Teacher Leadership

Summer Learning Series (2024)

• Asynchronous, self-paced, virtual workshop series on Canvas

  • Lesson Planning for Dance Educators

  • Unit Planning for Dance Educators

  • Assessment in the Dance Classroom

• Virtual workshop series

  • Curriculum Planning for Dance Educators

  • Co-Creating Success Criteria in the Dance Classroom

  • Start the School Year RIGHT!

  • Framework for Teaching Dance-through

• In-Person workshop series

  • Dance Elements 101

  • Discussion and Questioning Techniques in the Dance Classroom

  • Dance Elements 2.0

  • Infusing Dance History into Your Lessons

The CPS Department of Arts Education selects Arts Instruction Specialists to serve as teacher leaders in their respective arts disciplines.   As an Arts Instruction Specialist, Ms. Spears has assisted the department in developing high quality instruction supports in dance education.  She has delivered professional learning three times per school year aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards in Dance.  She co-facilitates the Dance Community of Practice, which meets monthly to provide support to dance educators across the district.   Ms. Spears opens her classroom as a dance demonstration site.  Dance educators from across the district can do a classroom observation in Ms. Spears's class to observe exemplary instruction and to discuss dance teaching strategies and pedagogy.

Professional Development topics include:

• IL Arts Learning Standards:  Instruction

• Demonstration Site #1:  The Standards in Practice

• IL Arts Learning Standards:  Curriculum

• IL Arts Learning Standards:  Assessment

• Lesson Tuning

• Arts Intensive #1:  Developing Students' Artistic Identities

• Fall Demonstration Site Series

• Arts Intensive #2:  Designing Student Centered Curriculum

• Arts Intensive #3:  Student Driven Assessments

• Arts Intensive #1:  Reflective and Responsive Remote Instruction 

• Instructional Priorities Learning Session

• Arts Intensive #1:  Cultural Identities, Relationships and Community

• Arts Intensive #2:  Reimagining Assessment

• Arts Intensive #3:  Reimagining Content

In addition to her work as an Arts Instruction Specialist, Ms. Spears has worked on special projects for the department.  This work includes:

• Leading a workshop for arts educators on the topic of building relationships with students.

• Teaching a dance workshop for the Arts for Non-Arts Teachers professional development series.

• Teaching dance integration workshops at the Arts Integration Academy for non-arts teachers.

• Being on the writing team to revise the Arts Addendum for the CPS Framework for Teaching.

• Teaching sessions at Back-to-School workshops:

  • Discussing Contemporary Parables and Social Justice

  • Questioning and Discussion Techniques in the Arts

  • Close Reading a Dance

• Being a panelist at teacher forums during professional development conferences.

• Serving on the REACH performance tasks writing and piloting groups.

• Hosting Lesson Labs for dance educators on topics such as Incorporating Dance History into Your Curriculum.

• Writing the dance Scope and Sequence unit overviews for Skyline.

• Participating in the Arts Professional Learning Community.

• Assisting in writing the Chicago Guide for Teaching and Learning in the Arts.

• Reviewing and editing the African American and Hispanic American heritage units for the Knowledge Center.

• Developing and leading sessions at the annual Arts Education Conferences, co-hosted by the Department of Arts Education and Ingenuity.  Topics include:

  • Memories as Deep as Your Blood:  An integrated unit about Alvin Ailey.

  • The Fractions Dance:  Integrating math and movement.

  • Close Reading a Work of Art.

  • Questioning Techniques in the Arts Classroom.

  • ImMERCEd:  Using iPads in the Dance Classroom.

  • Learning Centers in the Dance Classroom.

  • Responding:  Teaching Your Students to Observe, Understand, Describe and Discuss Works of Art

  • Breathing to Create Change

  • JOY (Jubliance, Openness, Youthfulness):  Remembering Who We Are

CPS Framework Specialists are selected through a rigorous application process.  They must have at least five years of teaching experience and have a distinguished rating, have a deep understanding of the Framework for Teaching, and a commitment to providing equity for CPS students and teachers.  Ms. Spears is the only dance educator in the Framework Specialist cohort.   Through her work with the cohort, she has developed resources for the CPS Employee Intranet (formerly the Knowledge Center) specifically designed for arts educators.  (These resources will be uploaded to the Artifacts page soon, permission pending.)  She has developed and facilitated professional learning aligned to the Framework for Teaching.  She collaborates in a grade / content mentoring team to develop monthly professional development for "specials" teachers in the New Teacher Cohort.  She also provides mentoring support for new arts educators each school year (see Teacher Mentor tab).

