Community-Word Project's Teaching Artist Training & Internship Programs's (TATIP) follow ups, such as debriefs, seminars, and one-on-one meetings, provide excellent support for Teaching Artists, once they have finished their training. Debrief meetings are a great way to regroup and discuss important topics related to classes, where Teaching Artists work. They offer a rare space for busy Teaching Artists to go over any issues and concerns that may have come up, or to merely gi

I am an Advanced Level trainee with Community-Word Project's Teaching Artist Training & Internship Program (TATIP) and I’ve been lucky enough to have Teaching Artists T. Scott Lilly and Mary Cinadr as my mentors during my residency at Captain Manuel P.S. 279, where I work with 4th graders. In a recent debrief, Scott talked a lot about the importance of improvisation while teaching. When asked how to keep students engaged, Scott responded, “If you are really listening, and res

A few summers ago before I gave birth to my first daughter, I attended the Community-Word Project Summer Institute that focused on how teaching artists can explore social justice issues in the classroom. When I entered the room that first day, I was surrounded by powerful quotes by poets, artists and activists such as Dr. Cornell West, Maxine Green, Dr Martin Luther King, Dr. Maya Angelou and many others. One particular quote by Bayard Rustin whom I was not familiar with, rea

On Monday, April 3rd, the TAP Cohort came together to put on our annual panel: The Business of Teaching Artistry: A Panel on Professionalism. We were fortunate enough to be hosted by the Dedalus Foundation this year, providing a beautiful gallery as the setting for this year's panel. This event has grown every year as our cohort continues to expand and strengthen the work we do together. For 2017's event, we had five panels total with a final sixth panel that included every p

My time with Community-Word Project's Teaching Artist Training & Internship Program (TATIP) has been a memorable experience thus far. I conducted my first lesson with my 4th grade class. It felt amazing! I really liked the preparation process of creating outlines and worksheets for my lesson. My mentors, Mary Cinadr and T. Scott Lilly were there to assist me during the prep and in my class presentation. I was well prepared and excited to get my students to draw unique images