore their delightful personalities) for a portion of the song - even if the moving backwards and forwards looked a little messy, particularly when applied to the whole team setting of 80 children!
They really rose to the occasion for the performance itself, despite a few hiccups in rehearsals. You could see their enthusiasm and enjoyment, and that was the main goal. We would love your feedback!
This is the video we created to share with the whole team, to encourage every child to learn the dance in the lead up to our prizegiving.
This video creates a rewindable learning opportunity, which we use when we come together as a team, but can also be used by the other teachers in our space in their own time.
Team 2 Prizegiving Dance Practice Video 2019 - v.2.movCharlotte Gaston
Pt England School,
Auckland, New Zealand
Manaiakalani Education Trust
PO Box 18 061, Glen Innes
Auckland, New Zealand
