Teaching Philosophy
A dance educator instills two important roles: an educator and an artist. As a dance educator, I hope to bring awareness to new perspectives through movement. I believe that dance class is more than just learning about dance and can instil twenty first century skills to apply outside the dance classroom. From my experience as a full-time student teacher in Fall of 2020, I’ve learned about my own teaching philosophy and how to include the many different teaching styles within each of my lessons. To me, it is important to create an environment that is conducive to learning, honing in on student and teacher rapport, and giving each student their own fair chance in class. The purpose of teaching dance education is not only to better one’s technique ability, but also their mind, body, and soul.
Part of my teaching philosophy and how I plan on educating my students, is leading by example. As a Cuban/Chinese born American, inclusivity in the classroom is vital and I will be sure to include and learn about the diverse backgrounds within our student population. Creating this environment for my students to reach their greatest potential without any hindrance of judgment based on their culture or background is prioritized in my classroom.
Ultimately, as a dance educator, I see potential in all of my students whether or not they are going into the professional dance world. The great thing about dance education is it teaches students how to be resilient, accountable, and responsible. These characteristics also apply to my philosophy of teaching students with special needs. Students with these characteristics will be considered versatile in any career they decide to pursue. It is my goal to have my students leave my dance class learning far more than just dance education.
Finally, I believe that dance as an art form serves as an outlet for students in K-12 education to create, perform, respond, and connect with one another through movement. I hope to be the dance educator my students can trust and appreciate the art of dance and all of its values. Students will be valued and appreciated regardless if they decide to pursue dance as a career or not.