Ready Steady News

A Letter From Susan

Dear Ready Steady Move Teacher!

I find myself writing at the start of a new year, a great time for reflection on the past year: what was good, what was great and what do we want to achieve in 2012. I try to make time to do this on a personal level for myself and my family, as well as professionally. Ask yourself and your family – What do I want? What do we want? Do not neglect to write your answers and save them in a conspicuous spot! This will help you to visualize your goals and send you on your way.

For any of you who have had the chance to visit our Head Office, you know that the Ready Steady Room is always abuzz with ideas and plans and in this issue of Ready Steady News we would like to share with you a bit of what has been going on and what the future holds in store for us.

This year saw Ready Steady Move! travel to Spain – Please welcome Eli Donaire Rodriguez and Angel Alverez, our new Spanish Master Franchisees. Eli and Angel are very excited about this opportunity and we are sure that soon we will see lots of Spanish children in East Andalucia moving and singing Ready Steady Move! With their arrival also comes the Spanish version of our Ready Steady Move! website. Click here to see the brand new Spanish image video that Eli and Angel have produced – it is AMAZING! East Andalucia is also the first area in the world that will be offering Ready Steady Move! in Mandarin! Bang! (That means fantastic in Mandarin!)

We would also like to warmly welcome all of the new teachers who have joined the Ready Steady Move! family since our last Ready Steady News issue: Roni, Zimrah, Tiffany, Bythia and Moria (Israel) and Pablo, Eli, Gemma, Inma, Marimar, and Inna (Spain). We wish you the best of luck in getting started – may you have many students and may they absolutely love you! In this issue you will meet one of our new teachers, Bythia, who is wowing students in some out-of-the-way villages in Israel.

For some of you, Ready Stead Move! is a major part of your life, teaching dozens of students every day. For others, you may have yet to get started and we want to encourage you to speak with your Master Franchisee (or me) and see how we can help you to start or accelerate. In this issue we will give you some tips on how you can increase your exposure to the community and get more groups and activities. Learn how to Ready Steady Party and dance your way to success!

You will also enjoy reading of Julian’s experiences with special needs children and his valuable tips for improving your lessons and thriving in less than utopic conditions.

Finally, please write to us. We want to hear from you – both your experiences and your challenges. Please comment, chat, blog, twitter and LIKE! You may reach us by email, on facebook, through our teachers’ facebook page, or by calling susan_neeman_hd or julian.harel via skype!

Looking forward to your feedback, suggestions and questions,

Susan Ne’eman

In this issue:
1. TTC in Seville
2. Ready Steady Move! Hosts – Walking the Tightrope
3. Meet Bythia – our Featured Teacher
4. Do Download
5. Special Children – Special Needs
6. Ready Steady Party!
7. Marketing tips for Teachers
8. Bad Behavior – a Discussion

Teacher Training Course in Seville

- by Julian Harel

I remember Seville as a teenager – the amazing Spanish light and carefree life style made a great impression on me at the time – so I was really looking forward to going back as an adult to see if it wasn’t just a childhood dream. This time, I went back on business (if you can call running a TTC business). OK, so we, that’s Eli, our new MF in Andalucía and I, taught both Ready Steady Move! 1 and 2 in five days and trained five fabulous new Ready Steady Move! teachers. We also ate loads of tapas and climbed La Giralda. I guess you can call it a kind of “busy – ness.”

If you haven’t been to Seville then you should; it’s that simple, just go. The people are just as wonderful as I remembered them to be, which made teaching them the programs a pleasure. The participants were creative and funny and had a very positive attitude towards Ready Steady Move! from the start – it seemed like a natural thing to be teaching Sevillians, as if it was made for them. What made the TTC even more interesting was that one of the participants is going to be teaching Mandarin in Spain which meant that she did her demo lesson in Mandarin (rather than English). Well done Gemma! It was quite an experience listening to the program in Mandarin Chinese and watching the responses of the other participants as they realized that Ready Steady Move! can be taught in any language.

So congratulations to Pablo, Marimar, Inma, Gemma, Inna and of course the wonderful Eli who organized the whole event and good luck to you all in Ready Steady Move!

