While students were enjoying their last days of summer break, Newark Visual and Performing Arts Educators gathered at NJPAC for staff development focused on advancing student artistic practice. Coming together as a community of learners, nearly two hundred dance, music, theatre, and visual art teachers were eager to greet both new and familiar faces in person for the first time since March 2020.
The morning of learning began with a meditative sound bath to focus teacher intentions for the year and the work ahead with students. Participants gained a better understanding of the new curriculum to be implemented this year. Curriculum was introduced in breakout groups using peer modeling to demonstrate engaging learners with specific art form content. The morning concluded with collaborative planning and goal setting for all city performances and exhibits.