Chapter 3.5

Students must have at least 10 class hours in the corresponding Dalcroze Pedagogy courses to take each level exam.

Pedagogy Level 1

• History of Dalcroze and his importance to education, music, dance, theater, and art
• Principles of Dalcroze Education: using the body to teach music
• Experience, knowledge, and practice of Dalcroze strategies and techniques
• 5-10 minute practice teaching experiences
  • Students choose a Level 1 Music/Movement subject and use a Dalcroze strategy and technique to teach the subject. Use of the piano is encouraged, but not required. Students and faculty critique each teaching example together.
  • Students redo their teaching example at a later date, making corrections from the first presentation.
• Written observation and analysis of demonstration classes
• Assigned readings and written responses
• There are no exams for Level 1 Pedagogy
• Reference to Overall Goals and Objectives for Dalcroze Pedagogy*(found below in the next section)

Pedagogy Level 2

• Written observation and analysis of demonstration classes
• Assigned readings and written responses
• More in-depth analysis of music/movement subjects and teaching strategies/techniques. This might include:
  • Use of composed literature in the Dalcroze classroom
  • Use of song literature in the Dalcroze classroom
  • Use of materials and equipment in a musically purposeful way
• Longer practice teaching experiences (10-20 minutes)
  • Student or teacher chooses a Level 1 or 2 Music/Movement subject and use several Dalcroze strategies and techniques to teach the subject. Use of the piano is required. Students and faculty critique each teaching example together.
• Curriculum development
  • Age/level appropriate subjects and skills
  • Lesson planning
  • Movement vocabulary
• Reference to Overall Goals and Objectives for Dalcroze Pedagogy* (found below in the next section)

Pedagogy Exam for Level 2

The student prepares and executes a 15-20 minute lesson that illustrates a Dalcroze application to their chosen field (i.e. Dalcroze-Eurhythmics classes, musicianship classes, group lessons, private lessons, instrumental lessons, choral applications, other rehearsal situations, etc.). Each individual training program will determine the examination content and procedures for the Level 2 examination in pedagogy. It is incumbent upon the student to discuss with the individual program director the requirements and expectations for this pedagogy exam at the beginning of their Level 2 studies.

Pedagogy Level 3

• Individual training centers may have portfolio requirements. Check with the Program Director for details.
• Written observation and analysis of demonstration classes
• Assigned readings and written responses
• Continued in-depth analysis of music/movement subjects and teaching strategies/techniques. This might include:
  • Use of composed literature in the Dalcroze classroom
  • Use of song literature in the Dalcroze classroom
  • Use of materials and equipment in a musically purposeful way
• Longer practice teaching experiences (15-25) minutes
  • Student or teacher chooses a Level 2, or 3 Music/Movement subject and use several Dalcroze strategies and techniques to teach the subject. Students and faculty critique each teaching example together.
• Curriculum development
  • Age-appropriate subjects and skills
  • Long-term development i.e.
    • How to develop a series of lessons
    • Review examples of multi-year curricula
  • Lesson planning
  • Movement vocabulary
• Classroom Management
• Business Aspects
  • Marketing and advertising
  • School/class start up
  • Educating parents: demonstration classes and performances
  • Networking
• Reference to Overall Goals and Objectives for Dalcroze Pedagogy* (found below in the next section)

Pedagogy Exam for Level 3

Student prepares and executes a 45-minute lesson with participants/students who are adult beginners or young students through an early-intermediate level.

Overall Goals and Objectives for Dalcroze Pedagogy

• Lessons should contain:
  • Clear demonstration of the Principles of a Dalcroze Education
  • Clear and diverse use of Dalcroze Strategies and Techniques
  • Good pacing: a logical development of one activity to the next
  • A variety of exercises which engage multisensory learning
  • Opportunities for students to improvise in movement and/or sound.
  • Clarity of directions
    • Teacher gives concise and audible instructions
    • Teacher offers one instruction at a time
  • Flexibility and adaptability in response to the students’ needs
  • Individual, partner, and group activities
  • Clarity of musical/movement goals
  • Age-appropriate content
• Musicianship
  • Improvisation (piano, voice, percussion, and/or other instrument) should demonstrate
    • A clear use of phrase period structure
    • A variety of tonalities, modes, pianistic styles
    • Musical sensitivity: attention to nuance, affect, touch etc.
    • The ability to invite, inspire, and reflect movement
  • Singing quality should show
    • The use of appropriate vocal range
    • Good intonation
    • Appropriate vocal modeling
  • Use of the body should exhibit
    • Appropriate, clear, and accurate demonstrations by the teacher that address relevant physical techniques: ease of movement, coordination, precision, accuracy, etc.
    • Clear instructions and corrections to the students that improves movement
    • Movement that embodies music
• General pedagogical considerations
  • During classroom activities candidates should be able to:
    • Watch the students move
    • Offer brief corrections/positive reinforcements to movers (sometimes while improvising)
    • Coordinate verbal, visual, tactile, and/or musical signals appropriately while improvising
  • Appropriate and purposeful use of any chosen materials
  • Overall musicality of the lesson
  • Overall relevance of music/movement/corporeal content to the students
  • Incorporating the student’s ideas into the lesson

