Using SMART Goals to Improve Classroom Behavior in Preschool Dance
One of the biggest challenges in teaching preschool dance isn't necessarily teaching the movements. It's helping a room full of young children learn how to participate in a dance class!
Preschoolers are still developing the ability to follow directions, wait their turn, manage their impulses, and participate in group activities. For some children, dance class may be one of their first experiences in a structured classroom setting without a parent nearby. And while we certainly want to establish classroom expectations, we also need to remember that these are skills children are still learning. We can't expect a three-year-old to demonstrate the same patience, attention, or self-control as an older child. That's where thoughtful goal-setting can help.
In a previous article, we looked at how to use SMART goals to plan movement objectives in preschool dance. But the same framework can also be useful when teaching classroom routines and expectations. Let's look at how we might use a SMART goal to help preschoolers learn to take turns during traveling activities.
Start With a Specific Classroom Expectation
Imagine you're teaching a preschool dance class and have noticed that traveling exercises are becoming difficult to manage. Students are excited to move across the room, but some begin before it's their turn, others wander away while waiting, and a few need frequent reminders about where to stand.
It's tempting to describe this as a behavior problem. But before deciding how to address it, consider what you actually want your students to learn. In this case, your objective might be to help children recognize when it's their turn to travel across the room and where they should wait until they're called. That's a much more specific goal than simply wanting students to behave better. It also gives you something concrete to teach, practice, and reinforce.
Creating a SMART Goal for Turn-Taking
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. By applying these five criteria, we can turn a general classroom expectation into a more intentional teaching objective.
Here's an example:
Over the next four weeks, I will introduce and reinforce a consistent turn-taking routine during traveling activities. My goal is for students to become increasingly comfortable recognizing when it's their turn, waiting in a designated area, and beginning their movement when prompted, with support appropriate to their developmental abilities.
Let's look at how this goal fits the SMART framework.
Specific: The goal focuses on one classroom routine: taking turns during traveling exercises.
Measurable: We can observe whether students are beginning to recognize the routine, require fewer reminders, or participate with greater independence.
Achievable: The expectation can be adjusted according to students' ages and abilities, and the teacher can structure the activity to minimize unnecessary waiting.
Relevant: Taking turns helps children participate safely and successfully in dance class while developing skills they can use in other group settings.
Time-Bound: The four-week period gives the teacher an opportunity to introduce the routine, practice it consistently, and evaluate how well it's working.
Notice that we're not expecting every child to wait perfectly without reminders by the end of four weeks. Instead, we're looking for progress while giving students the support they need to succeed.
Putting the Goal Into Practice
Once you've established your goal, the next step is to create opportunities for students to practice the routine. You don't need to devote an entire lesson to teaching turn-taking. In fact, I'd recommend incorporating it into the traveling activities you're already planning. Here's one way to introduce the routine over four weeks.
Week 1: Introduce the Routine
Begin by establishing a clear starting place and explaining what students should do while waiting. You might use floor markers to show children where to stand or sit, then demonstrate how one dancer travels across the room while the others wait. Keep the activity simple and the waiting time short. For younger students, you might have children travel in small groups rather than individually so they aren't standing in line for too long. At this stage, your goal is simply to help students become familiar with the routine.
Week 2: Practice With Familiar Movements
Once students understand the basic structure, continue practicing it with movements they already know. For example, you might have students walk on tiptoe across the room, hop like bunnies, or march to the music. Using familiar movements allows students to focus more of their attention on the classroom routine rather than trying to learn a new movement and a new expectation at the same time. Continue providing reminders and encouragement as needed.
Week 3: Build Greater Independence
As students become more familiar with the routine, begin giving them opportunities to recognize when it's their turn with fewer reminders. You might introduce a visual cue, such as a designated starting spot, or use a consistent verbal prompt that signals when the next student or group should begin. If the class is ready, you can introduce a little more variety in the traveling movements. But be careful not to increase the complexity of the activity so much that students lose track of the routine you're trying to reinforce. Remember that the goal is progress, not perfection.
Week 4: Observe and Adjust
By the fourth week, you should have a better idea of how well the routine is working. Are students beginning to recognize when it's their turn? Are they able to wait for short periods with fewer reminders? Does the activity flow more smoothly than it did when you first introduced it? You may discover that some students have become quite independent while others still need additional support. You may also find that the activity works better when children travel in pairs or small groups rather than individually. These observations are valuable because they help you determine what to do next. If students are making progress, continue reinforcing the routine while gradually introducing new challenges. If they're struggling, consider whether the expectations or structure of the activity need to change.
Sometimes the Problem Is the Activity, Not the Child
This is something I think is especially important for preschool dance teachers to remember. If you're repeatedly asking three-year-olds to stand quietly in line while fifteen other children take turns crossing the room, you're probably going to encounter behavior problems. And that's not necessarily because the children aren't listening or trying hard enough.
Young children learn through movement, and long periods of waiting can be difficult for them. Even children who understand the expectation may struggle to follow it consistently. Before assuming that students need more reminders or stronger consequences, consider whether you can change the structure of the activity. Could students travel in pairs or small groups? Could you shorten the distance they're traveling? Could you create two lines instead of one? Could students participate in a simple movement activity while waiting? Good classroom management isn't just about teaching children what to do. It's also about creating an environment that makes it easier for them to succeed.
Adjusting Expectations for Different Ages
A classroom of three-year-olds will generally need different expectations and support than a classroom of five-year-olds, although individual differences are always important.
For younger preschoolers, ages 3–4, keep waiting times brief, use consistent routines, and provide plenty of modeling. Floor markers or other visual cues can help children recognize where they should be. Traveling in small groups may also be more successful than expecting every child to wait for an individual turn.
For older preschoolers, ages 4–5, you may be able to introduce slightly more complex traveling patterns and encourage students to recognize when it's their turn with less assistance. Some children may also be ready to take on small responsibilities, such as helping demonstrate the routine.
Regardless of age, the goal should be to build independence gradually rather than expecting children to manage a new routine immediately.
Remember That Classroom Expectations Are Skills We Teach
When we think about lesson planning, we naturally focus on movement concepts, dance technique, musicality, and creative expression. But classroom routines and expectations deserve thoughtful instruction, too. Young children aren't born knowing how to participate in a dance class. They need opportunities to practice following directions, taking turns, and working cooperatively with others.
Using SMART goals can help us approach these expectations with the same intention we bring to teaching movement skills. Rather than simply telling students to wait their turn, we can establish a clear routine, model what we expect, provide opportunities to practice, and observe how students progress. And just as with dance technique, we need to be patient, consistent, and willing to adapt our instruction to meet the needs of the children in front of us. Because when our classroom routines are developmentally appropriate and thoughtfully taught, we create more opportunities for children to do what they came to dance class to do: move, learn, and enjoy dancing!
