When I first arrived, I was absolutely terrified because I was going to teach kindergarteners! I feel extremely comfortable teaching older students because I feel like they understand me much better than younger children. I observed Miss Stout a few time and helped her with her typical day of teaching with her afternoon class. She already is wonderful with getting the kids moving and taught me so much about management. I felt ready to begin. I was lucky enough to get the gym one of the two days a week I was there. The commute was an hour each way and I was lucky enough to have the time to make the drive. Each time I would enter the class the kids would begin to whisper (which I felt horrible about) "Mrs. Taggart is here!". It made me happy knowing that they were excited to get up and move!
I began by having some quick fun classes on Body Energy Space and Time. The elements of dance! They learned pretty well and I learned many of my personal weaknesses. My mentor Elizabeth Hansen was able to give me some wonderful feedback on how to structure my class. It should start with something more simplistic, introductory and structured then begin to allow them some personal choices and freedom. I need to ease my students into the concepts instead of expecting them to know what to do. As a teacher I really need to think about my students and what is age appropriate. There are so many things that go into planning curriculum and I am grateful for this opportunity, for the ability to begin teaching and learning through experience. My teacher wrote me a beautiful letter saying how much she enjoyed watching her kids dance.
"One of the best benefits of having Katie dance with my kids was the opportunity for my kids to shine. I have two specific students who really lit up each time Katie came to dance with them. One student has many difficult struggles at home. Each time she took the dance floor, she seemed to enter a different world. Her creativity shown through and a smile lit up her face. I know that those few minutes dancing gave her a break from what she was dealing with. The other student who really shined was a boy. He is a very intelligent boy who comes from a stable home. It was fun to see the creativity he showed. He is usually a pretty straight arrow. I was surprised to see him participate in something I thought would be out of his comfort zone. it was just fun to watch him dance."
This experience has opened my eyes to teaching and how important it is to keep the arts in schools. I would highly recommend this experience to everyone in the arts!!!
