Movement
Movement in the classroom adds a little bit of fun and a lot of smiles to the day. It is one thing to play music for the students, but adding movement gives it meaning and something extra. Movement is also a teaching moment. When we want to show them how to do a certain dance or movements to a song we should talk it through and model it first. This is the same thing we do when we want to teach an academic lesson. We can teach academics while doing a movement activity. Even if you cannot think of how to do it, someone out there has and there are amazing resources that are free where you can find them. After you see how easy it is, you may even have the confidence of making your own. Movement is also a great way to manage behavior in the classroom. When students get back from recess or lunch or they are all riled up because a holiday party is happening later in the day, take a few minutes and do some movement in the classroom. I know from personal experience getting the students involved in a small movement activity before we get into instruction time works wonders instead of getting a sore throat, headache, and gray hair from screaming at the students. Movement activities are not just for music or gym class they are for any class; the students want to do it, it is just up to the teachers to give it to them.
Movement in the classroom adds a little bit of fun and a lot of smiles to the day. It is one thing to play music for the students, but adding movement gives it meaning and something extra. Movement is also a teaching moment. When we want to show them how to do a certain dance or movements to a song we should talk it through and model it first. This is the same thing we do when we want to teach an academic lesson. We can teach academics while doing a movement activity. Even if you cannot think of how to do it, someone out there has and there are amazing resources that are free where you can find them. After you see how easy it is, you may even have the confidence of making your own. Movement is also a great way to manage behavior in the classroom. When students get back from recess or lunch or they are all riled up because a holiday party is happening later in the day, take a few minutes and do some movement in the classroom. I know from personal experience getting the students involved in a small movement activity before we get into instruction time works wonders instead of getting a sore throat, headache, and gray hair from screaming at the students. Movement activities are not just for music or gym class they are for any class; the students want to do it, it is just up to the teachers to give it to them.