Case Study: How my Creative Movement Class Went From Meltdowns to Mindful Movers

At the start of this dance season, my kindergarten creative movement class at the Montessori school was… a bit chaotic. If you aren’t familiar with it, the Montessori environment comes with its own culture: freedom of choice, student-led learning, and teachers working alongside students throughout the day instead of leading from the front of the room. This doesn’t always translate seamlessly into the structured expectations of a dance class. And this particular group? Let’s just say they brought all the energy, quirks, and independence one could imagine 🫠

When you’re working with young children, regardless of where you are, a one-size-fits-all classroom management approach simply doesn’t work. Every child is different. You have to observe them, get to know their needs, what motivates them, what sets them off, and what helps them feel safe. This process takes time. By the time March rolled around, something had shifted. One day, I happened to look over at the area where my students put their shoes and water bottles when they come into the space.

They were lined up, neat as can be. I smiled and thought this was actually a pretty good representation of the progress these kids have made since the beginning of the year. They really did understand how to take a dance class now. Class has become, overall, a joyful and cooperative experience for both them and for me!

This blog post is a reflection on that transformation and a little case study of what worked with each child ⬇️

Leo

Let’s start with Leo. Leo was my most disruptive student early on. He couldn’t sit still, frequently yelled and interrupted me, and had trouble keeping his hands to himself. When I tried to redirect him to sit out (because I have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hitting other children), he would refuse and lash out physically at me. It was overwhelming and concerning for the safety of the group.

So I collaborated with his classroom teacher and the school’s office manager. I learned that Leo fed off the attention he got for acting out— calling him out was only reinforcing the behavior. We agreed that if he crossed a boundary like touching others or screaming, I’d quietly call the office manager to have him removed from class. After two removals, Leo stopped touching his classmates. I also stopped giving attention to his interruptions, allowing him to run laps quietly while I taught. Within 2 months, the disruptive behavior had nearly disappeared. By spring, he was enthusiastic and well-behaved most of the time— often reminding his classmates about proper behavior in dance class 😂

Eli

Then there was Eli. Eli loved our movement activities and games, but didn’t like warm-up. And when we were doing something he decided he didn’t like, he would cry and shut down. He also had a fixation on getting the blue circle mat for warm-up. I’d calmly explain that warm-up prepares our muscles for dancing and games, and if he chose to skip it, he’d have to sit out of games too. After a few rounds of sitting out, he never skipped warm-up again. Eventually, he even grew to love it— especially the “superhero” section where we lie on our stomachs and pretend to fly like Superman. Every week, he now greets me with, “Are we doing superhero today??”

Throughout the year, there were a few times he became upset and didn’t want to participate in something. I wouldn’t force him— I’d say, “No problem. Take a break, and join when you’re ready.” He always came back on his own, usually within a few minutes of seeing his friends having fun. Having that autonomy works for him.

Maya, Zoey, Clara, and Ivy

I also had four girls who had some social challenges with each other. Maya and Zoey were in the same classroom at school and would ignore Clara and Ivy, who were in another room. Feelings would get hurt as Clara and Ivy felt left out. I had a group talk with them when I picked up on this dynamic, reminding them that creative movement is a place to make new friends and to be kind to everyone. I started using purposeful partnering in activities, rotating who worked with whom. Maya danced with Clara, Zoey with Ivy, and Clara and Ivy got plenty of time together too. Over time, new friendships formed, and the energy between the four of them became more positive. I didn’t try to force friendships apart— I simply nudged new bonds forward while honoring the ones already in place.

Clara

Clara also had a unique challenge: she has ADHD, which for her manifested in struggling to process verbal instructions. She wasn’t bouncing off the walls, but instead struggled to focus. It often seemed like she didn’t hear me at all. Knowing her diagnosis, I simply repeated instructions when it was clear she wasn’t sure what was happening next. Honestly, it helped the whole class to hear things more than once. Over time, as she became more familiar with our routines, this became less of an issue.

In conclusion...

Behavior challenges with young children aren’t always about defiance— they’re about unmet needs, unfamiliar environments, and kids just being…5 and 6 years old. Managing them this isn’t about controlling behavior. It’s about understanding each child and teaching them what it means to be part of a group dance class. These things often take weeks, and more commonly months, to really sink in. In my case, it took almost the entire school year to get to the point where the class felt smooth. Eventually, my students didn’t just follow the routines— they valued and enjoyed them!

Does that mean there aren't setbacks and behavior is now perfect all of the time? Of course not. But this is all part of our job. We’re not just teaching dance— we’re teaching kids how to learn, how to be part of a group, how to follow directions, and how to treat one another.

Being able to teach young children is, in my opinion, one of the best things you can do as a teacher to ensure you always have a job. And it’s really rewarding too, I promise!

**Reminder that in the Dance Teacher Intensive, I walk through all of my classroom management strategies for children (and teens, too) so that you feel prepared and confident to handle the real challenges that come up these days.