TEACHING CREATIVE DANCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Amanda Nicole Stevens
B.A., California State University, Sacramento, 2007
PROJECT
Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS in
EDUCATION
(Curriculum and Instruction) at
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO
SPRING
2010

TEACHING CREATIVE DANCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
A Project by
Amanda Nicole Stevens
Approved by:
__________________________________, Committee Chair
Karen D. Benson, Ph. D.
____________________________
Date ii

Student: Amanda Nicole Stevens
I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University format manual, and that this project is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to be awarded for the Project.
__________________________, Associate Chair ________________
Rita M. Johnson, Ed. D. Date
Department of Teacher Education iii

Abstract of
TEACHING CREATIVE DANCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION by
Amanda Nicole Stevens
This Alternative Culminating Experience for a Master of Arts in Education:
Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Arts in Education follows Pathway III:
Teacher Researcher. The project was designed as a way for the author to better her teaching through experience in a classroom. The avenue in which she gained this experience was through offering dance and creative movement lessons to pre-school aged children.
Children in schools today are not getting the stimulation they need to learn. It is important for students to gain the desire to learn in order for learning to occur. The arts provide the multi-sensory stimulation that creates experiences children remember. They can easily be integrated into academic lessons to reinforce learning. Not only are the arts, and specifically dance and creative movement, a catalyst to retain information, but also they can provide life long skills inside and outside of the classroom. Through the arts important skills such as teamwork, problem solving and active and independent learning are developed.
_______________________, Committee Chair
Karen D. Benson, Ph. D.
_______________________
Date iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………..….....1
2. REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE ............................................................4
3. PROJECT .............................................................................................................. 29
4. REFLECTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................. 43
Appendix A. La Casita Lesson Plans and Reflections .............................................. 50
Appendix B. La Casa Lesson Plans and Reflections ................................................ 61
References…. .............................................................................................................. 74 v

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Project Overview
There are many ways to teach children, one of which is through creative movement and dance. This project provided creative dance classes once a week for children ages two to five that attended the Associated Students Incorporated Children’s
Center on the California State University, Sacramento campus. The focus of this project was to analyze the author's teaching, and, therefore, become a better teacher in the area of dance and creative movement.
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This project was a challenge for the author because her previous teaching experience was minimal. Another challenge that this project possessed is that not only did the author create her own lesson plans, but also created them in collaboration with the learning themes of the classrooms that she taught in. These lessons incorporated the Pre-
Kindergarten Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) standards, while aligning with the content areas that the children were already learning. The author created personal surveys to document her work and requested feedback from the classroom teachers.
Purpose of the Study
An artist should not only know how to create her art, but to teach it as well. This was the purpose behind this Culminating Experience. With the guidance and support of the classroom teachers, the author was supervised and mentored during her time teaching at the center. Not all children learn the same, so this project was intended to provide an

additional way for the children to retain the information they were learning, as well as increasing motor skills, group interaction, and memory.
The main focus of this project was to increase the author's teaching abilities and experience. Through this project she learned how to be a better teacher. In a setting
2 where there was a lot of movement, noise, and interaction, so it was important to understand classroom management, how to keep the children engaged, and help the children learn. This study was designed to increase the author's effectiveness at doing those three things. As a dancer, this project also forced the author to increase her dance knowledge as well.
Research and Documentation
The completion of the project portion of this culminating experience took place during the Fall 2009 semester. The author taught classes twice a week with Tuesdays for the younger aged class and Thursdays for the older aged children. The VAPA standards were used in conjunction with what the children were already learning in order to create weekly lessons that would teach creative movement and dance.
In order to record the project, the author created a survey that she completed after each class session. The surveys asked questions such as: What worked really well today? What could be improved upon and why? What were some of the student reactions? What were some of the teacher reactions? She also had the classroom teachers observe her teaching and made contact with them every day. All of this was compiled to document the author's semester at the center and complete Chapter 3 of this project.

Project Significance
This is a firsthand account of how dance and creative movement can be incorporated into learning. This is not only for the sake of art, but also a tool to reinforce what is already being taught in the classroom. This project was designed to help the
3 author better her teaching abilities. Since her time at the center was limited, it was hoped that the other teachers would incorporate some of the movement into their own lessons.
The literature review is divided into three sections. The first section of the literature review studies the theories and practices of arts in education. This is comprised of writings from educational theorists such as John Dewey and Donald Arnstine. The second section is research of dance and creative movement in education. The research supports inclusion of dance and movement into mainstream classrooms. The third section reviews how dance and creative movement lessons help a child develop on a social and emotional level.
Chapter Three consists of the project documentation. It includes descriptions of the author's lesson plans and experiences at the Children's Center. These lesson plans are attached in the appendix. It chronicles the growth that happened over the course of the semester for the author as a teacher.
Chapter Four is the author's reflection on her teaching skills and time teaching at the center. Implications for the future and recommendations are discussed.

Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE
The love of learning is something that is vital to everyone. Through the arts, a student may find an avenue that leads to this love of learning. The following literature
4 review discusses how the arts, specifically dance and creative movement, help foster a desire for lifelong learning. The literature review is divided into three sections: Theories and Practices in Arts in Education, Dance is Cross-Curricular, and Dance and a Student’s
Social-Emotional Development.
The first section discusses the history of arts in education and why it is important in today’s school systems to help children succeed. This section discusses the necessity of creating a disposition for learning and creating learning opportunities for all.
The second section focuses on how dance and creative movement can be used in the traditional classroom settings to reinforce academic learning. Dance and creative movement provide children opportunities to better comprehend what they are learning.
This is especially useful in language arts lessons.
The third section explores how dance and creative movement foster lifelong skills such as teamwork, problem solving, and communication in order to raise socially competent children. This section also includes tolerance and acceptance of those differences and how dance and creative movement develop life skills.
Theories and Practices in Arts in Education
There are several functions of schools, which include, but are not limited to, teaching math, science and reading. At a more general, even unrealized level, school is

where a child learns how to be a student, fit into society, and the adult working world.
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School is where students spend and experience a large percentage of their formative years. Certain things that a student is expected to learn extend beyond understanding mathematical equations. Teachers expect their students to learn the subject matter; parents expect their children to be taught material that will help them become functioning, contributing members of society, and society wants schools to produce students that can join the work force. How do teachers meet these expectations, and should they? Without the willingness or desire to learn, students will not develop to be active, productive, contributing members of society. Without the students’ willingness to learn, learning will not occur. Positive experiences need to be created because those experiences are the ones that students will want to continue to expand upon. One way to do this is to celebrate learning. Schools need to provide learning opportunities for all.
Through multiple forms of literacy teachers can provide these opportunities to learn.
Educational theorists, Donald Arnstine, John Dewey, John Berger, Herbert
Kliebard, and Eliot Eisner, each had his own views about education and were instrumental in helping shape the educational system that exists today. An environment with opportunities for everyone to learn needs to be created. Multiple forms of literacy need to be taught, and learning needs to be celebrated. One foundation students need to develop is the disposition to learn.
A disposition, according to Dewey (1934) is a habit created over time. “A student who is learning to learn is, among other things, developing his own aims and purposes”
(Arnstine, 1967, p. 345). Not only do students need these dispositions, teachers do as

well. They need to be able to “provide the conditions under which children can learn. To
6 cultivate such a disposition is the special task of institutions that prepare teachers”
(Arnstine, 1967, p. 370-371). A student of any age is more likely to learn from someone who enjoys and is excited about what they teach. This includes learning from teachers who have an honest concern for their students to learn and go beyond merely conveying information to creating a safe environment conducive to students exploring the ideas presented. “If students are not moved by what they study, why would they want to pursue such studies on their own? But one has a hard time keeping them away from things that do provide them with deep satisfaction” (Eisner, 1998, p. 43). If a teacher has a desire and disposition to teach, then an environment that allows learning for all students will be created. It is inevitable that students will learn multiple forms of literacy from teachers that are fully immersed in their desire to teach. From these teachers, learning will be celebrated.
The domino effect is that the student, without even realizing it, will acquire the disposition to learn from the example of the teacher’s willingness to teach. “For as one learns to learn, he acquires knowledge, skills, and attitudes whereby he both wishes to pursue and is capable of pursuing more detailed and specific problems and topics”
(Arnstine, 1967, p. 360). The disposition to learn is the foundation for all types of learning and without it children may only learn the information long enough to pass a test. Without creating this disposition to learn, schools are setting up students for failure.
Eisner (1998) stated:

We would like our children to be well informed, that is, to understand ideas that are important, useful, beautiful, and powerful. And we also want them to have the appetite and ability to think analytically and critically, to be able to speculate and imagine, to see connections among ideas, and to be able to use what they know to enhance their own lives and the desire to contribute to the culture. (p. 44)
Thinking and learning should be fun, therefore, making the experience memorable. John Dewey wrote Art as Experience in 1934, and much of what he said is still applicable to today’s classroom. An experience is important to have because it is a memorable event. It has a starting place and a stopping place, a moment in time that stands out from its surrounding events. The arts are a perfect way of creating these experiences that students will remember and learn from. “Art celebrates with a peculiar intensity the moments in which the past reinforces the present and in which the future is a quickening of what now is” (Dewey, 1934, p. 17). The arts provide a fully engaged experience. Several things are involved, including the mind, the eyes, the hands, the ears,
7 the body, and the mouth. Any combination of these creates a learning experience that a child will remember. More than listening to a teacher lecture at the front of the room, the arts involve students so they become alert and pay attention. In a positive way, the arts compel a student to learn. Dewey reiterated the importance of this idea when he wrote that “in an empathetic, artistic-esthetic experience, the relation is so close that it controls simultaneously both the doing and the perception. Such vital intimacy of connection cannot be had if only the hand and eye are engaged” (1934, p. 51).

