Teachers Ed with Edward DeShazer

Joy in Learning w/ Alexia Pendleton aka The Dancer Teacher

• Edward DeShazer

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What if the key to academic success isn't found in rigid classroom structures, but in creating spaces where students feel safe enough to be their authentic selves? Alexia, known professionally as "The Dancer Teacher," brings her infectious energy and profound insights to this episode as we explore how joy, authenticity, and emotional intelligence create the foundation for effective learning environments.

Drawing from her dual expertise as a kindergarten teacher in Atlantic City and a hip-hop dance instructor, Alexia challenges the widespread misconception that learning must be devoid of fun to be effective. "We often link this 'no fun, get to business' with higher scores and higher learning, but actually that's wrong," she observes, noting that despite this approach, "the scores are still trash." Instead, she advocates for intentionally building classroom cultures where both teachers and students can show up as their true selves.

The conversation delves into practical strategies for creating these environments, from establishing consistent routines that build safety to teaching emotional vocabulary that helps students identify and manage their feelings. Alexia emphasizes that before educators can help students develop emotional intelligence, they must first cultivate this skill themselves – knowing their own triggers and modeling healthy emotional regulation.

We also tackle the critical issue of expectations, particularly for students from marginalized communities. Alexia identifies two problematic extremes: over-disciplining Black and brown children, and the savior mentality that sets exceedingly low expectations. Both approaches, she argues, ultimately fail students by not preparing them for success beyond the classroom.

Perhaps most compelling is Alexia's perspective on freedom in education – not as chaos, but as creating space for authentic self-expression and student agency. When students feel empowered in this way, they take ownership of their learning journey and develop the intrinsic motivation that drives lasting success.

Subscribe to The Teacher's Ed Podcast for more conversations that help educators learn, grow, and be inspired. Find Alexia on all platforms @TheDancerTeacher and at thedancerteacher.com for classroom resources.

www.EdwardDeShazer.org

Speaker 1:

We often link this no fun get to business with higher scores and higher learning, but actually that's wrong and I don't know where that came from, but we can see, because the scores are still trash.

Speaker 2:

If you're an educator, that's passionate, but you're tired and you're burnt out and you're wondering what to do next, this is the show for you and you're burnt out and you're wondering what to do next, this is the show for you. We're going to learn together, we're going to recharge together and we're going to grow together so you can be the best you and serve your students and your community to the best of your ability. Welcome to the Teacher's Ed Podcast. I'm your host, edward DeShazer. This show is where educators come to learn, grow and be inspired.

Speaker 2:

If you enjoyed today's episode, do me a favor, subscribe, leave a review on Apple. If you're on YouTube, do whatever they do on YouTube. I'm new to YouTube, so like it, comment, share it with someone. Whatever you got to do, just figure it out. I'll let you figure it out. Today's guest is someone that I've been fortunate enough to meet, see at conferences, do work with. She has an infectious type of energy. She's passionate about the work that she does, not only for her students, but with dance and working with kids there. So please, welcome to the podcast the dancing teacher herself, my sister, alexia.

Speaker 1:

Hey, hi everyone. I'm so happy to be here.

Speaker 2:

And no, when this is recorded, she's only been out of school for about a week. Don't play. Y'all went way too late and probably go back tomorrow.

Speaker 1:

We do not go back tomorrow. I actually do go back to work next week, though.

Speaker 2:

I ain't gonna hold you. So I work on curriculum, so I'll be going back to back to work next week. Take that. I want to let that deep breath out. I can feel it coming. Let it let it out.

Speaker 2:

It's that time of year it is. So, yeah, let's jump right in. First, I want you to just let the people know. A lot of the people aren't going to be familiar with you, and the people that are, Let them know who you are, how you came up with I mean, I know how you came and why they call you the dancing teacher, but let the people know who you are, where you're at and even right now, let them know you're social so they can make sure that you give her a follow as well.

