Greater Richmond Wolf Trap provides innovative, effective arts-integrated professional development for classroom teachers, caregivers, and parents designed to advance children’s learning with dynamic and developmentally appropriate experiences that engage young learners in literacy concepts and the discovery process integral to the sciences, engineering and math.
This intentional approach to learning and educational practices embeds elements of dance, drama, and music with early childhood curricula standards in literacy, math, the sciences, and principles of engineering. A Greater Richmond Wolf Trap Teaching Artist develops developmentally appropriate, active learning experiences specifically tailored to each classroom that promote skills in creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. Greater Richmond Wolf Trap programs address a national priority and are informed by experience in classrooms around the nation, and aligned with local and national standards and curricula.
Click here to learn more about the research behind arts-integration in early childhood education.
Greater Richmond Wolf Trap Programs
- Residency planning meeting – The Greater Richmond Wolf Trap Teaching Artist and classroom teacher will meet one to two weeks before the residency begins to develop the Residency Planning Form that will guide the curriculum focus and performing arts strategies for the residency.
- Four classroom sessions (45 minutes each) – Each classroom session led by a Greater Richmond Wolf Trap Teaching Artist will be made up of two components:
- 30-minute Lesson – Co-led by the GRWT Teaching Artist and teacher with students in the classroom. Teacher fully participates in the entire classroom session.
- 15-minute debrief – The GRWT Teaching Artist will have a 1-on-1 discussion with the participating teacher. The goal of the debrief is to identify adaptations/extensions of strategies, additional methods of support for creative learning and to review the teacher’s role in the professional development.
- An informal observation of the participating classroom to allow the teaching artist to get a sense of the physical layout of the classroom and the teacher’s classroom norms.
- Four Planning Meetings – The Greater Richmond Wolf Trap Teaching Artist and classroom teacher will meet periodically throughout the residency to develop the Residency Planning Form that will guide the curriculum focus and performing arts strategies for the residency.
- Eleven classroom sessions (45 minutes each) – Each classroom session led by a Greater Richmond Wolf Trap Teaching Artist will be made up of two components:
- 30-minute Lesson – Co-led by the GRWT Teaching Artist and teacher with students in the classroom. Teacher fully participates in the entire classroom session.
- 15-minute debrief – The GRWT Teaching Artist will have a 1-on-1 discussion with the participating teacher. The goal of the debrief is to identify adaptations/extensions of strategies, additional methods of support for creative learning and to review the teacher’s role in the professional development.
Greater Richmond Wolf Trap Family Involvement Workshops (led by GRWT Teaching Artists) bring young children and their siblings, parents, and caregivers together through shared arts experiences. The workshops introduce parents and caregivers to a variety of simple yet effective arts-based literacy activities they can conduct with their children at home, in the car, or even in line at the grocery store. Each session is 45-minutes to one hour in length.
Become a Greater Richmond Wolf Trap Teaching Artist
Are you or someone you know passionate about sharing innovative strategies to foster integrated arts education for young children? Become a part of an initiative to do just that through Greater Richmond Wolf Trap, an institute for early learning through the arts. RPAA seeks artists from diverse backgrounds experienced in theatre, music, puppetry, and dance/movement from both western and nonwestern forms for virtual and in-school based residencies and programs. Click here to learn more and apply
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