Parents, Politics and Pre-Schoolers

by Julian Harel

I like parents, I really do, I’m a parent, some of my best friends are parents, even my mom and dad are parents but sometimes, just sometimes they can be too much. I’ve had the unpleasant experience of having to deal with a very “sticky” bunch of mothers this year in one of my afternoon groups and I thought I’d share the experience with you – just in case you run into a similar situation.

From previous experience with teaching martial arts to small children I know that parents should be encouraged to attend the first time; it gives them a chance to see the lesson and ease the child’s fear of being in a new environment with strangers. But that’s it. One lesson only, unless they want to take part and in that case I invite them to a parent – children class. Even if they sit quietly and don’t chat with the other parents or talk on their mobile phones (which has happened) they will always be a distraction for the kids, a place to run to for affirmation or solace. This is especially true with kindergarten-aged children; the older ones throw their parents out faster than I do, they won’t need their parents again until it’s time to pay for college. Of course it is not only the children who were instigating this situation; the parents wanted to be there just as much as the children wanted them to stay.

I would like to quote from a book called “Children and the Martial Arts” by Gaku Homma:

“We are careful to explain to all our new students and their parents that our dojo is not a gymnasium; it’s a school. It is a place for teaching and learning. It is not a gym where spectators watch the instructors as they teach and the students learn. Parents of beginning students are often surprised – and not particularly happy – with this policy. They assume that they would be allowed to watch their children practice martial arts as they would baseball or soccer practice.”

And:

“The attention and praise that children receive from their parents strongly affects their behavior. I believe that there comes a time in a child’s development when it is best not to have parents physically present – a time when a child learns to behave independently of their parent’s will and supervision.”

I made the mistake of allowing the parents to stay – it was a new group in a new setting with people who did not know me but the result was awful. The children would act out for the benefit of their mothers, running off in the middle of the lesson and ruining the concentration of everyone. One kid would start acting up and they all would join in. My authority as the teacher was automatically negated by the mere presence of a parent.

It’s OK now. I went back to my original philosophy and asked the parents, nicely of course, not to hang around anymore, not even outside the door  and it worked. No more showing off, acting out or running away. The kids even apologized for their “bad” behavior the week before and promised that it wouldn’t happen again. I guess this is what you would call “tough love” but they’ll be better people for it…. the parents that is!

Making a Difference

by Julian Harel

Seven months ago it would not have seemed possible, but there I was, humming along with first and second graders in the Yud Elementary school (fictitious name) as they performed RSM in front of their parents and school mates. To understand the improbability of such an occasion you have to know the background to this story.

The Yud Elementary School is a religious institution run by a very charismatic head teacher; it has to be, because of violence, this school is in danger of being closed down by the Education Ministry. The school is in a working class area north of Tel Aviv and around half of its pupils are the children of Ethiopian immigrants, the most recent and one of the most deprived communities in Israel. The Ethiopian community is struggling to match the economic and social standards of a developed country and this reflects on the children, most of whom do not have the means to obtain a quality modern education.

In a school like Yud it would have been logical for the head teacher to concentrate on Hebrew language skills to bring her children up to par – an argument frequently heard for not teaching a second language in many countries, not just in Israel. But after seeing our demo lesson and its effect on the kids, it was decided to go with RSM. Unfortunately “no good deed goes unpunished.” It took me over an hour to get there and sometimes twice as long to get home. The first sessions were more like damage control than teaching RSM, it was enough that the kids arrived on time and didn’t start beating each other up to be called a “successful” lesson. But I told myself that if I can do something positive here, in this most difficult of places, then RSM can work anywhere.

It was hard work and I wasn’t always sure I would last until the end of the year, but we slowly managed to build up the trust necessary for learning, which included the ability to make fun of yourself in public. This is no mean feat in a tough school especially for the boys. I also remember what happened the first time I asked “so what do you think, how does a cat move?” They were in shock; nobody ever asked them what they thought. Later on they were all jumping to answer these questions, often too eagerly, but that was preferable to sitting silently like “good” children and being spoon fed or climbing the bars on the windows.

Eventually they were singing and dancing along to the “Sky is Blue” just like any other kids I have taught. Some of the more rowdy ones were removed from the class by the teachers but surprisingly came back for the final performance and even knew the songs and Yoga. So there I was, taking a back seat while the kids performed, watching the delighted look on the head teacher’s face as she realized that her hunch had been correct. And as they say “no good deed goes unpunished” because she wants me back next year for twice as many groups!

Meet Mazi – Our Featured Teacher

Mazi Hazan and Israeli President Shimon Peres

Meet Mazi Hatsav – our oldest and most experienced teacher from Tiberias.   Mazi has been teaching both Ready Steady Move 1 and 2 for three years and loves how it integrates the movement, allowing children to learn actively.

