Arts Integration Specialists: Journeys Revealed

Ready? Okay, so the first question I have for the group is really like, tell us why you were originally interested in certification. Anybody want to go?

Toni

I can start. So for me, it was a little bit different because my background is not an educator.

I actually come from the tech world, from corporate, but I wanted to start a business encouraging girls to pursue STEAM careers. And there was always a talk about being a motivational speaker. And I’m like, everyone has a story to tell.

If I’m going to talk about STEAM, I want to make sure I know what I’m talking about. So I basically just Googled STEAM education, and boom, this came up. And I said, this sounds like something that’s for me, that will at least give me the knowledge and the background to be able to certify like what I’m talking about, that it’s not just about painting robots, that there’s so much more to it.

And I’m so glad that I did.

Hey, that’s a great experience. I know we have a lot of educators in the audience, but some people who don’t have that background or, or has limited experience in that background. So that’s great to hear.

Anybody else want to share why they were interested in certification?

I’ll share my story. Yeah. Mine is not like Toni’s at all, because I am an educator and have been for many years.

And my school was the arts-based school for the district. But there was a lot of confusion about where we are performing arts school or arts integration. And we kept saying we were arts integration, but I kept feeling like there was more that could be done than what we were doing.

And as I started on this journey, I realized we were doing a lot of arts enhancement, but I wanted to know more about arts integration. So mine was kind of a personal journey of wanting to know more. And as I learned more, I would know what I was doing and do it better.

And I can vouch for this, that Amy has like, like 1Donna0 degrees has gone all the way to the arts integration deep end. She is now fully arts integration and not just enhanced. So your journey has been an amazing one to watch from beginning until now.

You’re doing such incredible work. Anybody else come at the certification with what they thought was arts integration, but was really more like arts enhancement? Hands up.

Anybody? Yeah. Oh, lots of people.

Okay. So now I’m going to, I’m going to ask, how did you, or when did you figure out that what you thought was arts integration was arts enhancement? And what was that like for you?

I can answer that one.

Yeah, go for it, Allison.

So when we go through certification, it’s broken up into four sprints and in sprint one, I was like, oh, okay.

And see everyone’s nodding their heads because I’ve been an art teacher for two decades. And I thought I knew what arts integration was, but until we really looked at that continuum and started getting into standards alignment and, and also the cognitive demand part of it, that’s when my brain started really going, okay, this is way more than I thought it was. And I got very excited.

I mean, I was already excited, but that really like sparked me to be like, I need to know more about what this really is and how can it help my students.

Yeah. So how many of you felt excited in that moment? Anybody want to raise their hand?

How many of you felt like nervous? Like, oh no, what did I get myself into? Donna, will you share a little bit about your experience when you hit that moment?

Donna

Yeah, I will say I, I came at this from a different point because I’m a teaching artist and my journey to become an educator has been kind of a different one than most people. I have a theater background and I work professionally in the theater and I sort of was asked to come into the school to do something. And when I started to get in there, I started to get excited about using the arts in, in education.

And so when I saw this, I was like, oh, this will help me. And I honestly thought, oh, I do arts integration all the time. And when I saw that I didn’t, I got frustrated and, and I got resistant.

Like I wanted to stay with what I had known and what I did. So it took me a little while to sort of undo that and become more open. When I did, things just took off.

And then I was like, I want more and more and more and more, but I was, I was pretty frustrated at first, I have to say.

And I think that’s normal. I really do. How many of you coach our certification candidates right now that are coming through?

Raise your hand if you’re a coach. Okay. How many of you see that resistance almost on the daily when we were working with, yeah, right.

That resistance is really hard. So Renee, I would love for you to share a little bit about when you’re working with candidates and they get to that frustration part or that resistance piece, what turns it around for them or what opens them up a little bit?

Renee

It depends on the personality of the learner, but sometimes they just have to push through it. And then when they see it in action, it’s like the light bulb goes off. They’re like, oh, wait, wait.

And then they go for it. And they’re, you can’t stop them. Sometimes it just comes from hearing their other learners, like in the intensive and saying, well, I tried this.

They’re like, oh, which helps me because I can’t think of everything either as a coach. So they hear from their colleagues and hear the successes and then get to hear that over and over again. And it helps them sort of process that in another way.