This aesthetic experience should be celebrated for “events that we celebrate are events we like to prolong. Efficiency and speed in completing a task are characteristic of tasks that are distasteful” (Eisner, 1998, p. 22). Teaching and learning fall under aesthetic experiences that should be celebrated. To be most effective for both teacher and
8 student, learning should be enjoyable as well as valuable and significant. The arts hold the possibility of aesthetic experiences that celebrate meaningful learning.
Arts, however, are not as valued as they should be. “In American schools, the arts receive about two hours of instructional time per week at the elementary level and are generally not a required subject of study at the secondary level…Thus time represents both value and opportunity: value, because it indicates what is considered significant; opportunity because the school can be thought of as a culture of opportunity” (Eisner,
1998, p. 77). For example, visual art is taken out of schools in almost every way possible, even though it is an integral part of society. Paintings are hung in museums, and tickets to the ballet or symphony are priced high to represent their value. Kliebard
(1992) realized this contradiction of society and said that, “it is hard to imagine a culture where the knowledge deemed to be valuable for whatever reason does not find its way into what is taught deliberately to at least some of the young of that society” (p. 1). An example of this would be how culture today idolizes movies stars or singers, yet acting classes and vocal instruction are rarely found in public schools.
Many administrators, teachers, and even parents, question the value of arts in our schools. The arts are not solely limited to drawing, painting, music or dance. “The arts which today have the most vitality for the average person are things he does not take to

be arts, for instance, the movie, jazzed music, the comic strip, and, too frequently, the newspaper accounts of love-nests, murders, and exploits of bandits” (Dewey, p. 4, 1934).
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These are all resources that can be used to celebrate the arts in everyday lives. These tools are readily available, inexpensive, and engaging when used creatively in the classroom setting. They can reach out to every child in some form and help to provide celebrated opportunities for everyone to learn.
“The power to change things for the better lies in our hands and in the social institutions that we create” (Kliebard, 1982, p. 10). The power to change things for the better is what our schools and social institutions need; knowledge empowers such change. Kliebard (1982) quoted C. W. Eliot arguing that “there has been too much reliance on the principle authority, too little on the progressive and persistent appeal to reason” (p. 2) and that “no amount of memorized study of languages or of the natural sciences and no attainments in arithmetic will protect a man or woman from succumbing to the first plausible delusion or sophism he or she may encounter” (p. 2). Schools no longer teach for meaningful knowledge and skills, rather they have turned into an institution that is more focused on teaching to the test than actually educating students.
Students today are taught with the purpose of obtaining high test scores. They are taught that the information is only valid until the test is taken. What they are learning to do is simply regurgitate whatever was taught. They are not learning how to solve problems, think for themselves, or even how to take responsibility.
Furthermore, schools no longer take into account that each student learns differently. “The single-minded narrowness inherent in the dominance of text in teaching

10 impedes the life chances of students whose aptitudes are more attuned to non-text forms.
Diversifying the resources we use to teach would give more of our students a chance to succeed” (Eisner, 1998, p. 76). An example of why Eisner’s idea of diversifying teaching resources is so important is written in a song by Harry Chapin entitled “Flowers are Red”
(1978). In this song a young boy in school started to draw flowers using all different colors and shapes. He got in trouble for this, and his teacher explained to him that flowers were only red with green leaves, and he should draw them just like that. After awhile the boy and his family went to a new school, and he had a new teacher. This teacher encouraged her class to use their imagination and draw flowers however they liked. This little boy began to draw, and when he was done, he had a page full of only red flowers with green leaves. “What one does not or is not permitted to use, one loses.
Mind is a form of cultural achievement, and the school programs we develop and implement help define the kinds of minds that children will be given an opportunity to own” (Eisner, 1998, p. 16).
The story in the song should be unacceptable in schools, yet it happens all too often. Neither parents nor teachers want their students to become robots of what is taught to them, but schools consistently lack resources, focus on high test scores, and promote a mandated curriculum that does not always meet the needs of the student. A student will pick up examples of what to do, which can be positive, but too often students learn mechanically, therefore losing their creative spirit.
It is hoped that schools will dispose students to become independent, to exhibit initiative and to become responsible. But if these dispositions are not exercised by

11 the teacher, it is to be wondered from whom they will be acquired. The teacher to be sure does function as sort of a model. But what the student often learns from him is to go through certain motions obediently and without undue complaint, or to become cynical and avoid personal involvement in activities where the purposes of others must be taken into account. (Arnstine, 1967, p. 365)
As Arnstine stated, a student learns from a teacher, and teachers are bound by policy on what they teach, when they teach it, and in some cases, even how. Arnstine wrote that the student suffers more than the teacher when someone at a distance creates the curriculum and when what is being taught is arbitrary. He also stated that this is yet another example to the student of being subservient to the decisions of others. This also neglects that different students will learn differently and “specifying a common curriculum neglects student idiosyncrasies and aptitude differences by assuming that in curricular matters one size fits all” (Eisner, 1998, p. 21). Sometimes a student will do very well in an environment where the teacher lectures. Some students, no matter how hard they try, will never learn simply by listening. Some may say that homework would be how a student applies what he or she learned. To a certain extent it is, but if a student has not learned a particular lesson in class, how can he or she be expected to recreate that lesson while doing homework that evening?
Children need multiple ways of learning in order to optimize the information they take in. Eisner wrote about educational equality and its importance when teaching the younger generations. He was a student that did not do well in school, and it was not until he found painting that he realized he could learn better through different methods than

just through verbal and written language. He wrote, “the differences among [children]
12 need to be taken into account in educational policy and practice. Each child in our schools should be given an opportunity to find a place in our educational sun” (1998, p.
18). When he wrote about educational equity, he was not writing about everyone having access to the best schools, he wrote about giving everyone the opportunity to learn through the avenues that play to their individual strengths. This means providing teachers with the necessary resources to reach out to all their students. Kliebard wrote that this was important because it “could develop citizens of all classes with the humanist ideal-with the power of reason, sensitivity to beauty, and high moral character” (1992, p.
3).
In his book, The Kind of Schools We Need (1998) Eisner explored the concept of literacy, the different forms of literacy, and why they are important in creating an environment for all to learn. Literacy is more than knowing how to read. “…even when one’s conception of literacy is restricted to language, the forms language takes are quite diverse” (p. 10). For example, reading a novel in comparison to a textbook or a poem is a different experience. Each form of reading requires a different type of literacy. While they are all written words on a page, they are very different from one another and take a different form of thinking to interpret and comprehend.
Music is another example. It is said that if one can read music, one can learn any instrument. While this may be true, it does not mean that one can pick up a violin and play it perfectly the first time, when all one previously played was the piano. It takes a different form of musical literacy to learn how to play the violin.

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What we ought to be developing in our schools is not simply a narrow array of literacy skills limited to a restrictive range of meaning systems, but a spectrum of literacies that will enable students to participate in, enjoy, and find meaning in the conception of multiple literacies to serve as a vision of what our schools should seek to achieve. (Eisner, 1998, p. 12)
With this notion, a student can learn almost anything because, as Eisner wrote, “different forms of language make different forms of knowing possible” (1998, p. 11). Through teaching multiple forms of literacies students will be able to learn to the best of their ability and get the most out of what is being taught. No longer is teaching a narrow oneway road, but rather it is a mind-expanding highway. Eisner stated, “to argue that language is a necessary condition for cognition is to conclude that children cannot think until they are able to speak” (1998, p. 78). Children are learning about the world around them from the time they are born. They learn who their parents are, a schedule of feeding and nap times, names, smells, toys, pain. Kliebard was on the same thought process when he quoted C. W. Eliot's response: “we Americans habitually underestimate the capacity of pupils at almost every stage of education from the primary school to the university” (p. 3). Children are sponges for information. Their brains long for learning, and with the proper foundation, they are able to learn anything. “What I am getting at is a model of curriculum that exploits various forms of representation and that utilizes all of the senses to help students learn” (Eisner, 1998, p. 29).
One way to create an optimal learning environment is to integrate arts into the curriculum because it is the arts that show what one is thinking and where one’s thinking

is going. This, in turn, shows what kinds of meanings students are capable of creating
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(Eisner, 1998, p. 46). The arts would allow another form of literacy through which children can learn. The arts offer more than just learning information for an upcoming test. They allow information to be learned for a lifetime. As Eisner stated, “the arts are a most important means of celebrating thinking” (1998, p. 28).
Society puts a lot of pressure on schools to create the sort of people that will lead in the future. In order to create this type of person, the disposition to learn is a necessity.
With this disposition, a person will make a commitment to continually learn and better themselves, therefore, helping to better society. To foster this desire to learn, learning should be fun and celebrated. It should be accessible to everyone so they can meet their full potential. By providing learning through several avenues, or literacies, the opportunities to learn will occur. The desire to learn is the essential foundation for meaningful learning to take place.
Dance is Cross-Curricular
“If you know one subject very well, then you have a key to every other subject. If you know one language very well, you know structure, syntax, and grammar. With all that, you can quickly assimilate another language” (Hanna, 1999, p. 27). This statement made by Judith Hanna, an advocate for dance in education, mirrors Howard Gardner’s
Multiple Intelligences Theory. It is understood that if a student does particularly well in math, this student can use that knowledge to excel in science. If a student does well in science, then he or she can use that knowledge to help understand aspects of history. The same is true with Gardner’s bodily/kinesthetic intelligence. “Under Gardner’s theory of

multiple intelligences, the arts become a conduit for learning that permeates into the academic curriculum. This relationship between the arts and academic subjects expands
15 through the multiple intelligences that provide a variety of learning pathways for all students” (Kassing & Jay, 2003, p. 27). Creative movement, or dance, can help reinforce those academic subjects that are taught in the classroom. Movement games help students remember with their bodies things that their minds may not remember through lecture or reading. Hanna stated that dance enhances comprehension of academic subjects and that it can be applied to other areas of life as well (1999, p. 27). Philosopher John Dewey was a firm believer that children learned best by doing, and dance allows them to experience learning.
Early in the 20 th
century, philosopher John Dewey’s work was seminal to the development of dance education in academic settings. Although Dewey did not address dance directly, his prolific writings and teaching at Columbia University,
Teachers College were nonetheless, pivotal in preparing school systems to offer dance for all children. He believed that children learn by doing, that ‘action is the test of comprehension, and that physical health promotes mental activity.
Opposing the static, factory model of education requiring rote learning that had evolved, Dewey proposed child-centered education. (Hanna, 1999, p. 14)
Basically, Dewey promoted physical activity to aid in learning. He believed that if a child’s mental activity was at its prime, then the child would be able to learn more easily in comparison to a child who was not physically fit and, therefore, with a less active mental capacity. Dewey also promoted teaching to the child and how the child learns.

