Consent In The Classroom

This weeks podcast I was talking about the important on consent in the classroom. Now consent is such a loaded word but I basically mean how we try to make ever child feel safe and comfortable in our classes. Here are some of the thoughts i have had on the subject and i believe we should always be challenging ourselves and try to learn/grow.

1. Dance Is a Contact sport.

There are lots of moments when were teaching that we may need to mould them to turn there feet out, stop there knees falling forward when holding a stretch, to indicate which leg there on etc. This being said i think its two very different things, diving in with out warning a moving them or explaining what were doing before we do it and seeing if its ok.

2. Everyone has different boundaries and we need to respect them.

As a teacher i have next to know personal space, i am so used to children running into me, prodding me when they need attention etc that it doesn't affect me but thats not true for everyone. some children my be really tactile wanting to hold your hand and be near you at all time where we have other who take being looked in the eye. Both are 100% ok. It's about knowing each child and catering for there needs. I teach my teachers to go through the stages of learning, Explain - Using our voice to explain how to do the movement and create sound affects to accompany the move i.e a pointy toe dotting on the floor going bing! Bing! Bing! Demonstrate - Show them how to do the movement and they copy. You can also get them to learn from there peers if one of there friends is doing the move beautiful ask them to demonstrate to the class. Visualise - use there imagination i.e for a tendu pretend your foot is licking the floor (id also make a slurp sound effect on the out and a yum yum yum on the way back in)

Tactile/ Hands on - helping them physically move there body to perform the move. for a tendu you might guide the foot out to help them keep contact with the floor or use your hand as a target and they have to stretch there foot out to reach your hand.

3. Consent changes as they grow.

We know that as humans we are constantly changing and its true for our dancers too. what we liked at 4 is going to be different than at 7 and 9 and 12 etc etc. So as teachers we need to respect that and be constantly listening and adapting. By making your class room as comfortable as possible your dancers will feel content saying No and i don't like this etc and that is great. One example is we have a couple of girls in our older classes that have started growing body hair and are really self conscious about it as are uniform is a sleeveless black leotard and skirt for there ballet class. So whenever i ask to help adjust there arm line (where there self conscious about it there arms are more terrordactyl that a la seconde) they shake there head. This issue is one thats easily fixed as i told them they can wear long sleeved leotards but you may just teach a child that just hates physical contact and thats ok. Think of it as a challenge to find new and excited ways to teach them that movement that doesn't involve physical contact

4. What if there too young to consent?

By this i mean for our younger classes 0-4years where they will need more help than a school age child but maybe can't yet vocalise yes and no. I think body language plays a big role in consent at this age if there clinging to mum and not wanting to hold your hand, then don't. Encourage mum to come join in with class to show them it a safe space. I also recommend doubling down on vocalising everything your doing before you do it, basically narrating whats going to happen before you do it. Helping them to go to the toilet is a great example of this as leotards aren't the easiest thing to get on and off at a young age and you not going to let them wet themselves, so at this point it becomes about duty of care. This being said we still want them to feel comfortable so by narrating it gives them prior understand and control over whats going on. So my toilet runs usually go something like this.... " Right jenny we need to take your leotard off first its like a swimming costume you have to take your arms out first and then wiggle it down" *jenny stands there staring at you for help* "Ok can i help you? so its one arm first, then the other now we wiggle it down, perfect, do you think you can pull your tights down yourself?" "No worry's lets wiggle them down, now if you want to pop your knickers down and sit on the toilet or i can pop you on the toilet" " No worry's lets fly you up there weee" *pops Them on the toilet* " right i will pull the door too and ill be just outside if you need me" ..... Tadah sounds so simple when you type it out but sometimes its the most obvious things we can do that make the most difference.

5. When duty of care trumps consent.

By this i mean First aid or if a child is in danger. It should go with out saying that if i child falls over and cuts there hand/head/knee you are not just going to let them stand there upset and bleeding. Your going to look after them, one because your a good person and 2 because the parents/guardians have given you there consent to look after there child. A situation that arose in class this week that put this thought in my head and made me think it was important to address. At the end of our toddler class me and a mum were chatting and my assistant was holding the door open saying goodbye to the rest of the class. This mum's little one decided to make a break for it and ran across the hall and out the door. My assistant is trying to stop her by saying where are you going etc but at this moment where she is the closet to the child and there is a car park and a busy road not to far away. She should of just scooped her up, as the child's safety is more important that gaining her consent to hold her hand. Hope you found this blog interesting i would love to hear your views. If you would like to hear more the podcast is below :)