Everywhere Kate travels people express excitement and gratitude for her enthusiasm, dedication and creativity.
What Teachers Say...
After a "BrainDance" workshop
This was one of the best trainings I've been to. The relevance was clear and it is easily transferred to my job. This was new information which was GREAT -- I've been in the field a long time.
STARNET, Belleville, Illinois. Click here to see pictures from this workshop. Scroll down to the Photo Gallery and click on my name.
About working with teachers and students at a MIDDLE SCHOOL
Thanks so much for a great residency. I'm glad this kind of thing exists. It has the potential to change the way people think about education.
Ellen Evans, Band Teacher, Bensenville, IL
About "Simple Machines and M.E." a one-week residency...
This curriculum was EXCELLENT. It reinforced everything that we taught in the unit. Students LOVED seeing the simple machines acted out physically.
Teacher/Grade 3
Booker T. Washington, Champaign
The students have become more engaged and motivated to learn about Simple Machines. They have a deeper understanding of the different machines and their functions.
Teacher, Grade 3
Dr. Howard, Champaign
The lessons increased recall through songs and movement. Kids were excited and recited the different rhymes throughout the day!
Teacher, Grade 3
Barkstall, Champaign
About "Common Threads," a social studies two-month residency....
Let me tell you what I really enjoyed. I loved watching kids who struggle in other areas having a chance to shine. I loved different kids being given the chance to be leaders. I loved the pride the children had in themselves and the art that they created. It was beautiful.
Tiffany Clark, Teacher/Grades
3 & 4
Leal School, Urbana, Illinois 2005
About "Living in Harmony," a social studies one-month residency...
Kate did a wonderful job of coordinating our “Living in Harmony” theme. She created, with the help of the students, our dance to explain and show how important our families are to us. At all times she reinforced working together as a group and cooperating with each other. These are areas we are always reinforcing. What a pleasure to work with Kate! My class and I loved our experience with her.
Deborah Johnson, Teacher/Grade
2
Clara Peterson School, Paxton,
Illinois 2002
Kate Kuper integrated social studies, people/tolerance, community, family, democracy and environment into her dance. These are all part of our curriculum in second grade. She also incorporated writing. This gave me the opportunity to teach expository writing about a topic they were enthused about and a life experience. Kate included character building, which is an area we teach daily. She taught my students the importance of listening and following directions. But most importantly, we had fun learning all these things.
Margo Jones, Teacher/Grade 2
Clara Peterson Elementary, Paxton,
Illinois 2002
About "Dance A Story, Dance A Poem," a one-month residency...
Kate Kuper presented a variety of dance lessons to over 100 first graders at Clara Peterson this spring. Her lessons were designed in such a way as to incorporate movement activities related to first grade literacy skills. In each session, movement was combined with instruction and activities related to vocabulary development, sequencing, narrative and expository writing, poetry, journaling, and a variety of other writing activities. High order thinking skills were addressed when children were asked to compare/contrast, evaluate and interpret writing, music and dance.
I found the most observable impact on the students to be their increased level of interest and involvement. I also appreciated the fact that lessons were open ended, giving the children freedom to “take off in their own direction” during their journaling times. They were eager to complete the writing activity introduced at the close of each session.
I would like to continue to use methods which capture my students’ imagination. Ms. Kuper showed us that children’s writing is more exciting and inspired when it is preceded by high interest activities which equally involve and engage every child in the class. She captured students’ interest and imagination with dance and carried that enthusiasm over into areas related to literacy.
Linda Tammen, Teacher/Grade 1
Clara Peterson Elementary, Paxton,
Illinois 2004
Other teachers speak out!...
I woke up at 5 am this morning with a head full of new ideas triggered by your class yesterday. Thanks for the inspiration. You are the first instructor who sent me home with ALL the necessary information so that I would be able to use the new ideas. You did a great job of providing what we needed to implement the songs/movement activities. Truly creative people are not easy to come across, so I enjoy them when they come along. Thanks for sharing your gift of music and creative movement with us. I can tell that you love what you are doing and that is what makes you a great instructor.