Children learn in several different ways. Through movement a child is able to learn by working through problems physically. Margaret H’Doubler is credited for starting the
16 first dance major at the University of Wisconsin in 1917 (Hanna, 1999). Her theories aligned very closely with those of John Dewey. Janice Ross, a member of the dance faculty at Stanford University argued that “Dewey’s philosophy of experience offered the ideal rationale, and at an extremely propitious moment, for dance in American education”
(2000, p. 123). H’Doubler took this theory of experience and structured her classroom after it. She did not create dances for her students, but let them create their own through a variety of exercises that forced them to explore their emotions, lives, and the world around them. She was greatly affected by Dewey and his concepts; they catapulted her ideas on dance education (Ross, 2000).
Education should be about more than just the “three R’s,” reading, writing, and arithmetic. In more recent times, a focus on these academic subjects has been more prominent than ever. “Often the education defined as ‘a preparation for life’ has been so interpreted as to make it no more than a means of bettering one’s economic condition”
(H’Doubler, 1985, p. 60). Being able to better one’s economic condition is an important aspect of education, but it cannot be education’s sole purpose. Preparing for life should incorporate all aspects of life, including, but not limited to, social, emotional, family, and economic aspects. Arts are one way to prepare children for the world around them.
“Education should be a building towards the integration of human capacities and powers resulting in well-adjusted, useful, balanced individuals” (H’Doubler, 1985, p. 60).

Simply sitting in a classroom and listening to a teacher lecture does not create a welladjusted, balanced individual; it creates a drone that can regurgitate information.
Each of Gardner’s multiple intelligences are like a language. Each language can help inform the next. Each language provides a way to acquire knowledge, and dance is
17 one of these languages. Dance is a form of language or communication, and communication is key to our society. “Dance requires the same underlying faculty in the brain for conceptualization, creativity, and memory as does verbal language in speaking and writing as well as in the nonverbal American Sign Language” (Hanna, 1999, p. 60).
It is important to foster the growth in these areas of education. If one cannot communicate, then they cannot become the well-adjusted and contributing member of society that education strives to create. “Dance practice involves mastering one’s body and developing its capacities for communication and movement, using its particular characteristics. Thus, dance in education is for everyone, not just for those with particular physiques or talent” (Brinson, 1991, p. 74). When using movement as a way to reinforce academic subjects, it is not important that the traditional dance technique such as ballet or jazz be perfect. Children can learn best by creating their own movement.
This is a way that everyone can learn from creative movement and dance.
Peter Brinson, who has written several books about dance, provided a list of how dance can be cross-curricular. His list included that dance helps develop communication skills, uses problem solving, develops active and independent learning, and reinforces language development (Brinson, 1991, p. 13). Language, reading, and comprehension are especially accommodating to dance as a way to reinforce learning. Susan Schroon, a

literary specialist, provided a list of movement activities in conjunction with specific books in her article, “Using Dance Experience and Drama in the Classroom.” When movement is used in the classroom, it can be a significant tool for developing literary behaviors (Schoon, 1997). Through dance and creative movement exercises, literary comprehension can be increased. Dance fosters cognitive skills. “Cognitions, the process of knowing, is part of intelligence. We know through language, and dance is languagelike. Literacy goes beyond verbal and numerical skills. Through physical
18 movement, we can make dances with concepts found in verbal language: words, sentences, phrases, and so on” (Hanna, 1999, p. 18). Just as Dewey believed that children learned by doing, a teacher can use this theory to help students increase their comprehension by acting out a story. Through this, the teacher will know what the children understood about the story and can use that as a gauge to teach the students further.
There are several programs that use dance and movement education to increase their students’ capacities to learn.
Learning to Read Through the Arts (LTRTA) began as a remedial program for underachieving youngsters in reading and writing in the second through seventh grades, then expanded to serve K-12. As evidenced by standardized test scores, academic achievement for most LTRTA students eliminates their need for reading services. (Hanna, 1999, p. 38)
It was a program developed for Title I schools in the 1990’s. This is one example of how children learn by doing, demonstrating that the arts do make a difference in their lives.

Not only does it provide the children with an avenue to learn, but also it has been proven
19 to provide the increased test scores that administrators are looking for.
ART HI is another program in Minnesota that uses the arts to reinforce education, emphasizing how the arts and academic subjects are interrelated (Hanna, 1999, p. 50).
“To foster cognitive development…students move from concrete nonverbal action to its abstract verbal symbol and vice versa. Symbols are intrinsic to verbal language and a range of images in dance and other media” (Hanna, 1999, p. 92). Creative movement, just like language, is a symbol for a story or emotion. It is another way that a child can convey what they know, as well as an important aspect in reinforcing literary and communication skills.
“The arts and sciences are two domains where vigorous and efficient thought is kept alive through precisely the means of discovery and thinking that Dewey outlined and that H’Doubler subscribed to so systematically” (Ross, 2000, p. 21). Dance is specifically about discovery, anatomy, and biology; therefore, it can closely be related to science. “It is a physical art within the science domains of anatomy, biomechanics, health, physiology, and physics. Dance can be experiential and academic at the same time” (Hanna, 1999, p. 36). Not only can dance reinforce other subjects, but also other subjects can reinforce the way we view and practice dance. Margaret H’ Doubler used the scientific method in her classroom as a way to create and test movement phrases. She would provide a prompt to create a dance and ask her students to hypothesize what might come out of the assignment. They would then create the phrase and reflect on it to see if their hypothesis was correct once they got to work. “The methodology of science always

informed her [H’Doubler’s] arguments about dance’s educational and humanistic validity” (Ross, 2000, p. 195). Since dance is a physical action, it is perfect to learn about one’s body. In learning the muscles and bones, a student can extend their arm and
20 know that it is the tricep muscle that allows this movement or that the radius is the bone that allows the rotation of the wrist. In one New Jersey kindergarten classroom, the children used dance and drama to learn about dinosaurs in their science curriculum. “For the final project, the pupils wrote and performed a play called ‘The Great Dinosaur
Mystery.’ Math, science, language arts, music, dance and drama were all part of the project” (Goodnough, 1996, p. 8).
There is no known culture that does not have a form of dance. When studying world history, geography, and anthropology, dance can help to foster an appreciation for people or other cultures. “The notion of studying the dances of other people carries with it obvious benefits for the study of geography as well as intercultural understanding”
(Brinson, 1991, p. 75). When used as a learning tool, “misconceptions can be corrected by teaching students about their history and helping students develop interpersonal skills through dance education” (Hanna, 1999, p. 142).
Dance is cross-curricular. It is language-like and can be used to reinforce several academic subjects. While dance is particularly suited to aid in the reinforcement of literature and language arts, dance is easily transferred to other academic subjects, such as science and history. Creative movement and dance is an activity that is all-inclusive for children. It allows them to get away from their desks, release energy, and actively

learn. Creative movement and dance allows everyone to participate without the discrimination between age, gender, or academic achievement.
Dance and Students’ Socio-Emotional Development
Social competence is defined as “the capacity for children to attain social goals,
21 engage effectively in complex interpersonal interaction, make and maintain friendships, gain entry to social groups and achieve peer acceptance” (Lobo, 2006, p. 501). Dance helps to provide all of these things. Through dance and creative movement children are able to learn skills such as teamwork, discipline, problem solving, and the disposition to learn. These skills will, in turn, allow children to become the successful, well-balanced individuals that the term “social competence” defines.
Arts activities in the classroom provide an additional avenue for learning. Dance, especially, is available to all classrooms because it only needs a person’s body. If teachers are able to incorporate the arts and dance into their classrooms, not only will they be able to help their students advance academically, but also advance on a social level as well. “Movement through dance can teach children how to manage different situations whether it is motor planning, problem solving, or social interactions” (Lorenzo-
Laza, 2007, p. 29). Children can learn valuable life skills through dance and creative movement. It can be the key to raising children that are well-rounded individuals because “dance education can prepare students with knowledge and life skills applicable to academic and lifelong learning, quality of life, and success in the world of workespecially, if teachers help students make the transfer of learning” (Hanna, 1999, p. 90).

