About the Assistant Director

Background

Emily Cullen-Dunn was named Assistant Director in the Art of Teaching program at Sarah Lawrence in 2023.

Education
Emily graduated with a dual Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education with a concentration in English and Human Development from the University of Vermont. She received her Master’s in Childhood Special Education: Learning Disabilities from Hunter College. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Child Development at Sarah Lawrence College.

Teaching & Presenting
Emily taught in early childhood classrooms in rural, suburban and urban settings before transitioning to work as a special educator at a Title 1 public school in Harlem, where she taught kindergarten through second grade. Most recently, she worked as a special education teacher in a second grade integrated co-teaching classroom in a Westchester public school. Emily has presented on Emotionally Responsive Practices, Trauma-Informed Teaching, Progressive Special Education, and Project-based Learning. She was a Prospect Archives Practitioner Fellow in 2019. She has taught in the Art of Teaching program since 2021. Emily is an adjunct faculty member at Westchester Community College in the Early Childhood Program.

Interests

Professional Interests
Emily is passionate about creating inclusive class communities that foster play, creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking. She believes that schools should be a place to ignite curiosity and use authentic experiences to construct knowledge. 

Personal Interests
Personal interests include fostering dogs, hiking, swimming and crafting.

Emily Answers Your Questions

What sparked your interest in becoming a teacher?
I can remember going into my early childhood classroom each day as a child and begging my teacher to let me go hang out in the infant room. I would help the teachers and play with the babies. Even though I continued to spend time with children one way or another, babysitting and teaching Sunday school, I never really considered teaching as a profession especially since I spent most of my time as a kid trying to avoid school. It wasn’t until I spent a summer working at an orphanage in Morocco that my passion for special education was ignited. There I was able to support children with cerebral palsy, autism, and Down syndrome. It struck something in my core to see the inequity of experiences children have based on ability and resources. 

What brought you to the Art of Teaching program at Sarah Lawrence?
I had a mentor named Sheila Hanna who took me under her wing and brought me into the world of progressive education. At 18 years old, she brought me to the Art of Teaching Saturday Seminars and connected me with a group of educators and staff whose mentorship and support continue to shape my work today. The seminars were the first place where I felt I was in a community of learners who valued the same pedagogy as I did. It was almost like a homecoming. The Art of Teaching community is a close-knit network of educators committed to the principles of progressive education and dedicated to supporting those who work alongside children to create equitable, democratic learning environments. Having this community was vital. It provided me with the encouragement, knowledge, and strength needed to remain grounded in my philosophy while working in schools where institutional priorities and practices have not always aligned with my pedagogical beliefs.