Our Hosts – Walking the Tightrope

- by Julian Harel

One of the more unpredictable features of Ready Steady Move! is our hosts. These can be teachers, parents, principles and programorganizers who affect the environment we teach in at every level. Susan and I are constantly monitoring the Ready Steady Move! lessons around the world and often come across examples of both excellent and poor relationships between our teachers and their hosts. The importance of these dynamics is obvious to anyone who has ever walked into a classroom – it is not enough to be a good teacher, you also have to understand and be attuned to the environment you teach in. Any one of the people who influence this environment can make or break your lesson which is why we attach so much importance to them.

In any lesson there are several factors that we as teachers or organizers can encounter. Simply put, they are: random, controllable, semi-controllable and non-controllable. Random factors like the weather are beyond our control.You may have to teach in a kindergarten where the children have been cooped up all day because it was snowing outside; you cannot change this but you should take it into account. Non- controllable variables, like the age range of the class, are not random; someone is controlling them, just not you. Controllable factors such as standard of teaching, preparedness, energy level and empathy are for the teacher to control and, of course, to improve where necessary.

This leaves us with the semi-controllable factors which are often the difference between success and failure and are often controlled by our hosts. In our experience the best way to avoid problems with these factors is firstly to understand the environment by visiting the kindergarten or classroom and then talking to the hosts face to face. Exchange contact details including mobile numbers and emails to facilitate speedy communication. Then, secondly, to neutralize these factors, agree on mutual expectations between the hosts and yourself. Here is a list of factors that can be controlled by prior agreement:

Class size – by setting an upper and lower limit to the class in advance you can avoid overcrowding on the one hand, or lack of energy on the other.

Teacher involvement – we talk about this in the TTC but it is crucial that the school or kindergarten teachers know what you expect of them and stick to the agreement.

Class scheduling – decide when the classes start and end and keep a record of any changes in scheduling. There is a tendency in schools for lessons to become shorter as they do not include the time it takes to set the class up or collect the children. This can mean that the lessons become 35 minutes long which is unacceptable.

Crime and punishment –one of the most difficult factors to control in Ready Steady Move! is discipline. By talking to the teachers and principals before you start teaching you can get an idea of the state of the class, the names of the problematic children and hopefully the background to these problems and most of all what measures exist to deal with any problems that arise. Remember you are not alone! Even if you do not have another teacher in the class with you, there are still rules and regulations that the children have to follow as in any other lesson. Just because Ready Steady Move! involves freedom of movement it does not mean freedom of behavior. Work out a system of reporting both unruly and exceptional behavior before you start teaching and get the home room teacher’s mobile phone number.

Physical environment – assess the suitability of the class before you start teaching. Is it the right size? Remember that a sports hall may be too big for a Ready Steady Move! lesson. Does it have cooling or heating? Is it clean? Does it have chairs? Who is responsible for setting up and re-organizing the class? Can you make a lot of noise there or will it disturb adjacent classes? What are the acoustics like?

Parental involvement – if you are teaching in a kindergarten or school then the first time you meet the parents may only be half way through the program when you run the parent/child session. This is a shame as talking to the parents and meeting them face to face can really help in explaining what the children need from them. Getting the parents on board with the program, especially by encouraging them to play the song CD and do the Yoga or Pilates, will really help the children progress. If you are running an afternoon class they will probably stay with their children for the demo lesson. Use this opportunity to inform them how the program works and explain the rationale behind the need for repeated use of the CD and DVDs. By personally meeting you the parents will develop trust in both you and the program which will encourage them to encourage their children.

The most important thing is to keep communicating! Don’t wait for situations to get out of hand and as much as possible, try to pre-empt the possible pit falls with careful planning ahead of time.

Julian teaching an RSM 1 group in the Ein el Assad community center – a large, clean, air conditioned room with chairs and lots of natural light – a great space for teaching!

Ready Steady Party!

- by Julian Harel

To tell you the truth, I was skeptical. The thought of walking into a crowded room full of balloons, orange juice, cake and over excited children and trying to teach anything, let alone a Ready Steady Move! birthday program, was daunting. But I have to say my fears were totally unfounded as I led the first Ready Steady Move! birthday party in Israel and it was simply wonderful!

