Teacher Feature: Miss Kara & The Pointe’s KOC Outreach

Happy Monday!

This week on the blog we’re featuring Miss Kara – she wrote a bit about her experience teaching outreach dance classes for Kids On Course.  Teachers from The Pointe taught outreach classes at Van Buren, Grant, and Harrison Elementary schools this fall – providing a FREE after school dance class for lots of students – including some who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to take dance.

We’re committed to being a positive and active part of our community, and giving back is a big part of our DNA as a dance studio.  Thank you, Miss Kara, for sharing your experience teaching these classes!

(for more information on the GREAT things Kids on Course is doing in CR schools, check out their website: http://kidsoncoursecr.com)

Aaron, Beth, and I taught outreach classes in some of the local elementary school through the Kids On Course (KOC) program this fall.   KOC is a program established between the Zach Johnson Foundation and the Cedar Rapids Community School District.  KOC staff work with students, parents, and educators to help students in elementary and middle school get on and stay on a course designed to guide them toward college. Part of the program is an enrichment element which offers the kids opportunities to engage in activities and sports that they may not otherwise have an opportunity to experience.  We taught dance classes in some of Cedar Rapids schools as part of that enrichment program.   I wanted to share what I learned after participating in this program.

I worked with kids at two different schools.  The kids I have at both schools are mostly 8-9 years old, and I am doing a jazz one type class with them.  I had thought of introducing some basic from other genres, but after the first week I decided that we better just focus on one style rather than add too much too quickly.

One group I worked with had 15 kids involved.  Of those 15, about 7 were wild, unruly, and difficult to keep focused.  These kids were regularly pulled out by KOC staff for “timeouts.”  Another 4 are a little chatty and sometimes silly, but they do try to learn.  Another 4 listen, follow directions, and work hard to learn the steps.  It isn’t fair to those four or even to the chatty but manageable four when we constantly have to stop and re-group because of the crazy 7.  I am not talking about just not listening or being distracted, I’m talking about students who constantly try to run around the gym, cannot stand on their spot long enough to count into the dance, and struggled to keep their hands to themselves.  Even with assigned spots to keep the most difficult students separated, they would run across the room to bother each other.   HOWEVER, at the end, I can tell how much the other 8 really want to be there and really want to learn.  As frustrating as it is to deal with the other crazy kiddos, I know that the other 8 may never have another chance to take a dance class, and then I’m glad that I am doing this.  (On a side note, they were originally only going to give me 8 kids, but when I heard there was a waiting list, I agreed to more). I was working with kids who have never been in any organized activities and have never had to follow rules like this outside of the classroom.  Ultimately I gave up a small amount of my time that could make a huge difference to at least some of these kids.  They all, even the ones who don’t seem to want to learn, said they wished dance was every day or that I could come all year.

The other group I worked with was the complete opposite.  They got a little silly, but they were really excited to be learning and for the most part did not act out at all.   There was KOC staff in the room with me at all times, and the kids earned tickets into a drawing for a prize for good behavior.   The worst behaviors in this class were when they added their own style rather than doing the choreography or blurted things out in class.  Honestly, that happens in our studio classes a lot at that age, too!  This class was half boys, which was an interesting dynamic.  They learned more quickly than my other group, but were limited by space.  This class meets in a small corner of the library and once in the computer lab.  There was not room to do things across the floor. We tried to do floor stretching, but it was a struggle to find the space, and I had to keep them mostly in one spot when we danced or they would collide.   I knew that I was reaching all of these kids, but I wished I could do more with them.

My take-aways from this experience are this:

Our students at The Pointe are so lucky.  I knew this going in, and I expected this experience to highlight this.  Their parents are able to give them the opportunity to participate in dance classes and activities that help teach them discipline, respect, and listening skills from an early age.  They know the expectations in class and for the most part follow them.  They have the proper shoes and attire.  Someone is able to transport them to and from class every week.  Tons of kids do not have any of this.

Our students, especially as they get older, really take this for granted.  Some of that is their age, some are burnt out, and some just forget how much they love to dance.

We as teachers are lucky!  We have a great studio with plenty of space, the right music equipment, access to songs, subs who will take our classes (often on short notice) and a lot of artistic freedom.  We also have great co-workers, a boss who knows what it’s like to be in our shoes and has gone out of her way to improve our experience as teachers, and dance families that are easy to work with.  Just like my KOC classes above, sometimes we get a class that’s wonderful and easy to work with; sometimes we get a group that is frustrating and can’t seem to behave.  Either way, we have the chance to do something we love and to share it with kids who love it as much as we do, and that’s amazing!  I can’t imagine finding any other place that I would be able to dance on top of having my law practice or be able to work my schedule around my family commitments.

Overall, I am really glad that I did the KOC outreach classes.  It would have been easier with two well behaved groups, but teaching, like life, isn’t always easy.  At least I don’t have to try and wrangle them into a recital routine!  Plus, I hope that I have contributed to the KOC goal of keeping these kids involved in activities and academics and out of trouble. (I’ve seen far too much of that in my other job).  I would really encourage all of my colleagues consider doing this program in the future.  It’s a great way to keep The Pointe involved in the community and a really easy way for each of us to give a little of our time toward a great goal.

 

Miss Kara