LeslieUpchurch.com

What do I mean by 2 levels in a class when there are parents and children?

When teachers train to be Dalcroze educators, there is not much of pretending you are younger than you are to do a class.  You learn at your own level.  When teaching a young children's class, I do ask the "grown ups" to be role models.  I ask them to just "be in the class" and not pressure the child with them to participate.  The children will follow what is going on. 

This format works well for most of the class.  However, once the children are solidly in the 3and 1/2 year-old range I do some activiites for the adults.  It may be simply changing directions to a cue when they are moving around the room.  Or, it could be having two groups - one quiet and one loud - and yes, I use the terms piano and forte.  The child decides the group and has the support of the grown up.  It could be an elephant versus a turtle - both slow but one forte and other piano. Or the tortoise and the hare - one slow and other fast.  Dividing into groups is too challenging for the children alone, but they can wait their turn with the support the of adult they are with.

It is good that I teach classes for both three and four year olds alone and with adults.  The alone classes keep me in touch with what the children can really do.  The adult classes are where you can start to stretch that a bit because the children have the support of the grownups.

All of this keeps teaching so alive and fresh for me.  The group dynamic of children, of children with adults, and soon - just adults!  I am growing the number of adults in my private studio and want to channel this into Dalcroze classes for adults.  Coming soon!