Resources created:

• Close Reading a Work of Art

• Disciplinary Literacy in the Arts

• Performance AS Assessment

• Performance AS Assessment:  The Rubric

• Using Self-Assessment in the Arts Classroom

• Tracking Student Progress in the Arts

• Artistic Critique

• Using Question Formulation Technique (QFT) as An Entry Point for Inquiry (video)

• Adapt It for the Arts (formative assessment tips)

• Co-Creating Assessment Criteria (video)

• Engaging Students in Discussions Using a Work of Art (video)

• Student-Developed Rubrics in the Arts Classroom

• Question Quickies for Enrichment Classes

Professional Development topics include:

• Questioning and Discussion Techniques in the Arts

• Pause the Panic:  Setting Up the Classroom Space, Procedures, Climate and Behavior for "Special"ists

• Student Created Assessments in the Arts

• Great Starts:  Setting Up Your Classroom for the First Time

• Great Starts:  Procedures, Climate and Behavior

• Close Reading a Work of Art

Presenting at the Illinois Dance Education Organization annual conference in March 2025 on the topic of Empowering Student Identity.

Presented at numerous conferences through Ingenuity Inc.,, 2011 - present.  Most recent workshop:  Empowering Artistic Growth through Best Practices in Standards-Aligned Arts Education.

Presented at the Illinois Dance Education Organization annual conference in 2021 on the topic of co-creating success criteria with students.

Presented reflections and curricular content at the Chicago Public Schools Inner Core Collaboratory 2022.

Led a Wednesday Workshop for the CPS Office of Assessment titled Co-Creating Assessment Criteria and Developing the Rubric.

Presented at the virtual National Dance Education Organization conference in 2020.

Illinois Alliance for Health, PE, Recreation and Dance:  Taught sessions at annual state convention from 1999 through 2013.

Dance education consultant for The Joffrey Ballet Community Engagement department and Forward Momentum Chicago.

Ms. Spears has led study groups funded by the Chicago Foundation for Education.  These study groups meet throughout the summer and fall to grow in their teaching practice and focus on a specific topic or teaching strategy.  Topics of her study groups include:

• Dance integration across the curriculum

• Differentiation in the dance classroom

• Close reading a work of art

• Assessment techniques in the dance classroom

• Unit planning for dance educators

"New teachers: take this class!  It will inform and ignite your teaching so over time you will grow to be distinguished."  ~ Jeannette, who attended Framework for Teaching Dance-Through

"Starting the School Year RIGHT helped me get into the mindset of planning for those first few days of school.  Hearing from Ms. Spears and other educators about their practices helps me solidify my own ideas and strategies to set students up for success." ~ Ally P., who attended Start the School Year RIGHT

"Even though I am an experienced teacher, there is always something that I can learn and in this presentation I got several ideas on how to start the school year" ~ Valerie, who attended Start the School Year RIGHT

"Gina is flush with wisdom and resources for both new and early career dance educators.  We love a woman willing to share her genius!" ~ Shelley, who attended Start the School Year RIGHT

"This workshop included so many practical tips that I am sure to incorporate as I start my school year." ~ Allison, who attended Start the School Year RIGHT

"This course exceeded my expectations and identified strategies for developing a scope and sequence for dance curriculum." ~ Kelly, who attended Curriculum Planning for Dance Educators

"Gina's extensive knowledge and experience makes her a skillful presenter and mentor.  Her strategies and insights are practical and relevant.  Her approach incorporates diverse learners and makes dance accessible and fun for all students.  Gina has a wealth of experience to share, and I always walk away from her workshops with fresh ideas!" ~ Ally, who attended Dance Elements 2.0

"Gina is a master at generating effective strategies to bring sometimes abstract and complex concepts to life.  I look forward to every session with her, knowing that I will leave feeling a sense of renewal to my own practice!" ~ Marissa, who attended Dance Elements 2.0

"Creating rubrics as dance educators is sometimes one of the toughest parts of the job which often involves very little written data.  This workshop helped me to better prepare for providing my students (as well as myself as a new educator) the tools to recognize and build a grading structure for an otherwise abstract learning environment." ~ Shelley, who attended Co-Creating Assessments workshop

"This course was helpful to learn how to facilitate student-led assessments in the dance classroom.  Giving students a voice in how they are assessed will lead to better engagement and will give them autonomy over their learning.  I'm excited to use the ideas from this course for the next school year!" ~ Jessica, who attended Co-Creating Assessments workshop

"I highly recommend Gina's workshops.  The knowledge I have gained from working with Gina far exceeds other workshops I have taken." ~ Janet

"This course provided helpful, concrete tools to use in the dance classroom with lots of opportunities for differentiation based on grades and abilities." ~ Stephanie, who attended Dance Elements 101

"Don't hesitate!  Come take this class if you are new to teaching dance or if you have been teaching for a lifetime, you will take away something exciting and new for your toolbox." ~ Jeannette, who attended Infusing Dance History workshop