Problem solving, lifelong learning, effective social interactions, and discipline are all important life skills present in a socially competent individual.
It [dance] serves all the ends of education-it helps to develop the body, to cultivate the love and appreciation of beauty, to stimulate the imagination and
22 challenge the intellect, to deepen and refine the emotional life, and to broaden the social capacities of the individual that he may at once profit from and serve the greater world without. (H’Doubler, 1925, p. 33)
Body language is a form of communication. The way a person stands, gestures when speaking, or the frequency in which eye contact is made with another person can portray so much more about a person than words alone can. Martha Graham was known for saying that “the body says what words cannot” (Hanna, 1999, p. 135). Not only is this true to the average individual, but “dance today is not only a powerful art form of many techniques and languages but also a means of expression and release for people with disabilities and the elderly as well as the young, an aid towards a better society”
(Brinson, 1991, p. 69). Dance is something that everyone can do. It is a way to communicate when common communication forms are not available, for example, the mental capacity to cultivate full sentences or speaking the same language as the next person. A case study done at George Mason University in 2006 suggested that “creative dance enhances children’s nonverbal expression of feelings and leads to increased cognitive and kinesthetic awareness and communication skills” (Lobo, 2006, p. 504).
The communication skills taught by dance and creative movement are vital to a child’s success in the classroom and society. When learning dance in a group setting, children

learn to be confident in themselves, accept others that may be different, and to work together. With strong communication skills that are fostered through dance education,
23 children are more likely to stand up for themselves in personal and social interactions.
Dance, as a form of communication, is very personal and individual. “A person’s dance movements appear to be at the core of his or her personal and group identity and feeling of belonging or alienation” (Hanna, 1999, p. 91). The way a person moves defines how they feel about themselves and their surroundings. Dance helps foster a positive self-image, which is important to being a socially competent individual. “Art supplies man with the means of intensifying feelings connected with all the varied activities of the soul, and also bestows an inward calm in which all strong emotions find relief” (H’Doubler, 1985, p. 11). Not only do art and dance intensify feelings, but also they allow for the exploration and better understanding of them.
Dance can help foster a positive image and positive self-esteem, especially when a student’s home life might not be ideal. It can provide a sense of community for those children that come from poorly functioning homes and neighborhoods (Hanna, 1999, p.
98). A student may not have positive role models in their lives or any positive reinforcement for their accomplishments. “Improved student self-esteem through success in dance studies in the school setting makes school a positive place…put simply: students realize through the arts that something can happen in places like the South Bronx where people think nothing can happen” (Hanna, 1999, p. 100). In places like the South
Bronx, where the poverty rate tends to be high and the education level tends to be low, it is a common misconception that no good can come from these areas. Dance gives

24 children hope and inspiration that they can achieve their goals, even something that might seem so simple to most such as graduating high school. Through dance, these goals and aspirations can be reached. Students can realize that they can do better for themselves than they may have previously thought. “To promote self expression and thereby gain insight, educators ask students to communicate feelings, thoughts, and ideas through dance. By projecting their problems in dance, children may work through some difficulties in their lives that impede their success in school” (Hanna, 1999, p. 99). The body is able to express what words cannot, and through dance children are able to work through issues that they may not be able to find words for. It forces them to be better communicators; therefore, they become more socially competent and positive people in society. “Youngsters can improve their self-esteem through dance by working on acceptance and appreciation for their bodies, feeling the kinesthetic joy of movement, making physical fitness a part of their lives, and feeling a sense of self-empowerment and satisfaction that comes with achievement” (Hanna, 1999, p. 99).
Dance is something that speaks to all ages and backgrounds. “Sensory awareness expands our access to the ways of the world, both inner and outer experience. Dance is multisensory” (Hanna, 1999, p. 13). It allows understanding on multiple levels. “If purpose, intent, cultural influence, aesthetics, and symbolism are integral to dance, then dance is surely more than physicality and emotion. The mind, that is, cognition, is at the helm” (Hanna, 1999, P. 11). One’s cognitive ability dictates how one feels and how one reacts to those feelings, as well as inform one about their surroundings. “Informal art practices such as youth dance help young people to make more sense of their lives in

25 ways not possible through traditional institutions ruled by established concepts of the arts
(Brinson, 1991, p. 14). Through dance children are able to make sense of the world around them. They are able to act out what they may not understand when presented verbally. “Through these [dance] experiences, children connect movement, sensation, and action to self-awareness, emotional response, social interaction, and cognitive focusing and attention” (Lorenzo-Laza, 2007, p. 27).
Not only can dance help children work through problems on a personal and emotional level, but it can also aid in problem solving on a larger scale.
“Choreographing a group dance with peers requires cooperation, attentive listening, clear communication or directions and corrections, scheduling of rehearsals, and beginning and ending on time” (Hanna, 1999, p. 97). While dance is important to improving selfesteem, so is teamwork. Dance teaches teamwork and respect for others. “Dance educators promote an understanding of organization, planning, and deferred gratification by providing instruction in the acquisition of a dance technique that requires understanding how foundational skills gradually permit more advanced ones and eventually lead to performance” (Hanna, 1999, p. 101). These foundational skills can be applied in many areas of life. Through cooperation, attentive listening, communication, organization, and planning, a person will be a better student, a more active member of society, and even a highly desired employee.
Writers on the economy repeatedly call attention to the need for workers to make independent decisions in the service industry. Dance educators assist in the development of independent adults capable of productively participating in and

26 contributing to society. To make and thus “own” a dance, for example, is a badge of independence. Presenting one’s dance to others forces one to recognize something previously unrecognized. It demonstrates to the maker the result of motivation, hard work, perseverance, self-reliance, responsibility, and learning through errors. Such characteristics are likely to transfer to other kinds of work and endeavors. (Hanna, 1999, p. 101)
Socially competent individuals are valued in the work place. Dance and creative movement foster the life skills that are important in this environment. These skills, such as teamwork, responsibility, discipline, and communication are essential to being a positive force.
On a social level of understanding, dance has a wide variety of forms based on where a certain style may originate. The cultural aspect of dance can be quite diverse; dance is one way to bridge the gap between cultures. “Learning dances of other cultures helps students to develop an understanding and respect for them” (Hanna, 1999, p. 33).
Cultural dances are all inclusive and of interest to many. In a time where tolerance and community building are so important, dance can help bridge the gap between people of different backgrounds. “A recent shift in dance education is toward a greater inclusion of world/ethnic forms to reflect the nations increasing cultural diversity and new social dance forms to attract young people” (Hanna, 1999, p. 54). Television shows such as “So
You Think You Can Dance” and “America’s Best Dance Crew” bring the diversity of dance into the homes of children. These shows are known and popularized by their ability to showcase many different styles of dance from forms of hip hop, and breaking,

27 to an Indian Bangor routine, salsa, tango, and even a Russian folk dance. Dance is cultural connection among everyone.
A study conducted by Youvanka B. Lobo and Adam Winsler performed at
George Mason University in 2006 asked whether participation in dance curriculum would lead to greater gains in social competence for the child participants and fewer behavior problems in relation to the children in the control group. The study specifically focused on preschool aged children in the Head Start program. The study found that children participating in the dance lessons had increased social competence versus those students in the control group that did not participate in the movement activities. “Children who participated in the twice-a-week, eight-week dance program made both significant gains in their social skills and significant reductions in their behavior problems over the course of the program, whereas the children not exposed to the dance program did not show much improvement” (Lobo, 2006, p. 512). This study is important to note because few other similar studies exist. One significant area of social competence that the children were able to improve was communication. Dance is a form of communication, and the study proved this. The children were able to share things emotionally and socially through dance; things that perhaps they had not been able to do or communicate in the regular classroom, especially with the significant language barriers present in their diverse classrooms. These factors, it seemed to the instructor, helped the children develop stronger self-images, selfconcepts, and self-esteem. In addition, as the dance classes progressed, the children were getting to know each other better. They were sharing the same

28 special experiences and challenges and this appeared to create bonds between them. (Lobo, 2006, p. 513)
This study showed that dance and creative movement are essential to raising socially competent children. It is especially important to note that these great leaps in the social competence of the children were done in preschool. Moreover, dance and creative movement can be used to enhance the lives of children of all ages. Learning the life skills that dance fosters such as teamwork, self esteem, a positive self-image, strong communication skills, problem solving, and the disposition to learn in order to become socially competent individuals is essential for children’s growth and development.
Conclusion
The arts in general are an important tool that can help foster life long learning and dance and creative movement is especially useful because it requires no outside resource.
With the disposition to learn, children will be able to become active, contributing, socially competent members of society. The arts are fundamental in creating a learning environment where all children can benefit.

Chapter 3
PROJECT
This Alternative Culminating Experience for a Master of Arts in Education:
Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Arts in Education follows Pathway III:
29
Teacher Researcher. In this narrative research project, a series of field texts were created through lesson plans, journals, and the author responding to a series of reflective questions. These field texts were created and used by the author as a way to track her own progress as a teacher. As researchers Cole and Knowles pointed out, "The researching process must ultimately be for the improvement of classroom practice"
(1999, p. 155). This chapter will document the process in which the project was completed. It is written in a narrative, and therefore, in the first person. Narrative has been used to relay information from one person to another for centuries. "Humans are storytelling organisms who, individually and socially, lead storied lives. Thus, the study of narrative is the study of the ways humans experience the world" (Clandinin &
Connelly, 1990).
Dance has always been a part of my life. I started by watching my mother take dance classes when I was too young to take them myself. When I was six years old, she put me into tap and jazz classes. I loved the classes and looked forward to them every week, continuing these classes until I was thirteen. Once I reached high school, I wanted to play soccer; but because of conflicting practice schedules, I had to choose. I chose soccer. After playing soccer for two years, I took the basic dance class that was offered

at my high school in place of physical education. At this point, I realized how much I
30 missed dancing.
After my two year hiatus, the beginning dance class I took at my high school was taught by Miss Paula Meeks. She exuded passion for dance and for teaching. Towards the end of my junior year, she became very sick and passed away. Although I wasn’t close to Miss Meeks, her love of the art form inspired me. The long-term substitute for her class was a heavy, middle aged man that had never danced a day in his life. Our class felt like it was a waste of time, and I was once again unsure if I wanted to continue dancing. Yet, when my junior year ended, I decided to sign up for the class again. This time our school hired a dance teacher who had just graduated from California State
University, Sacramento (CSUS). She was young and vibrant. Her love of the art form was not a long term respect of dance as Miss Meeks had, but a fresh outlook on what dance is and what it can be. These two women gave me new and different perspectives on dance. My interest in dance was reignited during these two years; I knew that I would continue dancing for the rest of my life.
When I applied to college at CSUS, I had trouble deciding what I wanted to major in as my interests varied widely. I decided the one thing that didn’t bore me was dance.
My first experience of the dance department at CSUS came during my senior year of high school, when I was encouraged to audition for the dance company at the university.
Although I did not make it, I was told I was really strong in the jazz routine but needed to improve in the modern routine that was taught at the audition. My next encounter with the dance department was when I enrolled in a ballet class. “If you haven’t taken at least

