Crystal Leon

LBS 400
Reflection
Visual and Performing Arts Reflection
Visual and Performing arts are extremely important in teaching the students not only
about arts, but also teaching the students how to respect diversity and introduce them to many
different cultures. It is important for educators to become familiar with a diverse range of visual
and performing arts, and respect them to be able to inculcate in students that same respect for
different art, because the visual and performing arts are vital for students the knowledge needed
to teach visual and performing arts in an elementary are dances, music, and visual arts from
different cultures around the world. More specifically, I must know the proper vocabulary when
teaching students various movements, example jump, hop, skip, tempo, etc. Knowing the
vocabulary will allow students to learn the proper vocabulary when they are doing visual and
performing arts. In addition, I must be able to have awareness of beat and tempo, to teach
students how to demonstrate their own awareness of beat and tempo. I also need to know
different songs that can be taught to the students to be part of the games and activities one has
planned. I need to be knowledgeable in the different music in other cultures to help students
analyze the role that music has in the cultures. I must also be knowledgeable of theater and how
to create activities that will allow students to live believably under imaginary circumstances.
The knowledge needed to teach visual and performing arts is extensive which is why
classes are offered to teach them To be knowledgeable of the visual and performing arts there are
classes I have taken that have prepared me to teach it in a classroom. For example, theater 101,

prepared me by allowing me to experience live theater. Theater 101 also prepared me by

allowing me to use my imagination, and different activities that I can use when I become a
teacher. Classes like KIN. 447 introduced me to music and dances from around the world. Being
familiar with different music and dances from around the world will help me expose my students
to the music of different cultures. Because these classes have helped me learn about the visual
and performing arts, the area that I feel well prepared for is in theater. The reason I feel prepared
in theater is because I was exposed to live theater many times in this class that it made me love
going and watching plays. I feel that my theater class also prepared me because it gave me the
tools on how to teach theater in the classroom, which will make the classroom more interactive
and entertaining. I also feel prepared to teach different dances that belong to different cultures. I
feel prepared to teach that because, even though I am not a dancer, this class taught me that
students will enjoy the dances no matter if the teacher is a dancer or not, but the main thing one
should teach is being respectful of diversity and different cultures. Although, there are some
areas that I feel well prepared for, there is an area that I feel less prepared; the area is in music. I
feel that I have little experience in knowing the technical terms of music and musical notes. Even
though this is an area that I feel less prepared, if I continue to review music notes, and music
terms, I will continue to improve in this area.
To show how much I have learned in visual and performing arts the artifact that I will
like to share is a lesson plan I did for KIN. 447. This lesson plan was designed to teach my
fellow classmates a dance using a series of choreography. This work sample demonstrates my
knowledge or learning in visual and performing arts because it shows that I reviewed the VAPA
Common Core Standards to construct my lesson plan. Using the CCSS as a guide in doing my
lesson plan, shows that I am knowledgeable about what is developmentally appropriate for the

grade level I am teaching. These work samples connect to my learning because they are able to
show that I am able to teach VAPA in a classroom because I am aware of the standards to use to
guide me in teaching students.