And I think that’s what gets them over it. Fantastic.

Now, I, one of the things I hear a lot from people are what do you do with this? Like when you get certified, then what happens? So if you’ve had some sort of career change or a transformation in any kind, I would love to hear what happened for you since certification so that people can see what’s possible.

Molly, go for it.

Absolutely. I was in the K-8 classroom for 10 years and a really great opportunity at my alma mater college opened up and I actually moved into an instructional designer role at that college. And so my, my learning actually was twofold for the different certifications that I have.

So level one, I actually really felt like I understood what standards were and how to actually read them and understand how to execute them in class. Like even if it’s just academic standards and then art standards, and then seeing how they go together, I just felt so much more prepared to understand what do my students need to know? How will we know that they know it?

And what can they do to show that they understand those different standards? And then in my level two certification for coaching, my job now is a hundred percent coaching other people on how do you fit best practices into your classroom? How are you going to keep engagement high, even with higher ed students?

My worlds are melding now because I’m working very closely with the teacher education department. And now I’m going to be working with first year teachers who are ready to jump in, who are, have never looked at a standard before. So now I feel better prepared to talk about standards and kind of dive into those things, but then also weave in all of those wonderful things about art as well.

That’s awesome. That’s awesome. And I don’t, did you ever anticipate that this is where you were going to go?

Like was this on your track?

Not in a million years, not in a million years. When this opportunity came up, I, it was one of those things where I was like, hey, I’d like to give this a try. And I’m really glad I did.

And I know that I can always jump back into the classroom of K-8 anytime I want to. And staying connected with this community has honestly filled that small void as well. I feel like I’m still a part of that community just with all the wonderful people that I’ve met in that process too.

Yeah. Yeah. Our alumni are pretty special, as are you Molly.

Sherry, can you share a little bit about your experience?

It’s like Molly and I have followed the same timeline almost. I came from 26 years of teaching in the music classroom, all different grade levels. And after my certification in the first level, I did all the things that I was told.

You create the tri-fold and you get it out there. And I created my own business and was actually, went to Oklahoma, went to Maryland, went to a couple other places and was able to teach other teachers about arts integration. And it was the same sort of resistance that we like what we’re doing and trying to meld that and say, yes, that’s great, but look what you can do here.

But then had the opportunity and like Molly, I never anticipated my job career to switch so much and moving into the Department of Education in Virginia, where now I’m an instructional coach for the state, which is a really unique opportunity. And that level two coaching certification really, really chimed in because now I’m creating resources that support the standards for music educators in the state. So that knowledge of the standards was truly enlightening because where you teach the standards every day, really deep diving into them and knowing exactly where’s the highest cognitive demand, where are the processes that are important?

That was so important to get me where I am right now.

Wow. That’s awesome. Awesome.

And I am so proud of you because I know getting to that level at the stage where, I mean, that’s amazing. So congrats on that.

Thank you. It was a shift I never anticipated and I wasn’t really keen on it at first, but I absolutely love it now.

That’s awesome. That’s awesome. So Sara, I would love to know what was the most unexpected part of the certification process for you?

I think for me, it’s just sort of how it all clicked and came together so quickly. So because in the beginning, we’re just sort of like learning in isolation, like standard alignment. And then we kind of like learn how that comes together in a lesson.

And then before I knew it, it was a year and it ended and like everything just sort of like, it just perfectly fell into place without really having to think about it too much. And that’s just a testament to how well this program prepares you and scaffolds this for you as a learner. And now I know because I’m a full-time arts integration specialist in my district.

So for me, it’s like, I know that I can do my job with fidelity. I could do it confidently. I know I can spread the word and share my passion in a now that makes sense to other people as well, the way now it makes sense for me.

Oh, that’s awesome. That’s awesome. Evelyn is one of our OGs.

Evelyn, you’ve been with us for a really long time, both as a learner and as a coach and as a supervisor, really, as you’ve grown throughout the program. Can you tell me what your biggest joy from certification has been and what your biggest challenge has been? And if not yours, maybe what you’ve seen from others?

Evelyn

They kind of go hand in hand, I think. When I started, I had a lot of arts all the way back through high school. I did music, I did drama, and I did visual arts.