Speaker 1:

All right y'all. Well, as I was introduced, my name's Alexia, also known as the dancer teacher. The name comes with the territory. I am a kindergarten teacher in Atlantic City, new Jersey, by day and at night. I am a dancer teacher, but I teach hip hop. So I've been teaching hip hop since I graduated high school. So I started teaching at a studio right out of high school and I've been teaching ever since. So when I'm not in the classroom, I'm in the studio or I'm also teaching fitness classes at the gym. So always dancing, always moving. And I also have two boys. So when I'm not doing all the things, I'm doing all the things as a mom and a wife. And yeah, so that's a little bit about me.

Speaker 2:

And that's busy, and I know that resonates with people that are listening, because all the time I talk to teachers and it's like it never ends. You're doing stuff for your classroom, for those kids, and then when you're not there, you're also. You know that some of them are running their kids around. So not only are you running your kids around with stuff, but you're the person that everyone else is running their kids around to come spend some time with you know, as a dancing teacher as well. So kind of jumping right in talking about classroom culture, you know. So I know that's something just from the times I've heard you speak that you know, and it's important. I am just of the thought that everything starts with the culture of a classroom. So what does for you, what does a strong classroom culture feel like? Or, you know, and how can a teacher that's listening because this is going to go right as the school's beginning, so there's teachers that are like some, feel like they've tried everything. What does a good classroom culture feel like to you?

Speaker 1:

It feels like safety, it feels like genuine being able to be our authentic selves, and oftentimes I think about myself and my journey, where it's mentally, emotionally, academically.

Speaker 1:

I was never able to really feel like my authentic self until I was either in the dance studio or teaching children.

Speaker 1:

So I wanted to make sure that, even around adults, I was always a little bit uncomfortable, never fully confident in who I was or sharing that or trusting people enough to do that.

Speaker 1:

So, creating just a space where our kids can feel vulnerable enough to come up and show up as themselves and myself as the teacher you know education sometimes we have to get right to the academics and get right through this and do this, and there's so much on top of us that we often lose who we are in that space and we allow the stress and just the fatigue to take over because we have to do so many things, take over because we have to do so many things.

Speaker 1:

And I wanted to make sure that as soon as I got in the classroom that I was able to show up my authentic self so the kids see that and they don't feel afraid to be themselves, cause oftentimes our kids get, you know, hit by the realness of what school is and, um, they kind of they kind of lose who they are or they have to fake it or mask in order to meet the needs of the other people or the teacher. So I have to be who they want me to be and I want our kids to show who they are and we support them through that process. But it needs to be safe, we need to be connected and it needs to be filled with love.

Speaker 2:

And that's the foundation, the core of what I believe a classroom should have listening, and you know, how can a principal or school administrator listening? How can they best support a teacher as this year is starting, you know, because it's one thing for you to do with your students, but how can a school leader do that for you? Specifically, like, what are some things that have maybe a school leader has done for you to really support you so you can show up feeling like you're?

Speaker 1:

off on itself. Well, I think, oftentimes just the basic needs of support and time. And of course admin have a bunch of deadlines and things that they have to get done. But I think really giving teachers the autonomy to do what they know is right for their students, when oftentimes, just like you know, the teachers put that pressure on the kids because we got to go to a whole bunch of stuff and then the admin put that pressure on the teachers and then that trickles down from the top.

Speaker 1:

You know, everybody just needs to pause and remember again the culture is the roots.

Speaker 1:

So think of it as a tree. When we don't build that strong foundation, even in a house like you can have a nice kitchen and you can have a nice you know bathroom and a bedroom, but if your foundation is trash, if the house isn't structurally built strong, it's going to not withstand those difficult times and moments. And same thing with the tree. You know you need those strong foundational roots and that's the culture that often gets left out of the conversation, out of what we do, out of the PD that we have and receive. So I think giving us time and giving us the space to do what we know is best and just supporting us in that time, the few weeks at the beginning, just leaving off a little bit of the pressure of all the things and the paperwork and the assessments and all those things and just giving us time to just do what we need to do. Because once we lay down that foundation, the rest of the year is going to be more solid. But we need that time and trust.