Danita Lemmer/Dance Teacher
The Plains, Virginia 2005
“Kate makes you feel enthusiastic about her work and your own. She is very responsive and goes the extra mile in her planning and research.”
Kris Maleske/Art Teacher
Mattoon, Illinois
“My students look forward to Kate’s time with them. Their work with Kate is fun! But her lessons are so well-organized, her manner so professional, and her language so appropriate, that my students understand immediately that this is not play time – that they are expected to pay attention and work. They soon learn that if they do their part, they will be rewarded with accomplishment and insight.”
Linda Kimmel, Teacher/Grade 4
Bottenfield Elementary School,
Champaign, Illinois
What Kids Say...
Kate Kuper is FUN! - Will Guth (age 2)
I am so glad I got to spend time with you! Just trying to think of all the wonderful and exciting things we’ve done together puts my head in a whirl! This was a really fascinating experience. I loved stretching my mind in so many different ways. You really taught me how to be creative. The performance was my favorite part in all the time we spent together, the working up to it, the excitement and the learning all combined made it an incredibly fascinating experience.
Maeva O’Brien/Grade 4
Leal School, Urbana, Illinois 2005
I like the way we all made the program. I hope you can teach more kids, too. It’s been great having you teach us. We all are important because it’s more than one person, it’s people. When you take a person and put it with people you usually make them happy. You helped me be more of a FRIEND to Kaitlin, and even though we sometimes don’t agree, we don’t mean it.
Jessica Sagen/Grade 3
Clara Peterson School,Paxton, Illinois 2000
“My favorite part was the Funky Flower because it was Funky and you could really dance to it. I learned that dance can be really fun. I loved making our own dances.”
Nathan/Grade 4
Bottenfield School, Champaign, Illinois 2000
“Thank you for teaching our class weather. I like it when we was gas. My favorite cloud was cirrus.”
Tyler Dickey/Grade 2
Westview School, Champaign, Illinois 2005
“There are two things I like about Mrs. Kuper. First, I like how she dances. Second, I like how she can make a song and put a beat with the song.”
Ian Lee/Grade 2
Clara Peterson Elementary, Paxton, Illinois 2002
What Parents Say...
“I’m glad the students got a chance to experience learning an academic subject through a non-traditional style of learning. My child talked about how she was able to feel like she was a part of the Underground Railroad. It was great that all the students in the school could experience learning in the same way.”
“I was impressed with how much all of the children actively participated and took ownership of the dances they created. This was a great program that made the kids want to be involved and they looked forward to every day. I hope we can bring more programs like this to our schools. What a great way to introduce students to fine arts, many of whom would never get that opportunity anywhere else.”
“My daughter used to say she couldn’t dance. Now she knows she can.”
Parents of fourth graders
Meadowbrook Elementary, Forrest, Illinois 2001
What Administrators Say...
Many of the seniors mentioned your teaching and your Creative Dance for Children
class during their exit interviews as being a positive and sometimes even
pivotal experience for them during their time as students. They speak very
highly of your work. Congratulations, and thanks for all you have contributed
this year!
Rebecca Nettl-Fiol/Interim Head
Department of Dance, University
of Illinois 2005
“As an administrator I have been impressed by Kate’s organization, quality work, professionalism and collaboration skills. Kate is a clear and effective communicator with children of all ages. She excellently managed all classes and student behaviors. She guided students with warmth and gentle firmness, correcting them with respect. I can testify to the fact that Kate has brought about a change of perspective in our students, parents and staff. She has broadened their view of learning and the joy of experimenting with their own creativity.”
Ibis Shonk/Principal
Bottenfield School, Champaign,
Illinois
“Thank you for opening our eyes to the role of dance and movement in the elementary classroom and the role of the artist in education.”
Sandra Bales/Professor Art Education
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
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