I’m Alexia Pendleton, also known as The Dancer Teacher, a passionate educator, award-winning choreographer, and advocate for movement-based, joyful learning. I currently teach kindergarten in southern New Jersey and was honored as Teacher of the Year for the 2020–2021 school year.

Raised by a single mother and the oldest of six kids, I was the first in my family to graduate from college. I’m also a proud wife and the mother of two incredible boys. My journey into education wasn’t traditional — I went to college to study psychology with dreams of becoming a child psychologist. But everything changed when I began substitute teaching. I fell in love with the classroom and took the alternative route to become a certified teacher.

Now, I combine my love for hip hop, choreography, and social-emotional learning to create engaging and inclusive classroom experiences that center joy, culture, and connection. I'm also the host of The Rules to Engagement, a talk show for educators by educators, where we get real about what it takes to thrive in this work.

I've had the honor of speaking at major conferences like The Revolutionary ED Conference, Elevate, and the NJEA Convention, sharing practical tools for building trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and community-centered classrooms.

Whether I’m leading a dance, guiding young minds, or sharing with fellow educators, my mission is the same: to center joy, movement, and love in everything I do.