Speaker 2:

So time and trust.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

Time, trust and support. Yes, you know your kids are going to be coming back. What are some of the ways that you lay the ground? You know, like lay those roots with your kids, cause I've seen the videos and if you have not seen her videos, like they have fun and I love that. And that's one thing I talk to middle school teachers a lot, you know, being that our school's K to eight is we've we've sent older kids and younger like kindergarten classes to help out and you almost see like a light bulb go off because they forgot what it was like to be in school and enjoy it. Because what you do with the Friday, the Friday, what is it called the Friday?

Speaker 1:

Our fluency Friday.

Speaker 2:

Where you're dancing and like y'all are kicking it, but you know the kids are enjoying it. So I guarantee you kids don't want to miss that. But then when kids get older, all of a sudden we don't do stuff like that because we're worried about them having too much fun or it's not. School's not coming to school, because that's the from what I see in Milwaukee is a big challenge. Kids just don't like school. So that what's the incentive to show up to something I don't like every single day?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's several different things, I think, with our kids. We often rob them of joy because what they're seeing they become. So if my teachers, after a certain time period, lose that joy and it's not modeled to me, then how am I ever going to be what I can't see and it's not modeled to me, then how am I ever going to be what I can't see? And I think that because of testing, because of, you know, state testing and all the things. We often link this no fun, get to business with higher scores and higher learning, but actually that's wrong and I don't know where that came from, but we can see because the scores are still trash. So if you're not having fun, then for a grownup, if we're not enjoying what we're doing, if we're not passionate about it, it's going to lose its meaning. And that all stems from how we are showing our kids.

Speaker 1:

How are we teaching them, how we are embedding things like neuroscience and how kids learn and movement and community and how that, you know, really changes the way the brain is connecting and how our kids are learning. So I think, for just from the jump, our kids need to see your love of learning and your safety that you're building in the classroom. How are you connecting with your kids? How is there a structure and a routine that's that builds safety as well? So sometimes it's like, no, it's not just asking a kid like what's your favorite color or what do you like to do for fun.

Speaker 1:

It's building safety of routine and structure from the beginning, making sure you're intentional about joy in your classroom. Are you laughing? Are you, you know, not being so serious all the time? Are the kids moving and having different things where they can have choice, embedded to the structure of your day? So being intentional about those things throughout your day. Are they having conversations? Are we embedding, you know, emotional intelligence into our day? So our kids build that because, yes, it's about, you know, explicit teaching, because we need strong tier one instruction, but we can also embed joy and fun into that and movement, which is all brain based.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and the word that you said several times was intention, and I think that's you know from just what I've seen, teachers that are intentional usually get the best results. I guess I can't say that because some people are just intentional with not creating what they should Like. Their intentions are maybe somewhat misguided. But I think when you have educators who are intentional but also following the science and that's something that people are really starting to get back to, which I don't know why we ever got away from in the first place. But I love that you just talked about intention and one of the questions I would ask is on those tougher days, what can or what do you do, or what can an educator do?

Speaker 2:

That's on my camera around. There's cats running around in here. This is their playground. What can an educator do on those tough days? Because I always say it's like when it's when things are going well, that first week it's, you know it always feels a little easier. But what about when it's, you know, november or that like March stretch, when the year is just like really, how do you still infuse joy into what you're doing in those moments when it's tougher?

Speaker 1:

I think that all boils down to the foundation and the core, just like what we were talking about before with the roots of culture. You have to build them and they have to be strongly embedded and that's when you know the storm hits, the tree is not going to knock over, because you've done the work to really build that culture and community with your classroom. And that stems with one building trust. So how are you building trust with your kids? How are they knowing that what you say, you mean and that's an expectation thing as well, setting those high expectations so that your kids meet them and not just low-balling them, because that's something that also builds trust. Making sure that your structure and routine is similar, close to the same, every day.