As our only grandmother teaching Ready Steady Move!, Mazi proves that age is no obstacle and is one of our most energetic teachers – able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Mazi holds the record for the most Ready Steady Move! classes taught in a single day (7) and has been known to fearlessly enter the Tiberias summer camp zone  – teaching up to five lessons, five days a week!

In addition to RSM, Mazi is a playwright and this year worked with sixth graders to stage her own original script “The Secrets of Dona Gratzia.”  This fascinating true story about one of the leading forces behind the re-establishment of the modern Jewish  town of Tiberias brought her much praise and even a phone call from the Yitzhak Navon, former President of Israel.  As with Ready Steady Move!, Mazi incorporated movement (through drama and dance) in her play to teach an important history lesson.

Mazi also teaches drama to seniors and recently received national acclaim for a play she produced with the elderly in a golden-age home.

Keep up the good work Mazi – we are proud of you!

“Don’t stop me now!” – How to fit everything into 45 minutes

by Julian Harel                                                         

We all know how hard it is to finish a complete RSM session including the Pilates and Yoga within 45 minutes. If the lesson doesn’t start exactly on time (the room wasn’t organized, the kids were late etc.) you may have even less time to fit it all in. So how can you do it all and still manage to enjoy teaching or at least breathe occasionally?

There is a mantra in RSM, it says “You don’t stop, they don’t stop!” It’s easy to get distracted; anything can slow you down or even stop you completely. Aberrant behavior is the number one reason; misbehaving children can completely throw you off your game wasting valuable time and what’s worse, lessening the energy you worked so hard to build up.

In fact the inertia you create from the warm-up onwards is the secret to completing a full lesson. As we say, start at 110% and work upwards. So how do we do this?

First – don’t get caught up in class politics. It’s not your job to solve the social rivalries. The best way to deal with these situations is to either plough through without stopping or to make fun of them. You can play the “I was sitting in that chair before” game. When a child complains of a stolen spot, I say that Napoleon sat there before you and before him Abraham and before him a Pharaoh from Egypt and before him etc. Very quickly they realize you are not going to play along and how silly it is anyway.

Second – be super organized. Keep the lesson going at a fast and constant pace so the kids don’t have time to get bored. That’s why we switch rapidly from one activity to another so we don’t overextend their attention spans in any one activity. And – don’t stop. This means all your props and music must be organized in advance. If you start hunting for lost flashcards you can say goodbye to their concentration and that’s when the behavioral problems start.

Third – watch the time. A good RSM lesson will seem to fly by, both for you and the kids. However don’t let that feeling get the better of you. If you are 40 minutes into the lesson and still haven’t started the Yoga story you won’t have time for the “Goodbye Song” or to end the class with some calming exercise or even say goodbye properly. This creates the wrong impression with the kids and their teachers/parents. Get to the lesson at least five minutes early. Take the time to chat with the kids or teachers informally while you set the lesson up, sort out any bureaucratic problems and then start on time at 110% and keep going with an eye on the clock.

Last – the children’s overall impression of you should be of a magician who comes into their world and transports them to another place, even for a short time. If they beg you for more when the lesson is over, you know you’re on the right track.

Ready Steady HOP!

Ready Steady HOP!

Later this year we will be releasing a promotional DVD in Israel including several episodes of Ready Steady HOP! along with clips of Didi the Dragon, another show co-produced by the Helen Doron Educational Group and the HOP educational television channel .

Welcome Agi Tron – our newest Teacher Trainer

Congratulations Agi Tron – our very first TT (Teacher Trainer) for Hungary!  Agi got started with RSM in the summer of 2008 after a friend told her that Helen Doron was opening the Ready Steady Move! program and needed teachers.  As both a physical education and English language teacher, Agi has the perfect combination for RSM.

In addition to the classroom, the Ready Steady Move! songs can also be heard in Agi’s house and in her car.  Her two boys were only 3 and 5 when she first started with the program and RSM was their initial introduction to English.  Agi told me of how, after only a few weeks of listening to the songs, her younger son was already able to pick out words from popular English songs playing on the radio!

Agi loves teaching RSM – especially when she gets positive feedback from the children.  “I love when they make me feel that they like me; after or before the class they show me their favourite toys, or they want me (not their mummy!) to help them change their clothes or when they run to me and simply hug me.  I so much enjoy seeing their eyes open wide, as they do their best to copy my movements.  Sometimes it is quite difficult for them and they are so lovely and cute as they try their hardest.”

It is obvious why Agi has decided to be a Ready Steady Move! Teacher Trainer – she loves what she does and the children love her back.  Good luck Agi!

RSM – Does it Stick?

After teaching RSM for four years I wondered if RSM really worked in the long run. I know it works over a period of three years because of my experience in the Tiberias school system and where the children remembered songs, stories and vocabulary from year to year. But what would happen if the kids had a gap of a year and then went back to the program, let’s say between kindergarten and second grade? Would they still remember? Would they have the same positive attitude as they used to?

