When I think about behaviour management strategies in the dance classroom, I almost exclusively rely on pre-emptive strategies rather than reactive ones. I teach a lot of students with additional needs in my weekly classes, but I have found that all students benefit from the adoption of practises such as those discussed below. My usual demographic of students are aged 1 to adult, and I find these tools work across all age groups with age-appropriate adaptions.
Be Organised, Clear and Consistent
This has got to be my number one strategy in order to help students remain focused and reach their potential. I plan and choreograph all my lessons ahead of time, even though I don’t necessarily need to. I can teach a dance class in any style on the fly, with no pre-planning, but by having a lesson plan, it allows me to be really present for my students (as I am not having to think of what I am going to do next) and be consistent week to week (which move was next? – let’s look at my notes). Do I always stick to my lesson plan? No, but I use it as a ‘cheat sheet’ of options that can be referred to and adapted as needed. Most people, children in particular, learn best from routine and repetition. By being organised and consistent, it ensures that I am working in a logical, methodical sequence (it can be hard to keep track of more than 35 classes each week on memory alone) and ensures that students are building on skills and progressing in line with their needs and development.
This rule also helps with classroom management. I begin all my classes with ‘Today we are going to do ABC and finish with XYZ”. This helps students to follow, and be prepared for, each section of the class. I leave the explanation of the format pretty broad (using terms like warm-up, across the room, dance etc.) and that allows me to be adaptive within this category. If I need to change the format mid-class for any reason, I always offer a clarifier (eg. “We are not going to do turns next because we need a little bit more practice on this skill, as it is in your new section of dance today, and I don’t want to run out of time to teach it to you”.) By providing a reason behind the change, students accept it and move on to the next activity without wonder and distraction.
Being clear and consistent about your classroom rules and expectations is vital to allowing students to meet your behaviour expectations. If they are not clear on what is expected of them, or it is inconsistent week to week, you are setting them up for failure. Students are not mind-readers and it sends a confusing message if one week a behaviour is ok, and the next week it is not. It doesn’t matter what your classroom rules and expectations are, as long as you make them clear. As above, if you need to make a change to a rule, give a brief explanation of why.
This theory also applies to any consequences of actions. These need to be the same and fair every time.
Be Confident and Gain Respect
Students will react to the energy you are putting in to your classroom. If you are confident and positive, they will view you as a leader and naturally do what you are asking of them. Treat your students with respect and give them the tools to succeed, and they will respect you in return. Remember that you are the expert in the dance classroom and you should share your knowledge with enthusiasm and confidence.
Make Accommodations for any Additional Needs
Making accommodations for individuals is a huge part of our jobs as dance educators. It benefits all students to have their needs considered, regardless of whether or not they are considered to have additional needs. When I make adaptions for individuals in the classroom, I always allow anyone to make use of the adaption or offer, I never limit it to just one child. This is for two main reasons. One is so that everyone in my classroom feels equally special, valued and ‘seen’, and the other is because most ‘special needs’ adaptations are actually very valuable to most individuals. Some specific adaptions I have made include:
· A Safe Place students can go in the classroom if they feel they need time out. I will offer support to the student to join back in when they feel ready but they know this place is safe for them to stay as long as they need with no pressure. This space is always within clear view of the teacher but best if it is a little hidden/private from other students. If this is not possible, you can add a blanket or pillow to this space to create a comfortable area.
· Sensory Activities. I have spikey balls, punching bags, rolling mats, tunnels, soft teddies, balance boards and many more things that I pull out as needed. A great whole class activity for sensory regulation is an obstacle course. I incorporate dance skills into this (eg. jumping, balance, turning, strength, stamina) by using various equipment in a variety of ways.
· Music Volume. I am guilty of blasting music in a lot of my classes as I love the energy it brings to dance. However, I have realised over time that it is not always conducive to students learning if the music is so loud it interrupts their thoughts and concentration. I am now much more aware of which classes work well with different music volumes.
· Providing Alternatives for Disruptive Behaviour. By providing students with a safer/less disruptive way to express themselves, it often results in them no longer having the desire to display that behaviour. If it does not, at least the rest of your students are less affected by it. For example, if a student is picking at their skin, you can say to them “if you need to do that, please go and stand by the bin and put the skin in there when you are done”. This gives them the option to continue, but in a less disruptive way, or the choice to stop the behaviour.