Speaker 1:

When kids need routine and structure, because that builds safety, especially with our kids who have trauma, they need a strong routine and structure. So even on those hard days when I know, oh, for me, oh, this is going to come next, next, next, that's how my brain works as well. So I need to make sure that we follow this routine because we know what to expect. Also, building times to talk to your kids, building that connection in different ways, where you embed student leadership or different jobs or different opportunities for your kids to lead and kind of take a front role so that you know you're not doing everything. Our kids need to see themselves in a leadership role and that also lightens the load a little bit too For me.

Speaker 1:

I have a DJ of the day who also works alongside with me to really set an intention of kids seeing themselves in leadership roles, and that gives me time to connect with them, it gives them a little bit of extra special time, it gives me time to get to know them and just relying on your family, building that structure and routine where kids are safe and connected and they're able to learn, we'll build that trust and that safety with your families. So, connecting with the families and on those hard days, now that I've done the work and now that the families know how I roll and how we run this community in this classroom, we've built the trust Little Johnny tripping today, and then they know okay, let me, I can pull up or I need you to come through and just check on him because he's doing too much, because we're going to have those hard days. The kids are kids, um, but laying that strong foundation is going to get you through those storms, because yeah.

Speaker 2:

And one thing I know about parents is when you're constantly calling them for negative stuff, eventually they're going to stop answering. And then you know every school has that teacher that, just like you're just constantly firing off phone calls Like if someone called you every day with something negative. It's like when you see those bill, like when a bill collector called, I'm not answering. I know what the problem is.

Speaker 2:

Like well, I know I owe you, so why am I going to answer the phone? And well, I know I know I owe you, so why am I going to answer the phone? Um, and I think sometimes that's how that relationship with the parents and the and the and the staff become, because some staff members aren't intentional with building the positive things of like hey, I'm the, your, your child's teacher, I'm here, these are the great things, these are fun things. We're doing. This is what's going on, instead of only calling when you, absolutely when there's a problem, and then now, because you've done the work to create that positive relationship, when you do need something, parents.

Speaker 2:

There's a lot of distrust with parents in schools right now and you know, when we were growing up I say we um little getting old, but it sounds like someone's like, like like a dad now but when we were growing up it was like the parent and the school were kind of against, not against the kid, but they were pulling the rope together and the kid was pulling the rope like I didn't do it and the parents and teachers were like yes, you did, whereas now, when there's an issue, parents pull up and they're on like their default is to think what did the teacher do, what did the school do, what did the classroom do? So I think what you're really hearing, what you're saying, is really will help a staff member to build trust on the front end so that when there is an issue because newsflash for anyone listening there is going to be issues I do not care how good of a teacher you are, how great your classroom management is, like, forget about it. There's going to be challenges, but because you have that foundation of respect and joy with your parents as well as your students, when those problems come up, now we're working together I love. Another thing I want you to just talk about.

Speaker 2:

I'm not overly familiar with the school that you're in, but one of the things I see so often in cities like Milwaukee I'm sure New York is very similar is you get into schools that are in the city and the expectations just get lowered automatically. And I tell teachers all the time if a kid I watch these kids you know they can memorize a praise dance for five minutes while seeing the words at the same time, like they're capable of doing whatever. It's just some educators, we have these biases that well if a kid comes from a certain neighborhood, certain zip code, certain parent situations, they can't do it. Zip code, certain parent parent situations, they can't do it and we lower the expectation. Then we wonder why kids don't rise, but as educators we kind of lower the expectation. So just curious, from your experience you know being out in Jersey is lowered expectations, something that a lot of educators struggle with there as well.

Speaker 1:

Yes, something that a lot of educators struggle with there as well. Yes, and I think that's like the system, because there's two sides. Right, we have the strict. You know, it's a school to prison pipeline in two different forms. So one, you just, you know, put the belt on our black and brown kids. You set them up to build these habits and patterns. Then when they go out in the real world, that's what happens. Then you have the other side where you set very low expectations. You want to be the savior, you want to feel good about yourself, and then you're setting the kids up because then they have no expectations. Then they're going out into the real world and flop in immediately because they just do whatever they want. So there's this like two big ends of this spectrum where you're setting them up for failure either way. One just makes you feel better about yourself, and the other one is you don't want to deal with it and you're just immediately putting you know them up for failure.

