Self-Regulating Dance
It’s hard for anyone to function when they feel overwhelmed. An effective self-regulation strategy can make all the difference. Check out this lesson from Teaching Movement to Students of All Abilities.
Download the lesson plan to follow along.
Here’s how it works:
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Breathing: Start by having students stand with their feet grounded and take deep breaths. Encourage them to focus on their posture, relaxing their shoulders. Example: Inhale deeply through the nose, exhale slowly through the mouth.
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Tactile: Have students gently tap or touch different parts of their body, bringing awareness to their physical sensations. Example: Brush hands over arms, gently squeeze legs.
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Core-Distal: Guide students to expand and contract their bodies by stretching out and curling in. This helps them explore flexion and extension. Example: Stretch arms and legs wide, then curl into a ball as if lying down at night.
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Head-Tail: Isolate movements of the head and tail (hips), then combine them to engage the entire spine. Example: Shake your head side to side, then shake your hips. Now, try moving both together!
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Upper-Lower: Move the upper body and lower body separately to build coordination. Example: Lift your shoulders and arms, then shift to bending your torso or rotating your ankles.
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Body Side: Ask students to move one side of their body while keeping the other half still. This movement helps with brain organization. Example: Shake the right arm and leg, then switch to the left arm and leg. Track eye movement from left to right.
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Cross-Lateral: Encourage students to reach across the midline of their body to engage both sides of the brain. Example: Stretch your right hand to your left foot, then switch.
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Vestibular: Practice balance by spinning or incorporating other balance-based movements. Example: Spin in a circle or lift both feet off the ground while seated.
Variations:
- Level Down: Ask students to mirror your movements or perform the sequence in a seated position.
- Level Up: Let students lead the class or modify the movements to fit a theme (e.g., animals or seasons).
Playlists:
Download the Ways I Can Calm Down Choice Board.
Looking for more lessons? Check out the full Teaching Movement to Students of All Abilities curriculum here.