Pedagogy Levels 4 & 5

General License Pedagogy Contents that will be ongoing through Levels 4 and 5

• License Practicum
  • Written observation and analysis of professional studies courses
  • The candidate will work with a mentor for a minimum of 5 classes in each core branch: Eurhythmics, Solfège, and Improvisation. This should include some practicum teaching by
  • the candidate in each branch.
  • See the training program director for specific information about faculty mentorship in pedagogy.
• History of Dalcroze and his importance to education, music, dance, theater, and art
• Principles of Dalcroze Education: using the body to teach music
• Experience, knowledge, and practice of Dalcroze strategies and techniques
• Assigned readings and written responses
• Subject Study
• More in-depth analysis of music/movement subjects and teaching strategies/techniques. This might include:
  • Use of composed literature in the Dalcroze classroom
  • Use of song literature in the Dalcroze classroom
  • Use of materials and equipment in a musically purposeful way
• Curriculum development
  • Age/level appropriate subjects and skills
  • Long-term development i.e.
    • How to develop a series of lessons
    • Review examples of multi-year curricula
  • Lesson planning
  • Movement vocabulary
• Classroom Management
• Business Aspects
  • Marketing and advertising
  • School/class start up
  • Educating parents: demonstration classes and performances
  • Networking
• Reference to Overall Goals and Objectives for Dalcroze Pedagogy* (found below in the next section)

Overall Goals and Objectives for Dalcroze Pedagogy:

• Lessons should contain:
  • Clear demonstration of the Principles of a Dalcroze Education
  • Clear and diverse use of Dalcroze Strategies and Techniques
  • Good pacing: a logical development of one activity to the next
  • A variety of exercises which engage multisensory learning
  • Opportunities for students to improvise in movement and/or sound.
  • Clarity of directions
    • Teacher gives concise and audible instructions
    • Teacher offers one instruction at a time
  • Flexibility and adaptability in response to the students’ needs
  • Individual, partner, and group activities
  • Clarity of musical/movement goals
  • Age-appropriate content
• Musicianship
  • Improvisation (piano, voice, percussion, and/or other instrument) should demonstrate
    • A clear use of phrase period structure
    • A variety of tonalities, modes, pianistic styles
    • Musical sensitivity: attention to nuance, affect, touch etc.
    • The ability to invite, inspire, and reflect movement
  • Singing quality should show
    • The use of appropriate vocal range
    • Good intonation
    • Appropriate vocal modeling
  • Use of the body should exhibit
    • Appropriate, clear, and accurate demonstrations by the teacher that address relevant physical techniques: ease of movement, coordination, precision, accuracy, etc.
    • Clear instructions and corrections to the students that improves movement
    • Movement that embodies music
• General pedagogical considerations
  • During classroom activities candidates should be able to:
    • Watch the students move
    • Offer brief corrections/positive reinforcements to movers (sometimes while improvising)
    • Coordinate verbal, visual, tactile, and/or musical signals appropriately while improvising
    • Appropriate and purposeful use of any chosen materials
  • Overall musicality of the lesson
  • Overall relevance of musical/corporal content to the students
  • Incorporating the student’s ideas into the lesson

Pedagogy Exam for License

• Once students have completed their License Practicum requirements in Eurhythmics, Solfège, and Improvisation (see above in the License Pedagogy Requirements), they may begin working on their individual pedagogy mentorship.
• Candidates must mentor with a faculty member(s). See the director of the training program for specific information about faculty mentorship in pedagogy.
  • Several teaching examples must be submitted to the faculty mentor(s) for discussion and evaluation.
  • The candidate must gain approval from the faculty mentor(s) before they are permitted to take a teaching examination.
• Examination Minimum Requirements
  • The candidate prepares and executes at least a 60-minute Eurhythmics lesson with participants/students who are at least an intermediate level (e.g. topics from Certificate Level 2 and above) and demonstrates license-level pedagogy.
• See the director of the training program for any other specific requirements regarding the topics teaching exams and/or portfolio requirements.