Social-Emotional Learning, Parts 1 & 2

Cristin Carole

1st-Grade Teacher/Dance Educator

As a proud CAN Dance Fellow, Cristin Carole began her dance training under the tutelage of her aunt Shirley Hall-Bass at the Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre in Chicago, and later studied classical ballet with Elizabeth Boitsov. She has an undergraduate degree in technical theatre and a Master of Arts in Teaching. Cristin has served on the faculty of the City Colleges of Chicago, the University of the Bahamas, and as adjunct faculty for the graduate program in education at Columbia College in Chicago. She has also been instrumental in the development of the Joffrey Ballet’s Bridge Program for children of color, and worked as a movement designer and consultant for major productions at the Steppenwolf, TimeLine, American Blues, and Writers Theatre in Chicago.

Heather De Koning Foley

Teacher P.S. 132K/New York City Department of Education

Heather De Koning Foley is a visual artist and educator who teaches art and architecture + design to elementary students in Brooklyn, NY. She is also a CAN Teacher Leader for both the National and New York City Professional Learning Communities. Working as the arts liaison, Heather is responsible for coordinating all schoolwide arts programming. Heather is also a member of the Instructional Leadership Framework Team and leads the implementation of equity, diversity, and inclusion at her school. She enjoys teaching her students about how artists and designers can be agents of change in their communities. In 2008, Heather and her students were honored at the White House in Washington, DC, for their community service work with the Points of Light organization.

Kristie Farr

Theatre Educator at Indian River High School

Kristie is an award-winning theatre teacher from Indian River High School. Several of her productions have received Awards of Excellence in Directing from the Theatre Association of New York State. For over 25 years, Kristie has served as NYSTEA’s Curriculum Chair leading theatre standards revision, curriculum development, assessment, and certification. She has been part of EdTA’s SEL Lesson Plan and Model Curriculum projects, and currently serves as a Theatre Teacher Leader for the Connected Arts Network PLC.

Meghan Hickey

General Music & Choir Teacher at Old Orchard Junior High School

Meghan Hickey has been a music teacher at Old Orchard Junior High in Skokie, IL, for more than 10 years. Discovering a passion for social–emotional learning (SEL) several years ago, Meghan has trained other teachers, as well as developed an SEL curriculum for her school. She continues to discover new ways of implementing SEL both in her classroom and within the community along with her district’s SEL committee, and on the national level through Connected Arts Networks.