Responsive Classroom

My role in the education system is complex - though most important is to identify students’ strengths and in collaboration with my colleagues, guide students to use their strengths to build in their areas of growth. Theoretically, the function of education is to be “the great equalizer.” (Mann, 1848). Unfortunately, due to the stratification of social classes (Collins, 1961, p. 41), it is incredibly difficult for people to find socio-economic mobility based on merit in the education system. Dewey (1897) believes that “[Education is] a process of living and not a preparation for future living.” Education must occur through connections to current, real life experiences, otherwise education feels damp, deadened, and disconnected from reality. Dewey (1897) says “The teacher is not in the school to impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of the community to select the influences which shall affect the child and to assist him in properly responding to these influences.” After identifying a student’s strengths, I will work to select appropriate influences for the child’s growth and development.

In the educational process, my colleagues will be my collaborators. (Principle 4, Principles & Practices) We will conspire to best support the growth of each individual student. We will determine each student’s strength(s) and help students leverage their strengths in pursuit of their balanced growth. (Principle 5, Principles & Practices) In many cases, I will be collaborating with an IEP Team to serve students who have Individualized Education Programs. (Francisco, Marian P .B.; Hartman, Maria; & Wang, Ye. 2020) Even in the cases of students without DOE sanctioned IEPs, all students would benefit from an Individualized Education Program. I hope to be working in a school environment that is willing to give individualized programming to each student. This is important to me because as a student in the DOE, there were times when I felt like I wasn’t getting everything that I could’ve out of my educational experience due to the pressing needs of others. I hope to effectively serve all students.

As an urban dance educator, I will take on many roles. Artistic Leader, Educational Architect, Athletic Coach, and Family Liaison. I will guide students in their creation of artistic work. To the best of my ability, I will scaffold concepts and values in dance so that students may understand them through a holistic educational lens. (Principles 1 and 2, Principles & Practices) I will coach students in conditioning exercises and make suggestions about healthy lifestyle choices. I will work in partnership with parents/guardians to best support a child’s development. (Principle 6, Principles & Practices) In addition to this role, I also plan to maintain an adjacent career as a performing artist, so that I am practicing what I am preaching. It feels important that our students have access to current information from the industry.

My role as an educator is to acknowledge the deep conflict that the educational system is in, and foster growth and learning in spite of it. It is the role of policymakers to support transformation towards a truly functional educational system. Researchers such as Moll, González, Francisco, Hartman, and Wang provide methods in which to attempt to address the inequities present in education. I will make sure to heed the lessons learned from Gess LeBlanc, and reference his work, Who’s in My Classroom?, if I am feeling lost in my relationships with my students. His work centers student voices in the reconstruction of the educational system. In the realm of Dance Education, Nyama McCarthy-Brown provides a blueprint with Dance Pedagogy for a Diverse World: Culturally Relevant Teaching in Theory, Research and Practice. I plan to reference this book if there is ever a moment where I am feeling that I am not serving my students effectively. 

I have had experience teaching in a variety of settings, but I am looking forward to the opportunity for an extended period of impact in the growth and development of a population of students. I feel that this course work and other supplemental readings will support me in my journey as a Dance Educator.

REFERENCES

Collins, Randall. 1961. Conflict Theory of Educational Stratification. American Sociological Review.

Dewey, John. 1897. My Pedagogic Creed. The School Journal, Volume LIV, Number 3.

Francisco, Marian P .B.; Hartman, Maria; & Wang, Ye. 2020. Inclusion and Special Education. Education Sciences.

LeBlanc, G.; Fredrick, T.; and Youth Communication Writers, 2021, Who’s in My Classroom?, Jossey-Bass.

Mann, Horace. 1848. Education and Poverty. 12th Annual Report to Massachusetts Board of Education. http://www.caggiasocialstudies.com/docs/AH104/Mann 

McCarthy-Brown, Nyama. 2017. Dance Pedagogy for a Diverse World: Culturally Relevant Teaching in Theory, Research and Practice. McFarland & Company, Inc.

Moll, Luis. C., & Gonzalez, Norma. (1994). Lessons from research with language-minority 

children. Journal of Reading Behavior, 26(4), 439-456. 

Principles & Practices. Responsive Classroom. (2023, July 25). https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/about/principles-practices/