Angela Davis has been empowering students since her arrival in September. This Q&A offers insight into her journey.
What made you want to be a cosmetology teacher? I come from a family of hairdressers. My father did hair and my aunts did it. I feel like it’s in my blood.
What is an overview of your program? Currently teaches 29 ninth-graders. Classes are taught in 80-minute blocks and students are in the program for all four semesters. It’s a good mix of girls and boys. We have Cosmetology I where they learn the basics and theory. There also is a tremendous science component but I try to break it up with hands-on work. Cosmetology II will be skin and nails. Cosmetology III will be cutting, coloring, chemical texturing and barbering. Cosmetology IV will be advanced color and cutting, learning the business aspects such as marketing, building clientele, resumes and dressing for success. After taking four years of classes, students will sit for state board prior to graduating high school. Also teaches the basics of cosmetology as an elective to students in varied grades.
Educational background? Has been a cosmetology teacher for eight years, four were in an adult beauty school and the other four were in a high school. Went to school for cosmetology at Empire Beauty School. Holds a license in cosmetology/hair styling for New Jersey. Has 20 years of salon experience and went back to school in 2019 to obtain her teacher license via the alternate route teaching program. Received her standard teaching certification last June in Career & Technical Education. Still does hair on the weekends, specializing in cutting and coloring.
Importance of diversity in technique? Once you learn how to do different types of hair, you can do anything. A lot of the guys may have interest because they wear their hair longer nowadays and they want to learn how to do their own hair.
What do you like about being in the Asbury Park School District? I like being close to the shore and I like the makeup of the student body. I like to be a safe place for them and include them in the learning and make sure they feel respected. I always used to come here for the beach and boardwalk and now I get to work here.
What is your greatest challenge? Really just breaking them out of their bad habits.
Goals? My goal is to make sure they are experienced in every facet – skin, hair , makeup, nails and barbering. Once I get the program up and running, I would like to have more students vested in it. In the future, I’d like to open an adult program at night and it could provide revenue for the district. I would also like to have a system where the students can have clients from the public.
What is your favorite aspect of cosmetology? I like doing all of it but I specialize in cutting and coloring.
Favorite stylist? Vidal Sassoon because hairstyling would not be what it is today without him. He created geometric haircuts with techniques that are still used today.