Teacher Leadership, Parts 1 & 2

Dr. Mi’Jan Celie Tho-Biaz

Oral Historian and Co-Host

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Corazón Tierra

Dance Educator, LEAP, New York, NY

Corazón Tierra is a dance educator, somatic movement educator, dance artist, and poet dedicated to helping children, youth, and families cultivate body and mind wisdom. She is the creator of EduDanza, a somatic movement dance education approach, and of DanzaYo, a participatory community dance practice. Corazón is also a master teaching artist with LEAP in NYC, where she teaches dance to K–12 students, leads the LEAP literacy teaching artist cohort, and oth­ers social, emotional learning and literacy professional development trainings. As a dance maker, Corazón is best known for harmoniously fusing her poetry and dance into performances exploring the connection of the female body with the natural world. Corazón is also a faculty member of the Language of Dance Center, and she holds a Master of Arts in Dance and Somatic Well-being from the University of Central Lancashire (UK), and a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education and Social, Emotional Learning from Erikson Institute.

Charles Jabour

Theatre Faculty, Somerville Public Schools, Somerville, MA

Charles Jabour is a Boston-based theatre educator and producer. He currently serves as the theatre faculty for Somerville Public Schools and as the advisor for the Highlander Theatre Company at Somerville High School. Charlie centers his practice on theatre as a tool for equity and social justice in urban schools. His research on cultural identity development, which received an honorable mention by the American Alliance for Theatre and Education in 2015, continues to guide his practice. As an organizational leader, he draws from his background as a creative producer for large cultural institutions, including the New York Public Library, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. He holds a BA in Arts Management from Eastern Michigan University and an MFA in Theatre Education and Applied Theatre from Emerson College.

Tim Needles

Artist, Educator, Performer, and Author
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Tim Needles is an artist, educator, performer, and author of STEAM Power: Infusing Art into Your STEM Curriculum. He is a TEDx Talk speaker, a technology integration specialist, he also teaches art, and emerging media at Smithtown School District and Five Towns College. Needles’s work has been featured on NPR, in The New York Times, Columbus Museum of Art, Norman Rockwell Museum, Alexandria Museum of Art, Katonah Museum of Art, and Cape Cod Museum of Art. He’s a recipient of the International Society of Technology in Education’s (ISTE) Technology in Action Award and Creativity Award, and the NAEA Eastern Region Art Educator Award and ArtEdTech Outstanding Teaching Award,. He is also a board member of the New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education and the New York State Art Teachers Association.

Nathan Rødahl

Director of Orchestras at Port Angeles High School and Music Director of the Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra in Washington

Nathan Rødahl is a rising star in music education and advocacy. He is an accomplished violinist, conductor, and vocalist who has excelled in classical and alternative traditions. As a member of the National Council for Orchestra Education and Pedagogy of NAfME, Nathan has worked to increase the visibility and relevance of orchestra education in public schools. He is grateful to be a member of the NAfME CAN Teacher Leader cohort to advance practical tools to liberate the music classroom. Nathan is also the creator of High-Strung, the Orchestra Podcast, which he created during shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to continue enriching students’ lives through the power of music. Nathan is the director of orchestras at Port Angeles High School and music director of the Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra in Washington.