M.A.T. graduate on career pivots, dancing, and lessons for the next generation
Caleb Kirk is familiar with a stutter step. He grew up swing dancing with his parents and is a National Shag Dance Champion with his partner and wife, Emily.
After graduating from UNC Greensboro with his undergraduate degree in business management in 2020, he started a career in that field and realized after a couple of years that he needed to pivot.
This December, he graduates from the School of Education with his Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) and is already a full-time Kindergarten teacher in his hometown of Kernersville.
“I like to tell my students, ‘Enjoy the journey, and don’t be afraid to pivot,’” Kirk says.
A spring in his step
“Dance has always been a part of my life,” Kirk says. “I grew up swing dancing and eventually started teaching swing dance even before I came to UNCG as an undergraduate.”
While at UNCG pursuing his degree in business, Kirk and Emily began shag dancing in clubs near downtown Greensboro.
“Eventually we took some classes and started competing,” Kirk says. “We just kept at it—worked hard, practiced, and listened to our mentors.”
When they graduated in 2020, Emily, a UNCG Teaching Fellow, went into teaching and Kirk took a couple of positions with local businesses near Kernersville, learning from the ground up.
“After a couple of years, I realized that business management wasn’t for me,” Kirk says. “I didn’t feel like I was using my talent or fulfilling why God put me here.”
With the encouragement of his wife, Kirk decided to come back to UNCG through the online M.A.T. program.
“I realized that I most enjoyed teaching dance,” Kirk says. “While that is more of a passion than a career, I realized I could translate those teaching skills into working with the school system.”
A little help goes a long way
Kirk applied for and received a Haggai Scholarship from UNCG’s School of Education, designed for students who received their bachelor’s degree and then realized that they want to come back to school. Launched in 2018, the Haggai Academy provides financial and professional support to non-traditional students who are preparing to become licensed educators in the state of North Carolina through initial licensure pathways.
In addition, Kirk received some serendipitous help from the shag dancing community.
“I’m a Beth Mitchell Scholar—a scholarship given to students who have competed in the National Shag Dance Championship in honor of a shag dancer and former teacher who passed away in 1998, the same year I was born,” Kirk says. “Getting her scholarship has been a cool thing, not just for me, but for the shag community. It was another sign that this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”
Taking online classes at UNCG was an adjustment, but he found support there as well.
“Professor Scott Howerton encouraged me to get into the program and he’s been so willing and available to help,” Kirk says. “Teaching comes with so many questions once you get into the classroom. All my professors have been there to support me. They’re just an email away.”
Rock steps take a turn in the classroom
While completing his teacher training, Kirk began working at Kernersville Elementary School. This fall, he took on a classroom full time as a Kindergarten teacher. While managing a classroom has its challenges, Kirk has the agility and the experience to keep them engaged and entertained.
“I love how I can set the standard for how school can be exciting for kids,” Kirk says. “It takes patience in a Title 1 school, where many of the kids have never been in a school environment before or even have basic skills like holding a pencil or knowing how to unzip their coat, but it’s so fun to get them excited about learning.”
One of the ways he does that is through his alter-ego, DJ Kirk. While some Kindergarten teachers institute “carpet time” on a classroom rug, DJ Kirk installed a dance floor. His goal is to make sure every one of his students understands a shuffle step.
“DJ Kirk is the character that I play during all our Brain Breaks,” Kirk says. “I incorporate dance and movement as much as possible, so they get their energy out and some exposure to shag dancing. It’s our state dance, a part of our regional history, and our job to keep it alive.”
A new dance
Kirk and Emily are expecting their first child this spring. Once they get their feet under them as new parents, Kirk says you’ll find them back in the classroom and on the dance floor at shag dance competitions throughout the Southeast.
He credits UNCG with helping him find his rhythm in his new teaching career and has some advice for current UNCG students
“Don’t be afraid to pivot your career,” he says. “Just follow your heart, take a risk, and do it.”
Story by Alice Manning Touchette
Photography by Sean Norona
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