There are six different birthday program themes, all based on Ready Steady Move! 1 and 2 songs, dances, yoga, Pilates, games and activity book exercises. The themes have been designed according to the children’s age ranging from programs for young children aged 4 to 6 up to children of 6 to 9 years old.

These are the themes:

Cubs and Kittens – ages 4 to 6
Twist and Shout – ages 4 to 6
Jam Nastics – ages 5 to 9
Noah’s Ark – ages 6 to 9
Planes, Trains and Automobiles – ages 6 to 9
A,B,C – 1,2,3 – ages 6 to 9

Each guest also receives a take home birthday set.

The program is an hour long,not including refreshments, opening presents and playing their own games. This is enough since after an hour a few of the children were getting a little weary and the idea here is not to tire them out completely but to give them a fun experience with Ready Steady Move!

What are the benefits of the program?

Firstly it provides a springboard for the program into the community. The birthday party is great advertising and gives exposure to the program directly to the children and, more importantly, their parents. The party creates a “buzz” which can be followed up by targeted marketing to the guests and onwards to their kindergartens or schools. Naturally the parents receive the Ready Steady Move! brochure with the contact details of the local Ready Steady Move! organizer in the birthday set.

Secondly it can provide extra income for the teachers, which is always welcome.

I have to admit though that that two of the children left the party crying…their parents came too early and they didn’t want to go home before the end of the program – a true sign of success!

Susan’s Note:

Your Master Franchisee can give you guidelines about introducing Ready Steady Move! Birthday Parties to your area, and about ordering materials and pricing. Always be in contact with your MF before scheduling a party.

Invitations, programs and instructions for setting up the birthday parties can be found on the Ready Steady Move! Portal at infoman.helendorongroup.com .

If you need assistance or need a login and password, please contact your Ready Steady Move Master Franchisee. If you are in Israel or do not have a Master Franchisee – that contact person would be me!

Marketing Tips for Teachers

While your Master Franchisee has the official job of marketing Ready Steady Move! we want to encourage you, the teacher, to play a proactive role. You are most likely familiar with many of the key players in your area – the schools, kindergartens, community centers, health clubs, etc. and you can be a great accomplice to your MF. Your friends and family may be more helpful than you realize!

Here are some ideas but please – coordinate first with your MF so as not to duplicate efforts.

1. Talk to everyone! You never know who they know. Maybe they are looking for a novel class for their children, maybe they have a brother who owns a health club, maybe their father-in-law is head of the parent committee at a local school. It only takes a question or two to do some gold-digging and find worthwhile information. Try this one: Do you know anyone who works with children? The answer will probably be “Why do you ask?” This gives you anopening to tell people that you are a Ready Steady Move! teacher and a little about the program. As the conversation progresses, repeat your question but with more detail.

2. Keep abreast of the hot issues – one of which is child obesity and lack of physical exercise. Ready Steady Move! is a great solution – get two in one – physical exercise as well as learn a foreign language.

3. Balloons! – I use them everywhere. They are inexpensive and children love them. You can fill them with helium (just a few are enough to attract a lot of attention) and children will drag their parents across an entire square to get one. Make sure you have a flyer or business card with your contact details. This is your chance to collect names and phone numbers of potential students. Make sure you get theirs – and don’t wait for them to call you.

4. Referrals – there is no better advertising tool than a satisfied customer. Ask your parents who else they know who is looking for quality activities for their children.

5. Join a forum for parents of young children. Get known as a good resource person before you start promoting yourself and your classes.

6. Facebook – post links and pictures to get the word out to your facebook friends. You may take links from the Ready Steady Move! website for useful articles or look for your own. Don’t forget to send them to us as well. “Like” the Ready Steady Move facebook page and send it out to your friends so they can like it as well.

7. Cross-marketing – find a Gymboree or other place children gather and see if there is a way to combine your efforts. Our local Gymboree agreed to place a poster advertising Ready Steady Move! classes. In return, we purchased a few tickets to the Gymboree to give out as incentives for people who bring friends to the class.