Speaker 1:

So I think that for us, a lot of the times it's the teacher and we have to do better. We have to be more knowledgeable about what really is happening to our kids. We have to know that it's not just when they're in the classroom with us. They have a whole future down the line and our goal is not to just, you know, set them for success when they're in their classroom or just make you feel good or, you know, make them feel good. It's about building the things that they need to take them to the next grade and the next grade so that they have a successful future.

Speaker 1:

And setting high expectations means you need to be consistent, and I find that now, especially with grownups. You know, in a digital age, those things take work and we are also being programmed to want things instantly, and that's a problem because, ultimately, we're modeling to our kids that that's the expectation, and a lot of it, too, is our families. They set low expectations, they want to enable their kids and give them everything that they didn't have, and then that still sets them up for success because they're not building resilience, they don't know how to deal with frustration or disappointment or not getting what they want. So it's a big problem and, at the end of the day, the people that are hurting the most is our kids.

Speaker 2:

This was a time when we were in Austin and I some just kind of what you're talking about resilience and um students struggling One of the things that you did that I thought was very interesting and it was.

Speaker 2:

I thought it was cool and I don't think I don't think staff and teachers do it enough. When you talked about um, it was at the open of your presentation. We talked about getting your kids identify how they're feeling, and I think that's something I would love for you just to touch on before we kind of go into the last segment, because I think that is something that gets missed, especially in black and brown communities, where it's like students don't know how to resolve their feelings because a lot of times they don't know how to identify what those feelings are in the first place. So what are some of the things you do, especially because you're starting at an early age? You know you're like really laying the foundation for those kids, but what are some of the the activities and ways um, you know maybe one or two really good ones that a teacher can utilize on of how to help students identify those feelings that they may be feeling, so then they can communicate it to us, then we can work on supporting them.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. So first things first, educators and grownups have to be able to identify their own feelings. And that's a big chunk of the work is you're going to have to know what you're feeling. You're going to have to know what your triggers are. You're going to have to be able to name it, to tame it. Built emotional intelligence because our families did not, or whoever your family, your parents are, they didn't teach you how to do that. So now we're struggling and the need is so strong for our kids. So we have to identify what we're feeling first, because if we are not in control, then we can't help no kids be in control, then we can't help no kids be in control. And for our kids it's building emotional vocabulary.

Speaker 1:

So what I like to do is, each week I focus on one feeling and we go into the different. You know self-awareness and social awareness and all the different competencies of SEL, but we really work through each feeling. So if it's frustrated you, you know what does frustrating mean? What does it mean to you? Because frustration can come off on you differently. What does that feel like in our bodies? What does that feel like in our minds? What are we saying to ourselves? What is our heart doing when we feel frustrated? What is are we having like? Are we getting sweaty? Are we getting, you know, ready to fight and thinking about those things? And having those conversations with kids. Kindergarten is the very foundation. I sometimes wish I would have had older kids, because you can really get into some deep conversation with them. And then how does that show up? How do we tame it? How do we calm that down? What are some things that we can do? Setting affirmation and then embedding that throughout the week. So, and then you can tie that in academically, read aloud, you can read stories with, with characters that experience those feelings, you can write about it, you can, you know, bring it up in historical aspects, and when do you have people felt this way in history? So it's not like something added, like this is the core, and I think that's so.

