PROFESSIONAL GOALS

I want a teaching credential in order to teach dance and physical education in a high school setting. I have always wanted to work with youth because I feel that I am a good and positive role model for high school students. With my past experiences I know that teaching is one of my strong qualities and a gift that God has blessed me with. My love of dance influenced my decision to major in dance education. I would also like to teach physical education and coach a wrestling team since I’ve been wrestling for 11 years.

There are many reasons why I chose dance as the subject I want to teach. Dance develops movement skills as well as auditory, visual, tactile, and kinesthetic awareness. Additionally, it develops physical, emotional, social, linguistic, aesthetic, and cognitive learning. Communication and expression are enhanced through the dance form along with growth of cognitive skills. Dance gives a more humanistic approach to cognitive learning, which develops the learner to be a unified and integrated individual. Students are able to express themselves through movement and be creative, which allows mastery of one’s own movement skills and abilities. My goals and objectives for students would be to increase their kinesthetic awareness, movement communication skills, physical fitness, develop a healthier lifestyle, and improve coordination, flexibility, and rhythm. Students would also learn to understand and appreciate others differences by developing a greater respect for diversity. Through folk and ethnic dances, students learn the history, rituals, and traditions of dance, which develops knowledge and understanding of human diversity. This also helps students increase their understanding of their own culture and that of others. All learning is reinforced through the elements of dance, which are sound, movement, line, pattern, form, space, rhythm, time, and energy. These are all common to concepts underlying many subjects, such as language, math, English, and the social sciences.

I am kind-hearted, patient, and compassionate, but also can be stern and set high expectations for students. I believe this is what makes a good teacher. I want to share my knowledge and help students grow mentally, physically, and spiritually. I want to empower students with knowledge, and hopefully inspire them to achieve their goals in life. I believe that dance and physical education can help students grow in communication skills, team work, self-respect, respect for others and other cultures, coordination, confidence, and creativity.

I know that being a teacher can be really stressful and hard at times. I’m confident that with my background and experiences in life I will not let the difficult times bring me down. I am a member of the U.S. national team for women’s wrestling and I’m currently training for the 2004 Olympics. I have had many ups and downs in my sport with injuries, wins, and losses. Throughout all the difficult times I stayed focused and never gave up on my dream of being an Olympian. With teaching, I know that I will also stay focused and never give up on the students in my classes. I expect myself to succeed in whatever I do because I am a dedicated student and hard worker. I always finish what I start and I never give up. If I have the desire to do something, I follow through with my dream and I always meet the goals I set for myself.

Becoming a teacher is very important to me because I believe that it is what God intended for me to do and be. I want to feel a sense of pride and joy in what I do for the rest of my life, and that is why I have chosen this field of work. I feel that choosing this career will give me purpose, fulfillment, and joy because I will know I am using the gifts and talents God has given me.