three years of ballet, then this is not the class for you,” said Nolan T’Sani, the ballet master. I had never taken ballet, but I had many years of jazz. Still, I felt discouraged
31 and dropped the class. I did not take any dance classes that semester. When I did take ballet, I acquired a love-hate relationship with it. I loved that it was precise and beautiful; the perfectionist side of my personality hated it. The intermediate and advanced levels of all dance classes required an audition to get in. Though I received a grade of A in beginning ballet, I took it for three semesters before I was accepted into the intermediate level class. Ballet frustrated me, but I enjoyed the hard work and the challenges it brought with it.
The first dance class at CSUS that I did take was a beginning modern dance class with Professor Paul Besaw. Modern dance was something completely new to me. It incorporated what I had already learned from my years of jazz dance in a new way. It wasn’t as restricted as I had been taught jazz dance could be. Lorelei Bayne, the main professor with whom I had classes, was from the east coast and had a very grounded sense of movement, both literally and figuratively. She focused on creating organic movement, rather than combining the traditional dance moves and styles that ballet and jazz emphasize. Dr. Linda Goodrich, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, holds an MFA in dance and a Ph. D. in English. The classes that I took with her were lecture classes on dance in different cultures and dance criticism. Through these classes I learned how to verbalize what my body was doing when dancing, and the intentions behind the movement. She also taught another layer of dance related knowledge. Her classes allowed me to talk about dance and movement in a scholarly way. Over the five

years it took to complete my degree, my thoughts, opinions, and knowledge of dance were cultivated. I performed in several dance concerts that allowed me put into action
32 what I was learning in the classroom. I valued this change from some of my academic classes that I knew I would never refer back to. What I learned through this program I knew would make me a better dancer, performer, and teacher. My college experience was brought together in my final semester through choreographing an eight-minute piece on seven female dancers that were my peers. It became the ultimate showcase of what I had learned in my classes. In May 2007, I received my degree in Theater Arts with an emphasis in Dance.
During my final semester of college I taught dance at a studio called “Get
Dancing” in Fair Oaks, CA. I taught tap, jazz, and video funk. I loved it. I really enjoyed working with the students and watching them grow as dancers. I realized I enjoyed sharing what I love, although I faced many challenges for multiple reasons. I began teaching after the term had already started, and I came in as a new teacher not knowing their routine, policies, or the skill level of the students. Another challenge was that I had not touched a pair of tap shoes for about ten years, yet I was asked to teach the intermediate tap class consisting of nine girls, ages eight to twelve. I was unfamiliar with the vocabulary associated with tap movements, and I feared that I had lost my technique over time. Through teaching this class, much of what I had learned as a child came back to me. I knew I had done something right over the three months I taught when the girl that was the most advanced, yet the most challenging to work with, cried when I told her
I would not be returning to teach after their summer showcase.

In the summer of 2007, just after graduation, I was asked to be an ensemble member in a musical theater production titled “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat.” This opened a new door of dance for me. It incorporated dance, which I
33 already loved, with acting and singing. Theater classes had been a part of the requirements for a dance major, and I enjoyed them but had never considered acting on any level. This gave me a new and exciting challenge, and I have gone on to do several more theatrical productions in the Sacramento area since.
I have always wanted to be a teacher. One of the best dance experiences I had was at the studio while teaching. Whenever playing “school” as a child, I always enjoyed being the teacher to my friends. In addition, I really liked school and always wanted to learn something new, because I got bored easily. I also had great teachers. Although I grew up in an area of poverty, my mom made sure to place my brother and me in a daycare that was located within a different school district. I remember really enjoying third grade, although I am not sure why. I really liked sixth grade because we were learning about world history. In conjunction with what we were learning in our books, we were allowed to show our creativity through art projects associated with the history lessons. In junior high and high school I was involved in Student Government and sports, which made school exciting. I am fortunate to have had teachers that made learning fun.
During my third year at CSUS, I took a class entitled "Creative Dance For
Children." The curriculum consisted of learning movement games for all ages. The movement lessons were created to be used in a classroom setting and involve all children,

34 regardless of previous dance training. For our final project, we were tasked with going to a school and teaching to children instead of our peers, as we had with previous lessons.
This is how I started to work with the Associated Students Incorporated Children's
Center. I taught movement lessons for a series of three classes with a group of students at the center. When considering project ideas for my Culminating Experience for my
Master's work, I knew I wanted to incorporate teaching. I had such a great experience at the Children's Center that I went back and spoke to their director about setting up a program for the Fall 2009 semester.
The Associated Students Incorporated Children's Center is an accredited facility by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs (NAEYC) located on the
California State University, Sacramento campus. "The Associated Students Inc Children's
Center is structured not as an institution but rather as an extension of the family - a support system existing in a home-oriented environment to meet a child's emotional, physical, intellectual and social growth needs. We consider ourselves a family support service, dedicated to nurturing healthy people."
(http://www.asi.csus.edu/children/index.asp).
There are eight different classrooms within the center. This project focuses on two of those classrooms. The first is called "La Casita" and is home to toddlers that are age two. The second classroom is "La Casa," and this is the preschool room with children ages three to five.
La Casita, the toddler room, is located towards the center right of the building as one enters. The teacher is a large Hispanic woman who exudes love for what she does.

The children consist fairly evenly of boys and girls and represent many different cultural
35 backgrounds. The room is divided in half by tile and carpet. On the carpet side there is an area to the left where the students each have a cubbyhole for their personal belongings.
This is the area in which I held my dance and creative movement lessons. Directly behind this area is a play area with many types of toys. There are cars, dinosaurs, farm animals, and several other play figures. On the right side of the carpeted section is a
"house" section with small plastic kitchen appliances, pretend food, and dolls. Next to this is a reading section with beanbags and chairs for the children to relax in, as well as a bookshelf full of books. The opposite side of the room has a tile floor where there are tables where the children make crafts, paint, or play with toys such as Legos. Water and sand tubs stand on this side of the room. The walls are colorful with student projects.
The theme for the Fall 2009 semester in this classroom was “The Body.” Paper dolls with eyes, hair, and clothes that the children drew covered one wall while the opposite wall had drawings of their families. Some sort of music always is playing in this room, whether as a background song or a small group of students and an assistant singing and dancing to "Bear Hunt."
La Casa is a large room with several different play areas. The teacher is a very tall Caucasian man with more patience than anyone I have known. When you walk in the door, directly to the right is the students’ cubbyhole area. In front of the cubbies is an area for “Rough N Tumble” play. This area is where I held our dance and creative movement classes. In the opposite corner is a Rock Band area where there is a small drum set, keyboard, guitars, and several other hand held instruments. A fish tank in the

room holds three fish. Two tables are for the children to play with toys such as building
36 blocks or Play-Doh. In the adjoining room, also occupied by La Casa, a reading area, more tables, and a "house" area are located. This semester La Casa was learning about machines and had created a Robot City on one wall. The other walls were covered in things that the students had created. In one area of this room was a large rug with rocks.
As a gathering activity, all the children would sit on a rock and sing a few songs before splitting into their various, chosen activities, including my dance and creative movement class.
I decided that I wanted to teach for my project. I was one of few students in the
Arts Cohort that did not teach full time. I want to make a career out of teaching, and the project was the perfect opportunity to get some guided experience in a classroom setting.
With my background knowledge of dance, I decided to teach dance and creative movement classes as a way to get more experience in teaching.
Before I could start teaching at the center, I needed the approval and cooperation of the center's staff. I met with Denise Wessels, who is the Children's Center director.
Together we decided that I would work in one of the La Casita classrooms and one of the
La Casa classrooms. By working in the two classrooms I would be able to compare the similarities and differences in teaching the different age groups. I was unable to start teaching until the third week of the semester due to classroom changes for the children.
The center has a policy that no observations or special activities can happen the first two weeks of school while the children are becoming acclimated to new classrooms, teachers, and peers. I was going to teach in La Casita on Tuesdays and La Casa on Thursdays.

The first week I went into the center, I observed the children in their classrooms. They
37 were excited to show me around and have me play with them on the jungle gyms they have outside. La Casa was a much more interactive student body than the La Casita classroom.
When creating my lessons, I did a lot of research on the Internet about movement games in a preschool setting. I was surprised that a lot of what I found was designed for grades first through sixth since pre-scholars are still learning motor function. I also spoke with the teachers and learned that they do a lot of singing and movement in their classrooms already. I decided that for my first lesson in La Casita I would just get to know the children, and we would do some fun songs that have predetermined movements to go with the lyrics. I chose "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and "The Chicken
Dance" for my first class in La Casita. My lessons were scheduled while the children had outside time. The teacher chose a small group of students to participate. My first lesson,
I had four girls, and the teacher came in too. We went through each dance twice before I was informed that they had to go back outside. The class only lasted for ten minutes.
Three of the girls were quiet and reserved. Only one fully participated. Their full time teacher also participated, and I think having her there did not help. She interjected a lot and guided the children more than I wanted. They were also distracted by the fact that the rest of their friends were outside playing.
For my second lesson, I played an instrumental, upbeat song and asked them to dance however they wanted as a warm-up. At first they were really unresponsive, but finally one of the girls started jumping around. After this first song, we reviewed the

