I had so much fun co-teaching this class! We were all so pleased and thankful for everyone’s enthusiasm and participation. I feel like that was a huge contributor to the success of our lesson.
We tried to keep things interactive, accessible and fun while also hitting the appropriate physical education competencies, which I think we were able to accomplish pretty well. It was important for us to scaffold the moves so that everyone had the opportunity to build up to the full dance, and express themselves to the best of their ability. My part consisted of brainstorming lesson ideas with the group, co-writing the summary, suggesting the use of apps in assessment and dividing the group, in addition to teaching my portion of the lesson and leading my small group discussion.
Our group gelled well in terms of planning, and we agreed on most aspects of the process. As soon as we had addressed the competencies and figured out a main focus for our session, the details came fairly easily. We have relatively similar approaches to teaching, planning and what we would like our students to get out of the lesson.
I feel like the students responded positively overall. Everyone seemed engaged, and were able to grasp the choreography and challenge themselves to complete each activity to the best of their ability. The discussion ran smoothly, and the group had many good ideas and input about technology in the classroom.
Next time, I would look at tightening up some of the transitions, for instance sending smaller groups of students to collect props. I think we provided moves and options for a variety of skill levels, and scaffolded appropriately, but I might also have included some further options for students of all skill and comfort levels, such as an alternative to the dance off at the end.
Fantastic job Becca and your group! I enjoyed your dance lesson very much. I am not the best dancer nor do I like to dance in front of people however choosing a contemporary and modern song and fad dance was a great idea. It made the dance relatable for everyone who has heard the song. Breaking down the moves of the dance into stations was a great idea and then putting them together with the song was great. I wish we had more time to practice the whole dance one more time through, however the battle at the end was a great way to let loose and kind of show off what we had learned and just have fun. Your enthusiasm and bubbly quality was infectious and made me feel less foolish. The use of technology was great and maybe you all could have had a turn using the microphone but the apps suggested were awesome ideas! Your lesson gave me the confidence to be able to do a dance like that with my class and use it as a brain break but also do a PE class with them as well. Dance is so versatile but also extremely important for children not only as a way to express themselves but to have fun and be silly. Dance is definitely an important area to work on fundamental movement skills and get kids involved and having fun.