EDUCATION

LEARNING BY CIRCUS

Body in motion = brain in motion

Workshop for teachers with Robert Janč and Cécile Da Costa.

To the teaching staff of the Kindergarten and the first level of primary school we present a set of circus-inspired activities, thanks to which they can expand their pedagogical register with a highly effective tool for the multifaceted development of children’s personality. The course is also open to first year graduates who can deepen and advance their knowledge.

We will introduce you to the method of manipulative juggling (no need to know how to throw and catch). We will explain why and how circus can be used in education. We will encourage your own creativity and together we will find a way to best use the exercises in your practice.

At the end of the course, you will be able to apply a range of circus activities in your work to help children develop coordination and motor skills; strengthen mathematical thinking, patience and spatial orientation; work systematically with error and much more.

Course content:

  1. Theory – basic concepts of circus pedagogy, introduction of lecturers and their methods. Demonstration lesson – How the exercises can be applied in practice. Analysis and discussion of the functionality of the workshop in practice. Introduction to the video material.
  2. Work with juggling balls and rings – method of manipulative juggling.
  3. Work with scarves and ropes.
  4. Coordination and neuroplasticity stimulating systems Ball-A-Vis-X, Brainball.
  5. Balance and balance toys.
  6. Work with the body – basics of acrobatics for children (Matěj’s acrobatics), animal flow.
  7. Sharing examples from practice, evaluation of the process.

The course includes a demonstration lesson:
Our lecturers will teach a demonstration lesson in your classroom according to your assignment. We can focus on introducing this way of working or on the specific needs of the collective. You can follow up on the lesson.

Own activity:
The main goal of the course is to find a functional application of the exercise. Therefore, a very important part is to actively use the presented content and to record and share the knowledge from the application. Participants apply the acquired skills in their practice, record in pre-prepared recording sheets, consult and evaluate continuously with the lecturers. Each participant records a minimum of five instances of the application of rhythm, coordination and balance.

Video material:
You will be provided with videos of each exercise, which can also be used as instruction. You do not have to be proficient in each technique yourself.

Aids:
During the course, we will lend you a set of basic tools so that you can try out what works best for you and your children and later purchase what you need yourself.
We will lend you: juggling balls, juggling scarves, juggling rings, balance bars, bouncy balls.

Individual consultation:
Each teacher can use the space for an individual online consultation with the lecturers for 4 hours.


This project was supported by European Union (National Recovery Plan).