· Don’t punish or reprimand students for behaviours which are out of their control. This applies to a variety of special needs and is a very important reminder.
Accommodating additional needs not only helps the individual students thrive, but it helps to build a culture of acceptance, support and understanding within your classroom amongst students. It also fosters creativity (by modelling creative ‘solutions’ or giving options to address challenges).
Ask for Clarification of Understanding and Give Tools to Achieve Expectations
After giving a task or instruction, be specific about ways in which they can show you that they understand. Rather than saying “do you have any questions?”, ask questions which allow them to prove their understanding to you such as:
· “How many X do we do?”
· “What comes after X?”
· “Where should our foot be when we do this?”
This is equally important when asking students to pay attention or listen to you. It is not very helpful to a student to just tell them to listen, without giving them ways to demonstrate to you that they are listening. This can involve using vocabulary such as “please don’t talk when I am talking” or “show me you are listening by standing here and facing me”. This sets students up for success as it gives them the tools to succeed in meeting your expectations.
Other Tools and Techniques
Using goal setting is not only a great way to help students learn, it is also an excellent tool in maintaining classroom behaviour aims. By relating less desirable tasks to students’ goals, it helps them to maintain focus and motivation. For example, saying “we are holding this plank to make us stronger so that you can do an awesome handstand” makes the task much more interesting to the students.
Practicing mindfulness and/or improvisation tasks allows students to get to know themselves better and recognise their own feelings and patterns. It also allows them a safe way to express themselves.
Allowing students to feel whatever they are feeling and meeting them where they are is also vital for success. Remember that we cannot control feelings, but we can control the actions that we take in relation to those feelings. Never dismiss how a student is feeling, even if you think it is unreasonable to feel that way. If the student is feeling frustrated because something is difficult try saying “I understand that you are feeling frustrated. It is hard to do things we find difficult, but it is important that we keep trying so that we can learn and things get easier. Let’s try it together one more time today and we will keep working on it each week until we all feel comfortable”. This recognises and validates their feelings, provides a suggestion for an immediate action, as well as a future plan.
Make sure you engage students in the whole class. This could mean giving them a task such as marking roll, choosing music, handing out props etc. It can mean giving them an instruction such as “sit here until it is your turn” or giving them an option such as “would you like to practice your turns or jumps next?”. These things let students be involved in running the classroom and therefore more motivated and able to follow the class format.
Using the student’s name before the instruction helps to draw their attention. For example, saying “Max, I need you to XYZ” helps Max to realise that the instruction applies to them.
Having the class come up with rules is a great tool to allow them to meet behavioural expectations. If they have created the rules, they will know what they are and it will be in words that they understand. You can guide this of course as the teacher, but giving them responsibility and autonomy is an excellent tool.
Using ‘when and then’ are great ways to help students stay motivated through a less desirable task. For example, saying “when we have a nice strong balance, then we can try some turns”. This gives them an exciting outcome to the current task.
Having “Real Talk” with Students
One of the most effective strategies I use if I have lost the focus of most of the class is to have a mature conversation about it. I stop the class, sit the students down (and sit with them so to be on their level) and ask questions and have a discussion about why the class is behaving the way they are. Questions such as: “What is going on today? Why is it hard for you to focus? Is this too easy/hard? Are you having fun? What is your favourite and least favourite part of the class and why? Why do you like dancing? Do you think you are learning very much today? Why/Why Not? Is the way you are behaving fair to me and the other students?”. These types of questions help you to gain valuable insight into what is actually going on with your students, how you can adapt to meet their needs and therefore reengage them. I use this technique sparingly as I think the power really lies in it being a rare occasion (like things have just gotten serious). It really puts the onus back on the students and helps them to reflect on the reasons for their feelings and therefore behaviour. I find that after one of these talks, the effects last weeks in the classroom.
I very rarely need to give consequences to undesirable actions anymore (maybe one timeout a year), due to the implementation of pre-emptive behavioural management techniques. I always follow through with consequences (‘empty threats’ are not showing consistency and are therefore not productive to the cause), but I just find myself with very little need to ever ‘correct’ behaviour these days. I hope that you find some of these ideas helpful and I am always open to feedback and questions.
Power to you, Jenna
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