Hellooo fellow students.

This week I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all my responsibilities. I am a hardworking person and always just want to keep everyone happy but I struggle to do so - I sometimes tend to forget about myself. I struggle to say no when situations don’t suit me and I don’t like to let people down but at cost of my studies - is it worth it? I will have to do some introspection and better planning to fit everything into my schedule or else I will set myself up for failure.

What possibly made some learners uncomfortable during these activities? / Why were some learners uncomfortable?

• Self-esteem and confidence- Dance is social and visual. I can relate to this because I am generally shy and would not prefer to dance or sing in front of others – however, as a teacher I sing and dance everyday in front of my Grade R learners and have no issue with doing that – children at that age do not judge or see shortcomings and they love and accept me just as I am.
• If learners don’t know the words of the song it will make them uncomfortable and unable to sing along.
• You will never know about their cultural background – It can be against their cultural beliefs.
• They are not interested- not everyone likes to sing or dance or it is just not cut out for it, or they don’t pick up choreography fast enough.

Can you think of ways to address these issues in future? What will you change?

• Children who do not like do dance can have other roles. In a concert or play these learners can be used as props like trees or flowers. Also - instead of dancing they can rather use an instrument for background music. All learners MUST be included.
• It would be advised to use music learners are familiar with – this will help them engage more in the activity.
• The activity should always be age appropriate for the learners so that they will understand more easily.
• Teachers must be aware of learners’ cultural beliefs and respect them. If dancing is against their beliefs they can only sing along.
• Depends on the age of the learners - I would prefer that from the age of 10 - boys and girls dance separate to avoid embarrassment.

How can we accommodate diverse learner profiles in our classrooms? What must we beware of?

• I am privileged to teach at a Christian school where everyone has the same beliefs and values that the school policy states - this makes teaching easier. In a case of diverse learners, learners must always be accommodated by participating in activities that suit their beliefs.
• Always compromise - no learner should feel left out.
• When using songs, use the language that is used in class.
• Children should always feel safe - We as teachers have to ensure that all students feel comfortable when dancing.

That is all for me today, strongs for the week ahead!