Reflection from a Teacher

So, I had to push my comfort zone and learn to teach drama and dance. Through taking this course at Brock I discovered I really enjoyed myself. I would have never voluntarily taken a drama or dance course. In high school I chose instrumental music. I didn’t know that in this course I would allow myself to take risks, not worry about being embarrassed and realize that I actually liked the subjects.

If I’m honest, I was dreading this class. I didn’t know what to expect but believed I would feel pretty embarrassed on a daily basis. I was wrong. I think the key to our safe space was the tribe building we did. We built a space where it was ok to make mistakes, it was ok to feel uncomfortable and most important - it was ok to try. 

We did a lot of laughing. We were silly at times. There were also moments when we were very serious and reflective. We had to work alone and we had to collaborate a lot. We had to be willing to give it a go. I learned to not really care what other people were doing around me and not worry how I looked. I had to because it was apart of the expectations!

I learned that you can bring drama and dance into just about anything. If I can use drama to portray a gallbladder I feel like there are no limits. This class challenged me as an educator to remember that the arts are important and an excellent tool for extending any learning. 

I have to go into my classroom and create an island where drama and dance are included, valued and taught. I have to be an advocate for this type of learning and I will because I became a better teacher for having taken this class and I want my students to have that same experience. 

I am thankful for the opportunity to have taken this class and very thankful to my professor who was passionate, energetic and understanding.