"Chicken Dance" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." One girl remembered the
38
"Chicken Dance" and danced it with me. I was learning their likes and dislikes. After this second class, I spoke with their teacher about options for other times I could come in.
During these first two lessons, the children were shy because they were being taken away from their classmates outside to participate in these classes. The teacher and I decided that I would come in an hour later during their indoor activity time. This way the children that wanted to participate in my dance and creative movement classes could, and the rest of the children could play in other areas of the room. Indoor activity time was also the time in which I was teaching in the older classroom, and it seemed to be more effective.
The third week is when I started to come in at the later time. During this time there were several activities going on at once and my lessons were one option that the children had. This helped the children to relax some, and if they decided they did not want to participate, they could go play in another area of the room. Very quickly there was a lot of interest from other children that had not been previously invited by the teacher to participate. In previous conversations with the teacher, I was informed that the children really liked the song "Bear Hunt." I did research to learn the moves associated with the lyrics, but assumed that the children would know them. When I asked what movements went to each phrase, the children just stared at me. When I did the movements with the music, they followed along. I was beginning to realize that even with repetition, that at two years old they are still just mimicking what they see and only beginning to memorize things. I also learned that the children are really inspired by

music. The participating group would come and follow along while the music was playing, but would wander away to other activities while the music was off. At the end
39 of this lesson, I came to the conclusion that the lessons for this younger class would not be as structured as I had originally planned. Their attention span is short, so I decided that we would do a warm-up song each day, followed by the lesson.
The next couple of lessons did not go as well as hoped. They did not want to participate in the lessons I had created. I was still trying out things with this group to figure out which lessons and activities would be most appropriate and well received by the students. I had tried to teach a choreographed dance that they did not understand to
“Monster Mash.” The children did not understand why we were doing certain movements, nor did they remember them at all.
Finally, on our sixth lesson I had found what worked for the children in this classroom. From here on, all of the songs that we used in our classes were either instrumental or had movements previously associated with the lyrics of the song. In this lesson particularly, I added props of paper streamers for the children to dance with. We shook them fast and slow, made circles and different shapes with them. The children really liked this part of the lesson. I was even surprised when one child asked to do the monster song, because in the two previous lessons no one showed any interest in it.
Throughout the rest of the semester I would mainly let the children pick the songs that we would dance to for our warm-ups. I still tried to do something different with them for each activity, and I was able to successfully introduce a new song and game that the children were somewhat familiar with. The song was “The Wheels on the Bus,” and

the game was “Red Light, Green Light.” The children would be really interested in the
40 songs for a minute then get distracted by other things going on in the room around them.
My last lesson with this class was on December 8, 2009. I knew it was going to be the last lesson, so I had a list of our songs that we had done over the semester, and they got to choose which songs we danced to. My last encounter with this class was the Tuesday of finals week. The schedules that the children were on were different from their normal routines, so we decided that a dance class would not be a good idea. I took the children stickers and crayons on this day, and I played with them during their activities.
To create my first lesson for the La Casa classroom, I took my lesson from La
Casita and expanded on it. My intent was to create my lessons this way for the whole semester, as a basis to record the differences in teaching the two age groups. The children knew "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" pretty well and were able to learn the
"Chicken Dance" fairly quickly. I learned that children are very literal in their view of things. When I was teaching the "Chicken Dance," I explained that there were four moves and each move was done four times. When asking what came next, they responded that five came next. With this group I was also able to incorporate some basic dance technique, such as a plié, but, as with the younger group, they tended to wander when music was not playing.
The second week we repeated the same songs and incorporated some more dance technique. I also decided to try to incorporate opposites with this lesson, as I had tried with my younger class. This class was significantly more advanced. Not only could they

tell me and show me what opposites were, but after I gave them a few movement combinations, they were able to create their own using the idea of opposites.
“Purple People Eater” was a song that I choreographed as a dance for this class for the third week lesson. The children were really excited about this dance. Some of
41 them were vaguely familiar with the song. I only choreographed the first verse and chorus for this lesson, thinking that it would take the whole thirty-minute time slot. The children learned this dance really quickly. Over the next few weeks I would add onto the dance. My goal was to finish it just before Halloween, but on October 29, the children were really distracted. In talking to the teacher, they were really excited for Halloween that weekend and had been full of energy all week long.
Throughout this class, I was always able to finish my lessons and many times let the children choose songs to dance to. In order to make this class more of a challenge, I would take songs they already knew and change the choreography. For example, on
November 19, we danced to “The Wheels on the Bus.” Instead of doing the traditional hand movements while sitting down, we created movements using our whole bodies that were associated with the lyrics. I also brought in a song called “Sambalele” that the children did not know and tried to choreograph to it. The children didn’t like the song and kept requesting “Purple People Eater,” even though we had already finished that dance.
On my final lesson with this class, I introduced a new game. I did not know that it was going to be our final lesson and was only able to get through half of the activity, but they really enjoyed it anyway. We played a game where we created a machine. For

this part of the lesson we just practiced in a circle moving one at a time like parts of a
42 machine. Then we also went through some of their favorite songs from the semester.
The last two weeks of the semester I went into the classroom but did not teach movement lessons. In the first of these two weeks, Santa Claus was visiting the bookstore on campus and reading to the children. I went with the class to this event and spent time with the children while they listened to Santa read If You Feed A Mouse A
Cookie . During the week of finals I was scheduled to go in the room and play with the kids. When I got there, the class was on a field trip, so I did not really get to say goodbye.
My previous background in dance gave me an advantage when teaching. I was able to go into the classrooms and be flexible with my lessons. Through a narrative approach to recording this project, I was able to go back and understand how I was feeling during my classes. This was significant in helping me to gauge my success at becoming a better teacher by being exposed to more classroom situations. The dance and creative movement lessons that I taught to the classes were well received by the teachers, students, and parents of the center.

Chapter 4
REFLECTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
I feel that I grew as a teacher during the course of completing this project by being in the classroom and interacting with students. I witnessed the way the children
43 acted in their comfortable environments, and I was able to observe the veteran teachers in their environments to see how they handled different situations.
Through the creation of lesson plans and my research, I learned how to implement appropriate movement activities. While only being in each room once a week was difficult, I feel that towards the middle of the semester, I was able to create conditions where the kids were interested and excited about what we were doing and were learning new things.
When I began, I didn't realize the wide range of social interaction the children would have when they are all so close in age. I was very surprised to find that my younger class could not remember anything from previous lessons while my older class remembered almost everything. This developmental difference interested me. It made lesson planning for the younger group difficult, because I didn't feel as if I were really teaching them. I felt as if I were just having them follow along with me for a fun activity.
I wanted to incorporate a more structured lesson into my classes, but found it challenging to do with the younger group. Yet, since the theme of the room was the body, I was able to easily incorporate that into my classes with songs such as "Head, Shoulders, Knees and
Toes."

With my classes only happening once a week, I knew that teaching specific material would be a challenge. For my younger class it was more of a challenge than I
44 had anticipated. After speaking with their teacher after each class for the first few weeks,
I finally came to the conclusion that for this group, I would just play the songs, and they could follow along. After doing this for a few lessons, I went back to my research to come up with some games that I could incorporate. I was able to play the new games with them, but it was interesting to see which students were interested in the games and not the dances, or vice versa. The class dynamic would change based on which activity or song we were doing. I felt I was learning a lot in regards to interacting with children of that age and figuring out where their level of learning was. However, I felt they were not getting the benefits from the dance and creative movement lessons that I had hoped for. I didn’t feel I could really teach this class because they were not getting the necessary repetition needed.
I did learn a lot when teaching the younger class. I learned that a toddler is very hard to persuade to do something they don’t want to do. In speaking with the full time teacher in the room, she said that I was doing a great job in learning how to work with the students, even though I felt frustrated for the first five weeks. Her advice to me was to just keep pushing through with my lessons and that the children would become more comfortable the more they saw me. The repetition would breed familiarity with me and with the songs and dances. I did notice this to be true as the semester went on. The more the children saw me in their classroom, the more they participated. She informed me that children at that age need daily repetition in order to learn. In the context of my project,

this was difficult, because I was only in the classroom for about twenty minutes once a
45 week.
The older class really surprised me at how advanced they were. With them I found it difficult to balance the right amount of activity with new material. The children would get bored of things they had already done, yet at the same time, not remember the older material. I was excited when I could teach them new things and they would understand. They were much more interactive with me than the younger group was.
They would be excited every week to tell me about new things they had experienced or to show me the art they had made for the walls. In the younger class, only a few students would interact with me while the others often just stared at me. I think they did this because they still were trying to figure out who I was and how to make sense of me.
This culminating experience provided me with some classroom experiences, which were invaluable and awakened me to developmental differences. However, I feel that I did not get enough varied situations throughout the semester. I only had nine sessions with each group and the children had fun while I was there. I had very few behavioral issues, because if a child did not want to participate, there were always other activities going on in the room they could join. Also, the full time teacher would always intercede if a child started to get upset, often without giving me a chance to try to solve the problems myself. As a part of my experience working with children, I wanted to handle these situations. They were few and far between but it is a part of teaching. I felt very much like a guest in the classrooms. If I had gone into a room and taught an academic subject or tutored, I would have had a completely different experience. While I

struggled at times with creating appropriate lessons, I really enjoyed my time working
46 with the children. I know that for a traditional classroom teacher, there are more challenges than I encountered.
Looking back over the semester, I had the unrealistic idea that I would get the experience needed to become a classroom teacher. I am not sure that I knew what this expectation would entail. I think that I just expected that all of a sudden I would gain knowledge by simply being in the rooms. I realize now that the more experience I get in a classroom, the more comfortable I will feel in one. Repetition will help me learn, as it did with the children.
It was challenging to get the teachers to give me concrete feedback. I would talk with the teachers after each class, and they would tell me how much fun the children were having in my lessons. It was hard to get a knowledgeable person’s opinion on which I could compare to my own thoughts on my teaching. To get a thorough and specific evaluation was more of a challenge. My intention was to get a formal evaluation at the middle of the semester and one at the end from each teacher. After several requests, I finally received one from the La Casita teacher at the end of the semester. Her evaluation was that I was very patient with the children, and I was very flexible with my lessons. She did not provide any constructive criticism for me to use in becoming a better teacher.
Recommendations
The research shows that dance and creative movement offers a wide variety of incentives for students, teachers, and communities as a whole. I think that schools should

incorporate creative movement into their lessons. Lessons with movement included provide experiences that children will remember; and therefore learn from. Movement
47 added into a lesson requires the full participation and focus by the students.
Teachers should learn how to integrate movement in their lessons. This does not mean that they need to learn "how to dance." It is the creative movement that the children come up with themselves that they will benefit the most from.
This project was designed so I could become a better teacher. Some recommendations I have for myself or other perspective teachers would be to get concrete feedback from their classroom teachers. One suggestion would be to create specific surveys for the teachers to complete. Another would be to check on whether or not the teacher has been a mentor teacher before. They should know how to give constructive criticism. In addition to this, specific meetings between the visiting instructor and the classroom teacher should be set up to create lessons more attuned to what the class is learning. Touching base after each lesson around the children is not sufficient.
In older classrooms, student feedback would be helpful in tracking what they are learning from the dance and creative movement lessons.
Daily arts experiences in the classroom are essential to providing multiple learning avenues for students. It taps into all of the senses providing multi-sensory learning. These experiences are vital to a student's growth as an individual both academically and outside of the classroom.

