Teaching dance and movement can be intimidating for many educators, but it doesn't have to be! In fact, incorporating rhythm, dance, and movement into your daily routine can be fun, engaging, and extremely beneficial for your students. In this episode of Kindergarten Kept Simple, we talk with Nicole, an Ottawa kindergarten teacher and founder of Harmony Dance Company, about her top tips for bringing movement and dance into your classroom.
Nicole's philosophy is all about creating a safe and inclusive space for students to explore their bodies and express themselves through movement. From freeze dance to teaching socio-emotional skills through movement, Nicole shares her insights on how to make dance a fun and accessible part of your classroom routine.
Nicole's Top Tips to Incorporate More Movement into the Classroom:
- Play freeze dance to teach body awareness and safety, and introduce new vocabulary.
- Use dance to teach socio-emotional skills and promote self-expression.
- Model dance and movement yourself, and encourage your students to follow along.
By incorporating movement and dance into your classroom, you can build confidence, promote self-expression, and create a positive and energizing environment for your students. Nicole recommends adding movement to your schedule every single day in kindergarten, and even starting your day with a few minutes of dance to wake everyone up and create a strong, positive start to the day.
Want to learn more about incorporating movement and dance into your classroom? Join Nicole at Camp Kinder this summer, where she'll share even more ideas and strategies for bringing rhythm, movement, and dance to your students.
Learn more about Camp Kinder and get on the waitlist for early bird pricing here: campkinder.ca
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