It was the first day back after Spring Break and the first day to teach dance to the fifty some little first graders. They knew it was coming. We talked about it all year, yet when the today arrived, they were all a little squeamish. I mean, the thought of touching a girl (or a boy) is really too much.
My colleague and friend in crime/dance, Roy, and I sat them down on the gym floor. We talked about respect. I mean what if I pulled my sleeve down over my hand so I wouldn't really have to touch a boy? We talked about the proper way to ask a boy/girl to dance with one hand extended and a little bowing added in. (Are we teaching chivalry here?)
With the speech finally over, we had a group of 8 pave the way by demonstrating for the first grade what we wanted. They made the first square, bowed to their partners, their corners and learned how to circle up and do-si-do.
We had the whole first grade do-si-doing before the period was up. We never did get to music...that will come next week. Now we shall just wait and see how many will be absent next Monday?
Lou Ann
Lou Ann Homan-Saylor is a teacher, a writer, a storyteller and an actress. She lives in Angola, Indiana where she can be found meandering around looking for a great story or just writing late into the night by the light of her red frayed lamp. She also is the co-author of the new blog, voiceofangola.blogspot.com.
Monday, March 30, 2009
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