My educational goals as a dance teacher include inspiring students to find their passion. Every student I have will not necessarily become a professional dancer, but all of my students can take something away from the art of dance that can help them throughout their lives, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Through differentiation and the promotion of self exploration, I strive to be able to bring the appreciation of dance to every student, whether the student is a future professional dancer, audience member, or simply someone who uses movement to stay active.
Any educational process must have some sort of passion or drive behind it. My passion for dance has grown from my former instructors’ sheer obsession with the art, and my own will to always improve. In dance, once you stop learning, you cease to be an artist. Even the most skilled dance educators must always be learning and absorbing knowledge so that they keep their inspiration to teach, and that is how I plan to develop my career. In dance, there is never a point where an instructor can stop learning. Movement is constantly changing and the methods of teaching are continuously being innovated and reformed. Therefore, part of my philosophy is to never, ever cease to learn.
One quote that I always found to be true states, “A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.” I find it important to be an advocate for both the art of dance and for my students. I want to be their backbone because school, regardless of what grade, is a vulnerable place, and I do not want any student to feel lost or alone.
Above all, I want students to exude confidence in my class, which they can take with them wherever they go. By having students think creatively and respect each other’s artistry, they are learning how to be tolerant of people and be confident in their own ideas and beliefs. Studying dance does not only teach a pupil to dance. It offers skills that participants can take with them for the rest of their lives. It offers physical and mental healing, time management skills, problem solving skills, confidence and social awareness, consciousness of one’s body, passion for the arts, and more. As a dance educator, I want to be the one to offer these skills to students in order to give them the gift that was given to me as a young student. My goal is to inspire my students to know that they can, and should, be artists, even if it not their profession. Without art, it is hard to find meaning, and so I want to make sure that they are exposed to art and that they continue to appreciate and grow from it throughout life in some capacity. Some will run with it, others will run away from it, but that’s a reality I am willing, able, and excited to face.