So they’ve all been kind of swirling around. And then I got my degree and I went through. So when I did the certification program the first year you did it, it kind of structured everything I had always done.

I work with a special needs population that always needs connections. Making those connections is a challenge for students and for teachers sometimes, but the structure of the certification program and going through all of it just lays it all out so nicely. And my biggest joy is watching it when it clicks, right?

The learners get frustrated. It’s a whole different way of thinking and framing it, and that change is scary and frustrating for them. But then all of a sudden it clicks and they go off and it’s amazing to watch.

Yes, yes. I can truly say that’s probably that is the point, that pivot point for me as well, watching our students as well as it’s just like being in the classroom, right? Watching when your students are grappling with something and telling yourself just give them a minute.

Let them grapple with it because once they get to that joy part where it’s like, oh I get it, then it’s beautiful to watch what they do next. Before, I know we only have a couple more minutes left and I will save questions from those who are here, but I would love to know from your perspective as a group, who should consider joining us for this program? I know there are some people who should and some who this is not a good fit for.

So I’d love to have your perspective. Who should consider joining during our enrollment period? Anybody want to jump in?

Go ahead, Sara.

I think the first priority is like having a passion for learning new things. Like I will always consider myself a perpetual student.

Like I love throwing myself into things I feel I’m ready to feel challenged, I’m ready to grow, and I think one of the most important things if you’re considering enrolling in this program is being open to that growth because sometimes it’s not a linear path. Sometimes you’ll peak, you’ll plateau, but by the end of your time in a certification, like reflecting back on that, the more open you are to growth and to learning, the better this is.

That’s great advice. Great advice. Anybody else have anything to add to that? Yes, Molly.

I think I’m the most critical person of myself. So going through the process, even though I was eager to learn, I’m a lifelong learner, it definitely was a shift to allow myself to receive feedback and that it’s okay to receive feedback.

And feedback doesn’t mean you’re terrible at this, don’t do this, you’re wrong. It’s we see something in you, you’re doing the right thing, we’re helping you grow in that way, and any feedback is good, just embrace it.

That’s so important. I know Evelyn and Typhani and I, when we’re working with evaluators and providing that feedback from learners, that is the one thing we are, a lot of people are type A’s, that it’s really difficult to receive that feedback, but we are really on your side. That it is our goal throughout to make sure that you are fully supported and that you get feedback that is meant to enhance and deepen your learning and not as a gotcha, right?

Yeah. Anybody else want to share something? Yes, Amy.

I don’t know if I’m unmuting there. I think you have to realize this is not a sit and get program, that you’re not just going to sit and watch some videos and all of a sudden you’re going to have this learning happen. It’s you really have to realize you’re going to have to dig in, you’re going to have to do the dirty work, you’re going to have to get involved and realize that it’s not just an easy A, if you will.

There is work involved and so if this is a time in your life where you don’t have time to do that, maybe put it off for a year, but if you have time to dedicate to this and you are passionate about it, then jump in.

Absolutely, great advice. Sherry, did you want to add one more thing?

Yes, I would highly encourage arts educators that love to add core concepts into their classroom to really look into this program because you learn how to provide equity to both standards equally and make sure that both concepts are covered equally and at a high demand.

Wonderful, absolutely. Before we go, Typhani is our chief academic officer. She oversees our certification.

Typh, do you have any words of wisdom for folks as we are headed out today before we get to questions that you would like to share before we give them, like, here’s a moment for them. Go for it.

Typhani

And go. You know, I think everybody has said it very well. We have spent a long time developing and revising and really streamlining the program and you get out of it what you put in and so you definitely have to be ready and willing to do the work, ready and willing to grow in those spaces, ready and willing to understand that there’s no right or wrong.

It’s just shifting in strength and quality and just enjoy the process because it is fun. Those lightbulb moments when you reflect on them are super enjoyable for us as coaches and observers but also for the learner. So I think that’s important.

And I think Amy’s advice was great as well. Like, this is an investment in time. And so if you’re not ready yet, it’s okay.

But definitely if you feel that you are in a space to welcome more information and really internalize it with the ambition to use it immediately, a lot of the stuff that you learn, you can turn around tomorrow and use it. So I think if you’re ready for that space, then we welcome you.

Amazing. Well, thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and opening up and providing some personal perspective.