48
Conclusion
This experience, in conjunction with my research, allowed for creative movement to be incorporated into the lessons in each of my classes. Through research, it is known that movement provides experiences that children remember. This understanding is a resource for teachers everywhere because all that is required is some physical space and a prepared teacher who is willing to incorporate dance and creative movement.
Dance and creative movement are also important catalysts for social and emotional development. Through these movement activities, children learn teamwork, increase their self image, and become socially competent members of society. It is a way to reach out to students of all learning types.
Through teaching at the Children’s Center, I was able to learn about being a teacher and gain further experience in the area of education. It was an invaluable experience that I have grown from as an educator. While I feel like I could have learned even more, I do feel more equipped to go into a classroom setting. Overall, I learned that dance and creative movement are important aspects of learning and can only enhance the learning experiences of a student.

APPENDICES
49

APPENDIX A
La Casita Lesson Plans and Reflections
50

51
Date: 9/22/09
OBJECTIVE: I will get to know student names and know their level of dance
VAPA STANDARD: 1.2-imitate movement they see
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes;” Some really basic stretches
TECHNIQUE: Plié, Relevé
ACTIVITY: “The Chicken Dance.” Count to 4, body parts
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: sitting and stretching
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
There was some participation from the children during both songs.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
I think that I taught too much at once. I tried to repeat things but they weren’t remembering, they just followed along. The kids were really shy as well. I was unable to do everything on my lesson plan. I had practiced the “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” dance but kept forgetting it as I was trying to do it.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
One girl kept saying that she didn’t want to dance. The full time teacher kept interjecting and trying to lead the children during the dancing.
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
Because the teacher was in the room with us, she kept the children focused on the lesson so I didn’t have to.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
I think that I overestimated their motor skills and memory. I previously knew one of the students and didn’t realize how advanced she is for her age group.

Date: 9/29/09
OBJECTIVE: To become more comfortable with the class and incorporate opposite movements
VAPA STANDARD: 1.2-imitate movement they see; 1.3-Respond in movement to the
52 basic concept of opposites; 1.4-Name basic movement opposites
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes;” “Chicken Dance”
TECHNIQUE: Plié, Relevé
ACTIVITY: "Mexican Hat Dance" Opposites-big/small, high/low, hot/cold, happy/sad, fast/slow
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Sitting and Stretching
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
I was able to incorporate the idea of opposites and the children were able to follow along.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
I wasn’t able to get through the lesson again. I was able to add a little more than the first lesson though. They didn't really understand what opposites were and were not able to give me any examples.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
The teacher was there and she interjected when a child did not want to participate.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
Due to their short attention span at this age, I think the lessons will have to be just a warm up and an activity. I don’t think I will really be able to include any dance technique because they are just too young.

53
Date: 10/06/09
OBJECTIVE: To start teaching a choreographed dance
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement they see
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Bear Hunt”
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: “Monster Mash” 5 moves-spin, jump, twist, tippie toes (relevé), bend knees
(plié)
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of the three songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
The students really enjoyed “Monster Mash.” They were really excited about the song and followed along to the movements really well
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
The students requested “Bear Hunt” and this is what I brought in for a warm-up song. They did not participate at all. They just sat and looked at me.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
When a child didn't want to participate I was able to tell them that they didn't have to and that they could go play in other areas of the room. I also let them know that they could come back if they wanted.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
The class time changed and it works better because the children can decide if they want to participate or not and I can be with them longer if they are in to the lesson

Date: 10/13/09
OBJECTIVE: To work on the choreographed dance started in the last lesson.
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement they see
54
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: “Monster Mash”
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of the three songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
The warm up song being interchangeable was good because I had planned on doing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” but they wanted to do the
“Chicken Dance” instead and that was easy to change.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
The children did not want to participate at all. The teachers assistant kept interrupting the children that were interested in participating by coming to check diapers, make restroom runs, and to do little things like wash their hands.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
“That is teachers toy” when one of the children wanted to play with the radio.
“If you are going to dance with us, then you have to stay on this side of the cord.”
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
When the child was playing with the radio cord, I had tell her to not to do that. She listened for a minute then went right back to playing with the cord. As I was telling her that if she played with it again she would need to go play in another area of the room, one of the aides interjected.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
This lesson was pretty much a bust. No one wanted to dance so I was able to cut my lesson short and interact with the children while they played in other areas of the classroom. When the aid stepped in to help with the child playing with the cord, I was a little upset about it. I was doing the

55 same thing that she did but was not able to finish because of her interruption. I feel like I needed the experience in this event to learn how to keep the focus of my students.

56
Date: 10/27/09
OBJECTIVE: Incorporate body parts into the lesson and continue with “Monster Mash.”
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement they see; 1.3-Respond in movement to the basic concepts of opposites.
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Mexican Hat Dance”-shake body parts: hands, fingers, toes, head, knees, etc. Include opposites such as fast/slow, high/low.
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: “Monster Mash” have the children include their favorite animal movements to the song they are already familiar with.
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of one of the three songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
The children are learning body parts in their classroom and they were really receptive to the warm up which involved shaking individual body parts.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
Because they didn’t get the choreography very well for “Monster Mash” the week before, I decided to have them come up with their own movements such as their favorite animals. While they liked the idea, they still followed what I was doing.
I noticed that multitasking with the children IS hard. A few kids wanted their sweaters off or shoes, and while helping them I was pulled away from the children dancing and then they would lose interest.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
Child: “My monster is scary!”
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
While in the room, the children would ask me about anything.
During class, children playing in a different area of the room came to me to say that one of their friends weren’t sharing. “Use your words.”

Date: 11/03/09
OBJECTIVE: Review opposites, introduce new song and props
VAPA STANDARD: 1.2-Imitate movement they see; 1.3-Respond in movement to the basic concepts of opposites; 2.2-Respond to visual and sound stimuli with original
57 movement
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Mexican Hat Dance”
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: Introduce new song-“Animal Action” and dance with streamers using opposite movements and different instrumental songs
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of one of the songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
The children were really excited about adding the streamers to their dancing. More participated in this class than in any classes previously.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
Using “Mexican Hat Dance” as a warm up did not work too well. Even though the music is fun and upbeat they were not really excited about the lesson at first. I also underestimated the level of participation and did not bring enough streamers. The children had to share.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
I had to set guidelines for the use of the streamers because they were made from paper. It was important to tell the children that they were not to hit their friends with the streamers and that they needed to share as well.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
The children were really good at sharing. I was not sure how this age group would handle it.

Date: 11/10/09
OBJECTIVE: Review moving body parts is isolation
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement they see; 2.2-Respond to visual and sound stimuli with original movement
58
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Mexican Hat Dance”-shaking different body parts and have the children choose which part they want to shake
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: Skipping, galloping, jumping, and hopping to an instrumental song.
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of one of the songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
There was a lot of participation for the children today and a few who had never participated before
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
The students did not know how to skip or gallop. This surprised me and I had a difficult time trying to explain how to do each move. They tried to follow along but were not able to skip at all and only a few were able to gallop.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
Child 1: “I want the monster, I want the monster.” He really liked the
“Monster Mash.”
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
I used a lot of high fives today for the children doing such a great job during our dancing.
Towards the end of the class, two of the children started screaming at each other and I had to separate them on different sides of our dancing area.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
It surprised me that the children requested the “Monster Mash.” When I suggested it they were not really into participating.

Date: 12/01/09
OBJECTIVE: Introduce new warm-up song and game
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement they see; 2.2-Respond to visual and sound stimuli with original movement
59
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Wheels on the Bus” with traditional hand movements.
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: “Red Light, Green Light” Moving fast, slow, and freezing in place
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of one of the songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
They loved our version or Red Light, Green Light. I had them stay in place and move to upbeat music in place of running across the room.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
Everyone started out really shy today and did not want to do “Wheels on the Bus” which was the warm up.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
In order for the children to participate in the game they needed to understand that their movement was in place. If they started to run, as
“Red Light, Green Light” is normally played then they would not be able to participate. I only had to warn one child once.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
It still surprises me how some of the children are so much more advanced in their motor skills and social skills in comparison to their peers that are the same age.

60
Date: 12/08/09
OBJECTIVE: Last class, review everything
VAPA STANDARD: 1.2-Imitate movement they see
OPENING/WARM-UP:
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: Go through all of the songs that we have done over the last semester
CLOSING/COOL DOWN:
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
I knew that since this was my last time with this group that it would consist of mostly their choices for dance songs. They really liked getting to pick which songs we did and we almost went through my entire song list today.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
They were not really into “Red Light, Green Light” today like they were last week.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
Two of the girls kept playing with the cord that plugged in our radio. I had to tell them to be on one side of the cord or they could no longer dance with us for the day.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
They were so excited when I came in that they wouldn’t wait for me to get set up before coming over and making song requests.