Speaker 1:

The reasons why we see all these big problems in the world is one people don't have empathy. But in order to build empathy, you have to be emotionally intelligent and aware and because of trauma and other things, especially with boys, rage and anger just take over and then they have no, you know, intelligence. So we want to make sure that we're building that in our kids because it's important and, at the end of the day, if they can't be emotionally in control, then they're not going to learn anything. So just little things and little conversations and building upon each thing. You can look up the circle of all the different feelings and pick one and focus each day. It can take two to five minutes and then in conversation throughout the day, you're just naming it when you see a kid experiencing it. Oh, we're talking about frustration. This is a perfect example. Okay, having community meetings and discussing how we're getting through that is, it's happening in real time.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, yeah, I love it and it, you know, it's taking those and turning them into teachable moments for especially young kids, because then, as they get older, now this is something, a foundation, that a lot of times they didn't, you know, they didn't get, and a lot of times we didn't get, especially as a young man. You know, we were always told toughen up, and what are you crying for Girls? You know girls cry and it's like you know. Then it just, you know, creates a whole long, longer cycle. Get ready to kind of wrap up. You talked about freedom in your classroom. Um, so I kind of want to know what does that look like? Because I know firsthand, when you start talking about freedom, when you're talking about five and six year olds, that's scary for someone, because those are kids like if you give you know. So what does freedom look like? And and maybe I was misinterpreting what you meant but what does freedom look like and why is that important in your classroom and in your school?

Speaker 1:

Freedom is being able to be who you are, without judgment, without punishment, without trying to change who you are.

Speaker 1:

And I think in education we want to change because we want to control so much.

Speaker 1:

And that doesn't mean we don't have structure, that doesn't mean we don't, you know, we're not, we're allowed to just be harmful, but it's showing up who you are and we are all accepting of that and being able to explore and learn in different ways and really getting to know all different stories and backgrounds and celebrating those things without trying to control and restrict.

Speaker 1:

And I think that in education especially throughout, like historically, it's been set up for control and compliance and for me, you know, it's the kids being the boss of themselves and thinking about humanity and what is the best thing that we can do so that we can keep our classroom safe and connected and learning. So that is, you can be free in who you are, but we're not going to be harmful and we're going to learn how to do that. We're going to learn how to stay connected. We're going to learn how to heal when we are harmful, because that's going to happen and, at the end of the day, I want us to all enjoy learning and enjoy that learning process and be free to have joy and love in the classroom. And freedom, you know, scares a lot of people because if I'm free and you're not, you're like, well, I want that, but you're afraid to just cacaw and release and be who you are. So, being who you are, showing up authentically as yourself and for the community, making sure that we are building together and not apart.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and freedom empowers. It empowers kids to in their learning process, and I think that is where a lot of schools miss the mark. It's kind of what you said. It's. You know, we are so controlling with students and even as administrators, we're so controlling with staff, that when you empower people, they take ownership. And when they take ownership the outcomes tend to improve.

Speaker 2:

So I think that's important for someone to hear, like, like, allow your kids to show up for who they are, because some of your kids probably have some some really phenomenal skills and we don't realize that because we're so much pen and paper. Whereas I remember when I was teaching seventh grade, I can specifically remember this one student, very good at math, but if you put the words on the piece of paper he could struggle with the test, but if I sat and read it out loud to him gets all the answers correct, you know. So, really, knowing where those kids are, how they best receive it, and knowing that some not everyone's going to be good at taking a test. Not everyone's going to be good at coloring, not everyone's going to be good at writing. Some kids you know their skills are, when you give them blocks they can build the biggest, you know, little house, out of all the blocks you've handed them and they're just very good with their hands. And other kids are not and they're maybe it's their words that they're very good with and other kids it's numbers that they're good with. So really giving kids the freedom will allow them to show up, but it makes your classroom a better place because now you have all these different skills and and kids that you can highlight.

Speaker 2:

Not everyone's not conforming to this little box that we like kind of plug our kids into and then wonder why they don't fit. So I think that's kind of you see it so often in schools and then we're upset like, oh, they can't do this, they can't do that. We're kind of pushing them into corners and hoping that they're going to be someone other than who they are at times. So definitely appreciate you jumping on. We're going to end because I told you about this. We're going to end with some this or that questions. First, this or that question. Early mornings or late nights, late nights, all right, this is the next one. I'm not going to tell on you Lesson planning or freestyle teaching the lesson plan is in here.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I don't need to write about people um, pineapple on pizza, yes or no?

