Minute Masterclass Episode 239

Welcome to your one-minute masterclass. I’m Andrea Trench. If you enjoy our minute masterclasses, consider continuing your professional development as a student in our Foundations Course for Early Childhood Dance Educators and as a member of our DiscoverDance Experience online community. You can learn more about both of these opportunities at DiscoverDance.com.

 This week’s DiscoverDance term is Emergent Curriculum. If you haven’t noticed yet, we draw our guiding principles from the best practices in teaching children in an early childhood setting. There are not a ton of resources dedicated to early childhood DANCE education, so I’ve focused my studies and continued professional development in the child development realm. Some practices are easier to adapt to a dance class setting than others, but nonetheless I am constantly learning and open to shifting my practices for the benefit of the developing child. Emergent curriculum is all about teaching the child, not the curriculum. It begins with a teacher framing the class, but evolves organically with the students’ lead. The curriculum creates itself through teacher observation and guidance. Although we can’t fully embrace what emergent curriculum offers inside a dance class, we can lean into the children’s interest, avoid the heavily themed teacher-directed classes, and offer moments of curiosity and collaboration. We can sprinkle in spontaneity and dig deeper when a child offers a thought or a creative solution to a problem.  We, the teachers, are open, responsive, and well equipped to get lost in the moment with the children, and able to guide them back on the dance track when needed. It’s a beautiful journey when you give children a voice in their class.

 For more information, to enroll in the Foundations Course, or to join the DiscoverDance Experience, visit DiscoverDance.com.