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Opening Stretch
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Strategy
Rationale
--When students first come
into class, they are bringing with them all kinds of "baggage," from thoughts
about their previous class to how their sick child is doing at at the sitter's.
A transition time can help them focus on the current class. Movement is
also beneficial to brain processing.
--Recognition for taking a risk is given in the form of applause for a job well
done.
--The gradual transition from my leadership to student leadership strengthens
the sense of community among the students.
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Materials
Recorded music (Click
here for recommendations for various types of music appropriate for this activity.)
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Process
- Starting about 5 minutes
before class, I have some light classical music playing as the students enter
the class. This establishes a relaxed atmosphere. When it's time
for class to start, I stop the music. Students soon learn to recognize
that this is a cue for the start of class.
- During the first four
weeks of the semester, I lead the opening stretch. When I stop the opening
music, I ask all the students to stand and I start playing some lively music.
Then I ask them to follow my lead as I begin deep breathing while slowly raising
my arms over my head. At first, they may seem a bit reluctant and surprised,
but they join in as I continue to urge them to do so. I continue doing
gentle stretches and deep breathing with the class for about 1 minute.
Then I stop the music, have them gives themselves an applause for a job well
done and sit down. After we do this the first time, I explain why we
do this (see rational 1 above).
- During the second four
weeks, I begin a gradual transition of leadership of the opening stretch to
the students. Since the class is divided into teams, each day, the team
selects one of their members to lead the stretch for their team.
Leading the opening stretch for a team of 4 students is much less threatening
than leading it for the entire class. The teams applaud the leader at
the end of the stretch.
- During the third four
weeks, the students names are put in a box. At the beginning of each
class, one student's name is drawn to lead the entire class in the opening
stretch. Again, the students applaud the leader, and we see the leaders
beginning to be more creative in the stretching activities.
- During the final four
weeks, the students volunteer to lead the class in the opening stretch.
By now, they are used to the activity and actually look forward to it.
Even ones who would never have considered volunteering to stand in front of
the class at the beginning of the semester are now willing to do so.
Every one looks forward to how the other class members will lead the stretch.
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Dialogue!
The design of this strategy
was guided by careful consideration of
-- the environment, and more specifically, the emotional and social environment
of the class. Although the activity takes only a minute at the beginning
of each class, it is a minute well spent in establishing a supportive learning
centered environment.
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