Professional Development
Fire-Up! Student Teacher Conference March 4, 2013
On March 4, 2013 I attended the Fire Up Student Teacher Conference at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. This was my very first professional educational conference. At the all-day conference I attended five different sessions throughout the day. Not only did I learn lots of new information to help me become a more effective educator, I also had the opportunity to interact with colleagues and teaching professionals from all over Western Michigan. I attended sessions on various topics including: how to thrive in the classroom; how to connect with students through their "love language"; effective strategies for managing difficult students/situations; a panel discussion on out-of-state job opportunities; and creating a successful learning environment for all students. I found the conference very encouraging and useful overall and I cannot wait to apply some of the strategies and methods to my own classroom.
American Dance Therapy Association Conference October 18-22, 2011
As a dancer and dance educator I have been interested in learning about all the different professional opportunities in the field of dance. During my junior year at Hope College, I considered the possibility of studying Dance Movement Therapy for my post-graduate degree. At the time, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the American Dance Therapy Association's annual conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
At the conference I attended several sessions, watched performances, and met dance/movement therapists and professors of graduate schools with dance/movement therapy programs. Not only was I able to talk with all of these professionals of the dance/movement therapy world, but I had the opportunity to dance with them on several occasions! Through all of these activities I was immersed in the world of dance therapy and absorbed as much information as possible. This conference was even more special because it happened to intersect with the annual conferences of NDEO (National Dance Education Organization) as well as the International Guild of Musicians in Dance. As a dance education major it was serendipitous that I was able to attend the NDEO sessions as well.
At the conference I attended several sessions, watched performances, and met dance/movement therapists and professors of graduate schools with dance/movement therapy programs. Not only was I able to talk with all of these professionals of the dance/movement therapy world, but I had the opportunity to dance with them on several occasions! Through all of these activities I was immersed in the world of dance therapy and absorbed as much information as possible. This conference was even more special because it happened to intersect with the annual conferences of NDEO (National Dance Education Organization) as well as the International Guild of Musicians in Dance. As a dance education major it was serendipitous that I was able to attend the NDEO sessions as well.