With all the focus on standardized testing these days, it can be a breath of fresh air to have the opportunity to teach students something other than the core curriculum subjects. In my school P.S. 5 in the bronx, we had the opportunity to participate in a ballroom dancing program that was a smash hit for students and teachers alike. The program lasted 20 weeks and included 2 sessions per week with a ballroom dancing professional instructor. I knew nothing about ballroom dancing before we started, but I was just happy to be doing something with my fourth grade students other than test prep. The ballroom dancing classes ended up being the best parts of my week. It was fun learning the dances with the students, and amazing to see how fast they could pick up the moves. We learned the Merengue, Tango, Waltz, Swing, Foxtrot and more. Even though the students were hesitant at first, by the end of the 20 weeks, they were practicing the dances they loved on all their free time. The program ends with a big extravaganza that parents and other grades are invited to watch. The performance was spectacular, and an experience that my students and I will likely never forget. Below you will see some pictures that capture what fun that day was, and I'm happy to share them with all of you. If your school ever has the opportunity to partake in a program like this, I recommend you take full advantage of it. Enjoy the pics!
Wow!
ReplyDeleteWhat an opportunity - reading about these sorts of classes makes me a little envious of the flexibility in earlier grades. It seems like in high school everything is overscheduled, and there is little room for things like creative expression. Of course, perhaps high school students would consider themselves too cool to learn partner dancing!
Thanks for sharing this!
Becca
What a fun experience! The addition of the pictures are to the pictures with explanations or other information (no names, I'm sure!)? It may make the pictures "pop" even more. I'm also wondered if your writing may benefit from paragraphing. What a great time to write about!
ReplyDeleteMy son's fifth grade had ballroom dancing as part of their year, also, and they loved it! They only had 10 weeks, once a week, but also had a big extravaganza show at the high school, with a grand entrance and march and demonstrations of all the dances they had learned. They loved it so much that they voted to raise funds to have it continue next year as their graduation gift. I was very surprised at their enthusiasm, possibly because I went to dancing school every Friday from the 4th through the 8th grades, and was thoroughly sick of ballrooms by the time I got out! It is wonderful to hear of other kids getting the opportunity to engage in an activity so unlike the popular pastimes available, one in which face-to-face interaction is an intrinsic part.
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