APPENDIX B
La Casa Lesson Plans and Reflections
61

Date: 9/24/09
OBJECTIVE: I will get to know student names and know their level of dance
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-imitate movement they see
62
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes;” Some really basic stretches
TECHNIQUE: Plié, Relevé
ACTIVITY: “The Chicken Dance.” Count to 4, body parts
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Sitting and Stretching
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
I was able to touch on my whole lesson plan. The children were really receptive to what I asked them to do.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
The lesson did not include enough activity. We completed the whole lesson really fast.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
They kept trying to show me stuff like their art on the walls and characters on their shirts. They are very literal in their thought process.
Me: 1,2,3,4, what comes next
Child: 5!
I was asking what movement came next.
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
When the children were getting distracted and wanting to show me things
I would tell them that they could show me after we did the dance one time.
Then I would let them show me the picture they drew on the wall. If they didn’t want to do something I told them they didn’t have to do it, they could just watch.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
I thought the class went really well, even though it went a lot quicker than
I had anticipated. This class is going to be a lot of fun to work with because they seem to be willing to fully participate.

63
Date: 10/01/09
OBJECTIVE: To become more comfortable with the class and incorporate opposite movements
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.3-Respond in movement to the basic concepts of opposites; 1.4-Name basic movement opposites
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes;” “Chicken Dance”
TECHNIQUE: Plié, Relevé-teach with proper ballet terminology
ACTIVITY: Opposites-big/small, high/low, hot/cold, happy/sad, fast/slow; have the children come up with their own
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Sitting and Stretching; review technique terminology
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
I think that all of it went well. When we reviewed the previous lesson, the children remembered what we did.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
It was shorter than I had planned again.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
I noticed that the teachers and staff refer to the children’s classmates as their “friends.” I started to use it today.
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
The children seemed really excited to participate and they love being able to be a part of creating their activity as they were when I asked them to come up with some opposite movements we could do as a group.

Date: 10/08/09
OBJECTIVE: To start teaching a choreographed dance
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement they see; 2.1-Create movements that reflect a variety of daily tasks and activities
64
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Bear Hunt”
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: “Purple People Eater” Teach choreography to first verse and chorus, have the children include their favorite dance move.
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of the three songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
Was able to get through the whole lesson and the children really liked the
"Purple People Eater" song.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
It went a lot faster than I thought it would. They learned the choreography pretty quickly then got bored with it when we repeated it several times for memory purposes.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
Child: I thought we were going to do our favorite dance moves?
They remember everything and remind me of things when I forget them.
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
I was surprised that the children remembered a lot of what we did from the previous lesson. I was also really surprised at how quickly they learned the dance as well. They could even do it without my by the end of the lesson.

Date: 10/15/09
OBJECTIVE: To work on the choreographed dance started in the last lesson.
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement they see; 2.1-Create movements that reflect a variety of daily tasks and activities
OPENING/WARM-UP: Class choice of one of the three songs we have done so far.
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: “Purple People Eater” Continue choreography and have the children include their own ‘strange’ movement.
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of one of the three songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
When I told them that I wanted to insert their favorite dance movements into the dance, they were really excited to be a part of the creation in addition to learning the choreography.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
Trying to get their favorite dance moves took too long and some of the children started to wander away.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
“Why do we have to shake our booty?” One girl asks while we are doing the “Chicken Dance”
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
They have a rug in the area that our classes are held. In order to keep our group together I have them always stand on this rug.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
Sometimes the “Chicken Dance” repeats itself too many times where the children get bored before the song is done.
65

Date: 10/22/09
OBJECTIVE: To work on the choreographed dance started in the last lesson.
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement they see; 2.1-Create movements that reflect a variety of daily tasks and activities
66
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Mexican Hat Dance”
TECHNIQUE: Tendu, Relevé, Plié
ACTIVITY: “Purple People Eater” Continue choreography and have the children include their favorite instrument movement.
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of one of the three songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
They really liked shaking different body parts during the warm up and being able to pick which body part we were shaking.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
They were all so excited to work on “Purple People Eater” that they didn’t focus very well on the warm up technique.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
Me “Who wants to know what a Purple People Eater looks like?”
Children: “ME!”
One Child: “He’s cute!”
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
With the energy that the children had today, being flexible with what we were doing was important to keep their focus.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
They really enjoy when they have say in what happens in the lesson.

67
Date: 10/29/09
OBJECTIVE: Incorporate body parts into the lesson and continue with “Monster Mash.”
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement they see
OPENING/WARM-UP: Class choice of one of the songs we have already done
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: “Purple People Eater” Finish the dance
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of one of the songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
There wasn’t anything in my lesson that didn’t particularly work well, but the children were really distracted and wanting to ask a lot of questions that were not related to the dance or our songs.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
Child 1: “I don’t wanna do ‘bear hunt’”
Me: “That is ok, you can go play with something else and then join us when we start working on our dance.”
While we were finishing “Purple People Eater”
Child 2: “Can we do another song?”
Me: “We are going to finish this song today but we will do another song next time.”
Towards the end of the lesson
Me: “Looks like we lost everybody.”
Teacher: “I guess.” And then he went on to explain how much distracted energy the kids had because they knew Halloween was coming up.
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
Today they had snack later than normal so I waited for them to finish before I could start my lesson. As each child finished they would come

over to our dance area and patiently wait. While they waited patiently in the beginning, they were very distracted throughout the rest of the lesson.
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Date: 11/12/09
OBJECTIVE: Introduce props
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1; move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement
69 they see; 1.3-Respond in movement to the basic concepts of opposites; 2.2-Respond to visual and sound stimuli with original movement
OPENING/WARM-UP: Shake different body parts to instrumental songs
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: Dance with paper ribbons to a variety of instrumental songs and have the children move with the song. Also include opposites and shapes.
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of one of the songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
The children really liked making different shapes with the ribbons. They made shapes in the air and worked together to make shapes on the ground and dance around them.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
They all wanted to do “Purple People Eater” even though we had finished it the week before.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
Me: “without kicking anyone, swing your legs”
Child: “I wanna do “Purple People Eater. Can we do that one? I don’t wanna do this one.”
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
I brought in paper ribbons and we had to come up with some rules so they didn’t get paper cuts. We came up with spreading out and not hitting our friends with our ribbons.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
They wanted to do “The Wheels on the Bus” so I will have to bring it to the next class which is perfect because the theme for this class is machines.

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Date: 11/19/09
OBJECTIVE: Introduce new warm-up song and start teaching new choreographed dance
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement they see; 3.1-Name and play children's dance games from countries around the world.
OPENING/WARM-UP: “Wheels on the Bus” Instead of traditional hand movements, create whole body movements.
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: Introduce and teach first verse of “Sambalele.”
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of one of the songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
The children really liked using their whole bodies for “Wheels on the Bus” instead of the standard hand motions that are associated with the song.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
The children weren’t very interested in “Sambalele” which was the new song I was going to teach for the rest of our lessons. So we returned to
“Purple People Eater” which the children were really excited about.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
Child 1: Teacher, I can’t jump up and down
Me: Okay, then just lift your arms really high on that part.
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?
This classroom is very specific on what things are in certain areas. One of the boys brought over a toy car to our dance area and the teacher promptly came over and had him take it back to the table it was on and decide if he wanted to play with the cars or dance.
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
Typically I have several more boys than girls participating in my classes but today there were more girls than boys. I put snapping in the choreography for “Sambalele” without realizing that they couldn’t snap.
So I added a quick little snapping lesson.

Date: 12/03/09
OBJECTIVE: Introduce new game
VAPA STANDARD: 1.1-Move in a variety of directed ways; 1.2-Imitate movement they see; 2.2-Respond to visual and sound stimuli with original movement
71
OPENING/WARM-UP: Class choice from songs we have done so far
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: Robot Machine-each child gets 3 counts to move, one at a time, while holding hands in circle
CLOSING/COOL DOWN: Class choice of one of the songs we have done so far
Daily Lesson Reflection
1.
What part of your lesson plan worked really well today?
The children really liked the machine that we made with our circle, although they had difficulty with the concept of only one person moving at a time. They kept talking about what machines did like clean and make heat. They also wanted to show me their machine city that they had created on the walls. This was one of the first times their class theme had been incorporated into my classes.
2.
What part of the lesson plan did not work well and why?
It took me awhile to explain our machine game in a way they understood it.
3.
What was some of the dialogue between the students, teacher, and the full time teacher at the center?
During “Bear Hunt” one child kept asking questions about what the different things in the song were
Child 1: What’s Hay Fever?
Me: Hay fever is when you get sick during the summer
Child 1: What’s a swamp?
Me: A swamp is like a very muddy lake
Child 1: What’s a campfire?
Me: A campfire is a fire outside but this fire is in a pit, like a small hole in the ground.
4.
What classroom management tools were necessary for today?

72
5.
Provide any other observations or reflections about today’s class.
The children weren't too sure about our machine game when I first started explaining it. Once I was able to show them what I was trying to say, they understood and had a lot of fun participating and coming up with different types of machines they could be.

73
Date: 12/10/09
OBJECTIVE: Last class, review everything and finish robot machine activity
VAPA STANDARD: 1.2-Imitate movement they see
OPENING/WARM-UP: Go through songs that we have done over the semester
TECHNIQUE: None
ACTIVITY: 2 nd
part of Robot Machine-have children build machine by connecting body parts and moving one at a time causing a reaction (in small 3-4 person groups)
CLOSING/COOL DOWN:
Daily Lesson Reflection
I did not get to do my lesson today because we went to see Santa Clause in the bookstore. I was looking forward to adding more to our previous lesson and seeing what sort of imaginative machines the children would come up with. I went with the class to the bookstore and sat with them while they listed to Santa read a book. They were mesmerized. A few of the children asked if I was going to come back and do dance class after their trip to the library. I had to explain to them that I would be back next week to hang out but I wasn't sure if we would be able to dance.

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