8. Use your imagination – join up with other teachers and have a spontaneous class in the park… or create a flash dance in the mall. The sky’s the limit!

Above all – HAVE FUN!

- Susan Ne’eman

Bad Behavior – A Discussion

I have heard that there is no such thing as bad children, only children for whom life is bad. This is a very important distinction to make when running into discipline problems as we tend to blame and judge before checking what is really going on with the children. This “knee-jerk” reaction usually leads to frustration and anger both in the teachers and in their pupils which can easily spiral out of control.

Of course it is easier to teach Ready Steady Move! with other adults in the room, with the teacher free to concentrate on the pedagogic side of the program and not dealing with any discipline problems. But sometimes we find ourselves alone in front of twenty-five or more children, some of whom are having a really bad day.

Several questions arise from this situation. First, do we have to “deal” with this at all? Surely Ready Steady Move! is about teaching children movement and language and not self-control? This same question was asked at a recent seminar I attended and the answer was, surprisingly, an unequivocal yes. We are not just in the classroom to teach our given subject; we are also there to educate and in the situation where there is nobody else in the room, we are the authority figures and have to act accordingly. I have found it is a good idea to lay out a few simple ground rules with the children at the beginning of the year and stick to them. Work with the children to make the rules, explain them to the class and if you have to, get them to sign on a written agreement. Try and give the “problem” children a job to do in the class like being your special helper or asking them to demonstrate with you. This gives them the attention they are looking for in a positive way.

Secondly, what do I do if the children behave badly and I do not have time to deal with them? Luckily, we rarely work in a vacuum; there are other authority figures in the institution whose job it is to discipline unruly youngsters, and you can call on them for help. Find out what rules exist in the school or kindergarten and remind the children that Ready Steady Move! is a lesson like any other. Use the existing policies to both sanction and praise children when needed. Remember: you are not alone!

Third, do I have to succeed with all the children, all the time? The answer here may unfortunately be no. Of course we should try and reach all the children all the time, but often it isn’t possible especially in a large class with several children who are misbehaving. We should do everything possible to include those children but not at the expense of the majority who are cooperating and having a good time. Don’t give up on the unruly element; keep trying to reach them, talk to them before or after class and maybe you will find out what makes them tick. One of our teachers managed to completely win over one of the most disruptive kids I have ever met by sitting next to him on the bus home and engaging him in a simple conversation. This created a dialogue and ultimately a trust relationship between them which led to him becoming one of her best students.

There are no simple answers to bad behavior, no quick fix solutions. Don’t give up, concentrate on the positive children, breathe, and remember: for a kid who is having a bad day, you may be the only ray of light.

- Julian Harel

Featured Teacher – Bythia Louzoun

Bythia Louzoun is a young mother of four from Israel who attended the Ready Steady Move 1 and 2 TTCs last October. Looking at Bythia you would not guess that she has teenage children, not because of the great shape she is in, but rather the way she radiates verve and joy in a way that can light up a room.

Bythia was born in France and immigrated to Israel in 1994. Her educational background is in social studies and criminology – which is why she is so good in dealing with kindergarten children – and has worked as a language teacher, translator and Jewish studies teacher. She is also famous for her bread baking.

From the first moment she stepped into the classroom the children and the kindergarten teachers fell in love with her, so much so that they organized five Ready Steady Move! afternoon lessons a week for her as well as teaching French in the mornings. This makes it hard to catch up with Bythia who always seems to be on the go.

I asked Bythia why she enjoys teaching Ready Steady Move! and she said “Because it’s so much fun with the kids and I enjoy watching them improve from lesson to lesson.” Bythia also said “I love it because the kids can get used to the sound of the language before high school which really helps them learn English.“

But my favorite quote is the way Bythia explains how one should teach Ready Steady Move! Just be “naturally ridiculous” she says. I think so too.

- Julian Harel

Do the Download!

