Final Reflection

Throughout these last months, I have been reflecting upon the importance of teaching and why movement, music, and dance is such an important part of the classroom.

It is clear that music plays a great role in a child’s ability to learn, develop, and enjoy learning in the classroom. Movement allows for a child to discover his or her own abilities, talents, and passions while also helping them to work towards greater physical, mental, and emotional development.

Teaching kindergarteners was especially enjoyable and interesting for me personally because I was able to watch these students learn to work with others as we did partner dances and gropu activities. I was able to observe them communicating with both me as their teacher as well as their peers and learn to work together in cooperative ways. I was also able to see them develop their physical abilities, fine motor skills, and special awarenesses. As I observed these developmental and social changes in my students, I could not help but be so proud of them, for their willingness to work hard and take risks, to learn and enjoy learning both individually and as a class.

For me, this program has really changed the way that I view teaching. Before this program, I saw dance, movement, and music in the classroom as more of a classroom reward, only to be used once in a while. But now I know that music and movement is something that is not only enjoyable, but essential to a child’s learning and development. Music, movement, and dance should be used daily in the classroom, not only to incorporate development, but also as a means to greater learning and recall. Music and movement allows students to learn in an engaging way, participate physically in that learning, and recall and reuse that information as needed. Movement is a core teaching method that successfully and effectively allows for deeper learning and engaged learners in the classroom.