I so enjoyed the September Arts Academy and the following Tuesday I  was able to review with our team what we had learned. We reviewed the 5 principle of Nexus teaching that George had taught us and discussed how we could incorporate these more into our teaching.

I taught a lesson that Wednesday incorporating several of these principles and also side -coaching that Deborah had taught us. I used the them to teach my  kindergarten children the “an ” rhyme ending. I told them, “ Today we are going to learn the -an ending. We will play a game like the story we read ( Mom, Says I Can)about Stan. He liked to pretend to do many things. We will use words that rhyme with can like van. They rhyme–they both have the -an ending.  Listen carefully for all the words with the -an ending.then I pointed to a sign-This is the word the word ‘c’ –“an”  We’re going to play a game.  You’re going to get to do different things so listen carefully. This game has 3 rules: 1-you can walk 2- you cannot talk. (Show back of sign can crossed out) 3-You must freeze when the drum stops.

Creative Movement

· Side- Coach students when there are actions. Walk around the space of the room .

· Walk around and say hi to a friend w/o words.

· Walk around the room like you are pretending to walk on a cloud.

Rhyming

· Walk and pretend that a fan is blowing you back, what would your body do? F-an f-an, f-an

· Walk and pretend you are riding in a van V-an van, van

· Walk and pretend you are driving in a van V-an van, van keep walking

· Walk in the room can you pretend to fly like a pilot like Stan st-an st-an

· Walk in the room can you are pretend to sail a ship like a pirate like Stan , st-an.

· Bring students back to the circle say pretend you are melting into your spot like a snow man m-an,

It was a very successful lesson and the drum was good for management ,as well. I have used it in the classroom since then in transitions and as we change in centers time to remind them they can walk, and they can’t talk. I will share a few other lessons I’ve done using other instruments in my next post but tommorrow is the next Arts Academy and I’m so excited to go again.