Speaker 2:

no, no, all right. This one better, and this one may even be a little offensive. Better dancer beyonce or missy elliott I didn't hear you. I'm sorry better dancer beyonce or missy elliott? Beyonce duh still didn't hear it, or no?

Speaker 1:

no, I said beyonce oh it buffered.

Speaker 2:

I okay, it buffered cb.

Speaker 1:

Missy elliott was man she used to move she but honey the beehive about to come for you ah, don't, don't do that.

Speaker 2:

I made a facebook post one time about her. I said I will never do that again. Yeah, they were came in full force in my comments.

Speaker 1:

Last one classroom party or field trip, Ooh party, classroom party.

Speaker 2:

Field trips be too much. See, I'm more of a get out on the field trip type person. Have you been out in the field trip with the kindergarten? I have so, listen, when I first, when I started organizing trips for our school some couple of years back, and they would always send me and be like these are the kids we have a challenge with, these are the ones you got to hang out with and we used to have a blast, like the thing that I would always tell.

Speaker 2:

You know, when teachers are worried about kids that have challenges in school, a lot of times when you get kids out of their comfort zone into a new environment, they're a lot less likely because they're kind of overstimulated with it. This is new and they are less likely to act out. But I also know that those experiences are what help kids learn about the world, whether it's a play or the park or a museum. Like, a lot of our kids from the black and brown communities don't get experiences and that's why they fall further and further behind their suburban you know white counterparts because the lack of experiences. So yeah, I've always was a field trip guy classroom, but I'm not good at planning parties, so that was probably part of my problem, like the party stunk because I wasn't good at it as a teacher. It was just like all right, we're ordering pizza, what movie do you want?

Speaker 1:

And like that was the end of it, so we turn up. But I've been on a zoo trip that was great and then a museum trip that was not good like stressful losing children. Not good, stressful losing children no. But I've had a lot of my kids. They take more vacations than I do, so I don't know.

Speaker 2:

That's how you're living.

Speaker 1:

They live in the best life.

Speaker 2:

Coming back off spring break with tan and cornrows, Mexico, everyone comes back with some braids all of a sudden. So all right, Well, what I want you to do, let everyone that's listening know where they can find you on social media. Let them know about the show that you have, because I think people should need to be tapped into that as well. So this is your time Plug whatever you need to plug whoever you need to plug. Let them have it.

Speaker 1:

Cool, so you can find me on all platforms. At the Dancer Teacher also thedancerteachercom, I have resources especially for feelings and things that you can embed into your classroom, and you can also see me and my co-hosts on Rules to Engagement. So it's a TV show for educators by educators, and we have, you know, special guests and get into some deep conversation about things that are really happening in education. That often you know educators get left out of the conversation. So you could tap into us on knowledge YouTube page under the roles to engagement, and we have four episodes out so you can watch those roles to engagement, and we have four episodes out so you can watch those yep.

Speaker 2:

Go check them out. And again, I appreciate you for joining me. Of course, I appreciate the time that we're you know, all of us were able to connect and just seeing the work that you do, um, I just, I just love being around people that are still passionate about this work that we're doing. So thank you, um, for joining me. Thank you for all the work you're doing for your kids, for your dance kids, for all the kids in the entire community that you serve.

Speaker 2:

So thank you for all that. I want to thank everyone that is listening, please. If you have not, you can like, you can subscribe whatever people do on YouTube. I'm new, so go like it, go subscribe it, comment and then, when you're done, go to all her platforms and do the same Tap, comment, and then, when you're done, go to all her platforms and do the same, tap in. But until next time, make sure you all stay inspired and just keep keep pouring back into your students, keep pouring into your school, but, most importantly, keep pouring into yourself. Have a good rest of the weekend.