Managing Creative Movement in the Classroom by Harlan Brownlee

Arts educator Harlan Brownlee offers tips for managing student movement activities in your classroom.

The use of movement in the classroom can be challenging for many teachers. Unstructured movement activities can become chaotic and uncontrollable. This How-To offers a method for managing movement in the classroom. To use movement as a vehicle for instruction, you must acquaint students with movement concepts before integrating or introducing concepts in other subject areas.

These strategies will help you structure a lesson effectively:

• Define expectations. Let the students know that you expect them to work and behave with the discipline of a dancer. Dance class is a time to focus and work with the body. Be clear that you expect the students to use and remember the "space bubble," one's personal space. Be sure to communicate the rewards and consequences for students' behavior.
• Prepare the room. Because a gym or large space may not available, the movement lesson may need to take place in the classroom. Establish a routine for preparing the space (i.e., putting all the desks to the sides of the room and getting the desks back in place at the end of the lesson). Have the children rehearse and memorize the procedure.
• Cues. The more aural and visual cues you can provide for students, the better. Try to use a variety of visual cues and sounds. For example, you can use handclaps, a tambourine, a drum, an electronic keyboard, or any other number of percussive instruments. The word "freeze" is very effective for stopping a student immediately.
• Spatial Arrangements. Use different patterns in class. Have the students arrange themselves in various patterns such as lines, circles, dispersed patterns, groups, sitting, or standing.
• Working with Partners. Either pick partners for students or let them choose their own. (Younger children may have more difficulty picking their own partners.) Tell students that they are expected to work productively with their partners. If students are not working well together, change their partners. Review all of the rules of an activity before the students start working with their partners.
• Time limits. To help keep students on task, set time limits. It is especially important to give time limits when students are working with partners or in a group.
• Commenting on students' work. When you speak about a student's work, use the vocabulary of a dancer. For example, " I see John in a low twisted shape" or "I see Sally in a high curved shape that reminds me of the wind." Be generous with praise and use thoughtful corrections.

Remember that dance is a language and a physical skill that requires practice. Be patient. With time and instruction, the students will become adept at using movement to communicate ideas and concepts.

Harlan Brownlee is Director of Artistic Programming at Kansas City Young Audiences. He has been recognized for his excellence in teaching by the Kennedy Center, where he has developed teacher training programs and is listed on the National Touring Roster.