Most people miss the downloadables; they are in the small print on the back of the RSM 1 and 2 Song CDs together with the web link, user name and password. This has to be entered exactly – Capital letters and small. By downloading the files fromthe site the parents will be able to print the lyrics to the songs and the children will be able to color in the pictures. By using the lyrics together with the songs the parents can sing along to the words and reinforce their children’s vocabulary at home. This creates a meaningful experience for both the child and the parent and is an integral part of learning Ready Steady Move!

We have often found that the children who don’t listen to the CDs are the same ones who are acting out or bored in class, so kids, make sure your parents are playing the CDs daily.

Parents receive a written explanation of how to download the lyrics when their children sign up for the program but please remind the children to remind their parents to download. The parents often forget or need a little “nudge”. One way of encouraging them is to ask them to bring in a colored image to the next lesson. In this way you can assess how many children are using the site.

Special Children – Special Needs

I have been teaching Ready Steady Move! in a special needs school called Meitar for the last four months and I have to say it is one of the most difficult and at the same time most rewarding teaching experiences I have ever had. The children in Meitar are challenged mentally, physically and socially, and in some cases all three at once. I often come across children with ADD or ADHD in my work. They are the ones who most benefit the most from a program like Ready Steady Move! as it gives them a chance to break away from formal learning sitting behind a desk and allows them to express themselves in movement and song. Some of the children in Meitar however, have as many challenges as a whole class of regular kids so that teaching has become a challenge for me.

One of the best features at the school is the ratio of adults to children. There is usually at least one adult, who may be a teacher or an assistant, to every two children. This may seem like a luxury until you meet the kids, many of whom express themselves very physically and do not always conform to the rules of the school. There is another aspect of their behavior: one week they can be joining in and having fun like any other child, and the next week they are not allowed into the classroom at all as punishment for aberrant reactions which range from apathy to all out violence. The staff spends a lot of their time reiterating the importance of boundaries to children who should have assimilated them by first grade – and I am teaching fourth and fifth graders.

So how do I teach Ready Steady Move! in Meitar? The answer is quite simple – exactly as I would anywhere else and in some respects it actually easier than in a regular school. Each child in Meitar is being constantly monitored. The staff knows exactly what is going on with them both in school and at home. They know what each child’s changes are and how best to treat them. Information on the children flows freely through the system which prevents the kids “falling through the cracks.” I wish it was like this in every school I teach in where teachers try their best to understand each child but most do not have the time, resources or knowledge to get to each one individually.

I try to treat the kids in Meitar exactly as I would any other class and ignore the fact that I am teaching Ready Steady Move! 1 to ten year olds. I have the luxury of ignoring their challenges precisely because there is a whole system in place doing the hard work of controlling and monitoring. In a regular class I may have several children with learning disabilities who I have to be aware of all the time as they may become unruly – in Meitar I just teach and most of the time they love it. I would highly recommend to any teacher who wants to really help people to find a class of special needs children and discover for themselves how special they really are.

- Julian Harel

First teacher training in Russia

Volgograd is a city in the south of Russia formally known as Stalingrad and as the name suggests, it sits astride the banks of the wonderful Volga River. The first Russian Ready Steady Move! TTC was held in Volgograd in August 2010 with eleven participants – a double milestone – not only the first TTC in Russia but also the largest ever held. This was also my first time in Russia and judging by the success of the course, it certainly won’t be my last. 

Ekatarina Gilderbrand, our new Master Franchisee in the Volgograd area, organized the course in her bookstore in downtown Volgograd and managed to sign up ten course participants, quite a crowded house. I had heard about the Russian commitment to education but didn’t really understand the concept until I started teaching there. Not only did the participants keep up with the grueling course schedule, but they also stayed behind to question and practice the material for hours after. Things start late in Russia, we didn’t begin until ten o’clock in the morning, so you can imagine what time they went home. I thought I would turn up the next day to find them still practicing from the night before! 

The desire of the participants to understand more than the explanations given in the teacher guide and to hone their teaching skills was incredible. So congratulations to the nine dedicated participants who passed the TTC, you deserve all the credit for a wonderful TTC as does Katya for her impeccable organization. With any luck I will back in Russia in March for a TTC in Moscow – watch this space for more details. 

Julian Harel