Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities
4a. Reflecting on Teaching
Reflection is and will always be a key component of my teaching practice. Throughout my student teaching internship, I utilized feedback from my cooperating teacher and supervisors, as well as video recordings to reflect on my teaching practice to grow as an educator. Below, I provided an example of a self-assessment I completed for one of my lessons using the Danielson Framework.
4c. Communicating with Families
Communicating with families creates a community of care and support for students. During my time at Paul Robinson Community School for the Arts, located in New Brunswick, NJ, my co-teachers and I communicated with the students’ families by sending home newsletters to share our goals for the program and celebrate the students’ success.
4d. Participating in a Professional Community
During my student teaching internship, I collaborated alongside my cooperating teacher and the students in an after school dance club. “Dance Xchange” provides students with an extracurricular dance club that celebrates and honors school culture and diversity. The dance club, which is ran by student leaders, allows students the chance to exchange and embrace individual and group dance culture, through the ability to create choreography and perform in student created dance pieces.
Dance Xchange 2022, Student Choreography
Dance Xchange 2022, Student Choreography
4e. Growing and Developing Professionally
As educators, we are forever students. It is vital to continue growing and developing professionally in our own teaching practice, in order to inspire our students to grow and develop on their educational journeys. Below are professional developments and other training certifications and opportunities that have have inspired me as I continue on my own educational journey.
NDEO Conference 2022
I attended the annual NDEO Conference on teaching practices, participating in a broad array of professional development sessions. These sessions dove into trending topics in dance education, included and were not limited to: diversity, inclusion and equity, training in virtually teaching dance technique, guidance and resources for remote learning in NJ dance education, creating a safe “Consent Culture” in dance training, promoting student self-awareness and self- care in the classroom and resources for the state-mandated curriculum on world dance forms.
Study Abroad
I spent my entire junior year of undergrad abroad, studying dance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, located in London, England. During this time, I continued my dance training in ballet, modern release technique, Graham technique and Cunningham technique. Additionally, I took courses in dance education pedagogy, choreography, choreutics (Laban), and dance history through performance. While studying abroad, I participated in student internship experience, which provided me with the opportunity to work alongside a multi-(dis)ability dance company, Candoco. This experience greatly shaped my interest in understanding dance and (dis)ability practices, which greatly informs my teaching practice and interest in special education.
Acrobatic Arts
As an educator who believes in continuing her education in any and all capacities, I could not turn down the opportunity to further myself by completing an acrobatics certification. Acrobatic Arts is a training and certification courses for dance teachers in the art of AcroDance. The program is based on safe and effective progressions with proven results in five divisions of AcroDance: Flexibility, Strength, Balancing, Limbering and Tumbling. It was additionally developed with input from professionals and experts in ballet, modern dance, jazz, contortion, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, sport acrobatics, yoga, acro yoga, pilates, physiotherapy, hand balancing and more. Acrobatic training is beneficial to dancers, gymnasts, and cheerleaders, not only for Acro technique, but to further cross-train. This training has further solidified my understanding of anatomical alignment and safe practice for dance, while also providing me with the knowledge on progression of tumbling technique and Acrodance. I am certified through Module 1 and 2 of the course, and have taken workshops on safe teaching practice for aerials and back handsprings.
200-HR Yoga Teacher Training: OM Factory NYC
As an educator who believes in continuing her education in any and all capacities, I could not turn down the opportunity to further myself by completing a yoga teacher training. Upon graduating with my undergraduate degree, I completed my 200-HR Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training through OM Factory NYC, in partnership with Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts. Vinyasa yoga connects each pose or “asana” with the breath “pranayama”. Each movement and breath flows together seamlessly, connecting the mind and body to the present moment. Yoga has provided me with so much; the training further solidified my anatomical alignment and safe practice for overall movement. Further, the training has provided me with practices like breathing and meditation, which positively impacts my social and emotional well being. Yoga has also provided me with the chance to truly appreciate and honor my body and all that it does for me. Click the button below to learn more about Yoga in K-12 Education and in the Community!
4f. Demonstrating Professionalism
Professionalism in teaching is demonstrated through service to students and diligently working to ensure that students have fair opportunities for success.
Social Justice Presentation
In the Spring of 2022, my cohort and I collaborated to create a presentation on the Social Justice Standards and how they informed our teaching practices during our student teaching internships. By reflecting on my own experiences and educational bias, I can work to create fair opportunities for all learners in my classroom, as well as honor the lived experiences of all my students, both now, in the future.
My cohort and my collaborated presentation on the Social Justice Frameworks and Standards for teaching.
My cohort and my collaborated presentation on the Social Justice Frameworks and Standards for teaching.
New Jersey High School Dance Festival
In the Spring of 2022, my cohort and I volunteered at the New Jersery High School Dance Festival, in Union City, NJ, through a partnership with Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School for the Arts. This dance festival brought together students from all across New Jersey, celebrating dance and dance education. My cohort and I volunteered during a student performance, as well as alongside masterclasses with guest artists, for high school students ages 13-18.