This year I have had the chance to find out. I am now teaching four kids whom I hadn’t seen for over a year. They are now in second grade and just about remember the name of their kindergarten teacher, never mind RSM. Kids have a habit of “formatting” their brains between grades as if they have to clean out their memories before starting another year. So would they remember the program? Or me?

To my relief, they remembered my name. They remembered which kindergarten they went to but hadn’t gone back to visit, and judging by their reactions, never will. They also remembered the most of the songs. Not all the words, let’s not get carried away, but when I started singing “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes” for instance, they finished it, without the music, including all the versions! In fact they knew some of the songs so well I found it hard to teach the new kids as they kept jumping in ahead of me. They also knew what flash cards were coming up in the yoga stories as if they were clairvoyant! In the end I had to ask them nicely to let the new kids have a chance.

I now consider them my “helpers”; they have learned to restrain themselves when trying movements and learning vocabulary which is very hard for kids who generally like to be first to show off their knowledge. They greet the songs like old friends which helps, as the others see them as role models and tend to follow their lead. I really didn’t expect them to remember as much as they do or show interest in re-learning the songs and activities they had learned as smaller children, but they do.

I played “Sky is Blue” last week, just in the background while they were working in the activity book. One of the girls was sitting on the ground, carefully colouring her drawing, simply singing along without even looking up at me. That was a shame, as she missed the stupid smile on my face.

Julian Harel
Ready Steady Move! Program Developer & Teacher Trainer

Ready Steady Freeze! Tips for keeping control

Earlier this year, Julian was giving a TTC in Hungary and I volunteered to substitute for a class of 28 first and second graders. OMG! They practically ate me alive. If I had only known Julian’s tips I would definitely have been better off. And so I bring you: Julian’s tips and tricks for keeping control without being mean.

1. Be nice. The kids are there to have a good time and we can’t make it seem like school (even if it is).

2. Use chairs if you have enough room. This speeds up the transitions and keeps order in the courtroom. Don’t let them fight over seats;  separate problematic children if you have to.

3. Set clear rules: Make sure they know that all drinking (water), eating, and visits to the toilet must be completed before the lesson. After a few weeks they will learn that they cannot come and go as they please.

4.  Always try to have another adult in the room (teacher, aide, parent) to take care of any problems – discipline or other. If a child is having difficulty behaving, tell them to go and sit next to ________.

5. If things get out of control, stop – sit them all down – then use breathing or focusing exercises to calm the children.

6. Don’t lecture them – Understand that sometimes it’s like taking the top off a fizzy drink after it has been shaken about – of course the kids are a bit rowdy – they have been sitting at a desk all day long.

7. Always try to end calmly with a breathing exercise.

We are happy to hear from you as well. Send us your comments and tips.  Julian is eagerly awaiting your questions.

We’re on Television!!

We’re on Television!!!

Last spring, Ready Steady Move! received a green light to graduate from kindergarten into a children’s television show. In conjunction with HOP! the popular Israeli television channel for preschoolers, Ready Steady Move! now has a life of its own.  Twenty-six episodes have been recorded and will reach over 1 million households. This has happened so fast that by the time you read this newsletter, the first few lessons will have already aired. We are sure there will be many reruns so stay tuned and look out for our program called ….. Ready Steady HOP!

The show features our own Ella Doron as the teacher, two adorable puppets, Max and Millie and the Ready Steady HOP! kids. Together with Ella, they learn new words in English, and dance and stretch to the music we all know and love.

This is an fantastic tool for any of you (in Israel) who are promoting the program in your towns, schools and community centers. Let your students know when we are on and watch your classes grow in size.  You may find the TV schedule at: www.hop.co.il

Here is a (very) short preview: Ready Steady Hop! 

Stay tuned for more…

Even Adults can learn with Ready Steady Move!

As teachers we have seen how effective the Ready Steady Move! method is and how fast the children learn words and concepts – but does this work for everyone and in any language?

At the latest Teacher Training Course in Jaffo we had an opportunity to witness Ready Steady Move! in action for adults.  Attending the  training were teachers from Israel and abroad – with four different mother tongues represented;  English, German, Hebrew and Arabic.   Just for fun, Julian asked everyone to teach the corners game in their native language.   The results?  Sara from Germany learned “not “ (hop) in Arabic and everyone learned “springen“ (jump) in German.  Even Julian has been affected: when he  came back from a TTC in Budapest, I believe I heard him chanting in Hungarian!  Gyerekek nek! (for the kids).  Wow!  Live proof of the effectiveness of the Ready Steady Move! methodology.

Recently Maggie Xu (left), our woman in Beijing, recorded the Ready Steady Move! Yoga stories in Chinese for our new DVD.  Who will be first to do the playground story in Mandarin? We are offering a      for the winner!