The room full of about 50 teachers is stretching their arms in ways you wouldn’t expect from the authority figure in front of the classroom. Like gymnasts preparing for a meet, they lean and bend and contort their bodies.
“We do it in my classroom every morning” “You do?” “Oh yeah, and my kids before we have a big test say (gasp) Mrs. Leslie stop we need to do the brain dance before we do this. Oh, they’re believers.”
“I do it in my classroom too, and my kids believe that they get better test scores if we do it because it helps their brain work on both sides of their head.”
Kelleen Leslie and Deborah Hansen – they teach 3rdand 4th grade. And "The Brain Dance" is just one part of a whole array of art forms they’re learning to incorporate in their classrooms. It’s not just for fun. The dance gets results, says Hansen.
“I have a couple of students in my class who are very stressed about testing. And um, we’ve struggled like if they have to do a timed test or something like that, they just, they start breathing heavy and they get really nervous about it and worry and then they can’t seem to focus on their test and they kind of bomb it. And so whenever I say we’re going to have a test they go “(gasp) Oh no! Oh no!” and so if we stop and we do the brain dance and they are able to calm themselves down, they are able to do the test, and they do well on the test because they know the material they’re just afraid of testing”
The arts integration program doesn’t stop at dance; Dolly Sharf a 5th grade teacher took a normal persuasive essay and put a holiday Grinch twist on it.
“We just drew wonderful Grinch’s and they are hanging out in the hall they are about life size they are fabulous, and we’re writing letters to the Grinch to persuade him whether or not he should take Christmas away or let us celebrate, and they are excited to write letters. They are essay persuasive letters which has been a part of the core for a long time. Doing that same letter without a fun person to tie into was not nearly as productive.”
Making the idea of art come to life is something Julie Christopherson, a fine arts coordinator for her school district, has seen first-hand.
“We have seen children as they are doing reviews sitting there in their seats. Taking the test and moving. And retaining the information they have learned. We should not pull out of kids and negate what they’re hardwired to do when they come to school. They play, they sing, they dance, they move, they draw, and we want to foster that rather than just rob them of it by the time they hit the 6th grade. “
And this is something she believes will have a lasting effect.
“And we have seen some life changing experiences both in the parts of the teachers and in the students. For example, we had a classroom teacher after they had a visual art training, ask the students, now who would come on a weekend, and she thought all these girls would raise their hand, but one rowdy little boy said, “If I had art I would come every Saturday. If you would teach me art.” And that’s what it’s all about. We realize that this is something they carry through with them the rest of their lives, and the classroom teacher, bless their hearts, they are the stalwarts they’re the bastions that have to carry the whole load. We’re trying to ease that load by showing them exciting ways they can use the arts and use them with their children to make a difference. We have seen teachers just amazed. “That child never participates.” Did a drama lesson. “He raised. He participated.” And the teachers were floored. So it’s so important for kids. It’s something that we all know and that we’re all working toward the same goal.”
Whether it's through literature, paint, or dance art in the classroom doesn't have to be a distraction, but an aid.
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