Observing some classes.

I am currently trying to change my career path towards teaching more than performing. Not completely taking performing out of my life, but looking ahead into the future I would like when I am no longer able to perform, to teach.

I don't have much teaching experience, therefore am trying to build it up and if I am not teaching learn things by observing classes and other teachers.

Last Tuesday I went into a School and observed a trampolining class put on especially for 3 autistic children. I knew before I went into the class that it would be taken differently than if it were a group of children who did not have autism but I was really speechless once I was in the room. I have never really seen many autistic children before and the teacher explained to me before they came into the room how there are many different levels of autism and that these children had a high level of it.

Previously a couple of days before I had watched the same teacher take a group of 15, 8 year old girls for a trampolining party. I watched how he controlled the class, made sure they had fun but also was fully aware of there safety as obviously trampolining can be very dangerous if not taken seriously.

From the minute the children with autism entered the room the style of teaching was completely different. The teacher almost was not a teacher if that makes any sense. And he had only 3 children in the room instead of 15 and the level of his concentration was the same, if not higher,
The children's parents were this time present in the room at all times and the teacher was very hands on with the children. Not just telling them what they had to do and were they needed to be but physically moving them. He was firm but not too firm and he interacted on a one to one basis with each child almost most of the time. The level of patience required by the teacher in this session was hundred percent more than in the previous class I had seen.

Even though for most of the time the children were just bouncing up and down I seen how rewarding it was for both the teacher and the parents when they done something they were told, something so small as just sit on your bottom on the trampoline was a big achievement for them. The parents were so grateful for the teachers time and patience he had with their children.

I spoke to the parents during the class and I found them inspiring. They were so happy that this session had been put on just for their children because they said it is so hard when they are in a class full of all other children who don't understand this disadvantage that there children have.
They did nothing but praise the teacher of how he had helped there children come along in a matter of a few weeks.

I am now really interested once I start to teach more into also teaching children with autism and other disabilities. It will be interesting to see how as a teacher you have to take a different approach to teaching different children. It seems to be very rewarding to the children, parents and teacher.

Survey!

Hi guys, if you could just take 5 minutes of your time to complete my survey it would be very much appreciated. I will return the favour.

Thank you. xx

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B63R9C5

Small problem?? Or not??

Having spoke to a lot people (even my mum) haha I decided that my inquiry topic of teaching would be more beneficial and relevant to were I see my career going. Although now I have come across a small problem.

I am not actually teaching on a regular basis at the moment. I cover the odd class for an old teacher of mine and the new teaching job I have just got is a long process to begin with as it is set class that follows a ciriculam we have to learn and go through a training process before we are able to teach. This means for the next couple of weeks I won't be actually be teaching myslef. Although, I will be observing classes.

As I am wanting to make the transition between a performer to a teacher and I am wondering if it is possible to carry out my inquiry by more observing and speaking to experienced teachers more than actually teaching myself until I get up and running with my new teaching job.

Any comments would be much appreciated guys!!!!

Xxxx

Ok so I keep changing my mind!!!! There is no more time really to be thinking of what my inquiry topic should be as we are 3 weeks in, I just am drawn between two.

I am very interested in the topic of how a dancer deals with rejection as I know how it feels and I have many peers who I could relate too and interview etc. I also read many interesting articles on the internet which I enjoyed. But I do want to become a teacher in the future and I feel like maybe the topic of what makes a good teacher may be more relevant to my future and what I am trying to achieve at the moment. I also feel  If I choose the topic of teaching I can go into schools and observe and will be able to use a lot more people for surveys and interviews for my research than if I were to choose the topic of rejection.

Does anybody have any thoughts on my dilemma and could help me make a final decision because both topics I find I could learn a lot from.


xxx