Monday 13 May 2013

Literature Review 2.


Online Blog Post- What makes a good teacher, Sheri Leblanc (2010)


I came across a Blog post on the internet about what makes a good dance teacher. The blog is of a former dancer called Sheri Leblanc. She is a retired ballet/ballroom dancer who choreographs and also teachers and owns her own studio. She lists in her blog that being a dancer teacher can enable you to work in many types of jobs, from teaching in schools, becoming a choreographer to eventually opening up you're own business. Sheri says that ' A well-rounded dance instructor will know how to teach several different styles of dance' I think this is a very good statement as if you can incorporate a variety of dance styles into you're class, the children will benefit from this. Also if there are parents sending their children of to a new dance class they will feel comfortable and confident leaving them with someone who is very experienced.

It is important to keep up to date with the choreography that you teach the students.

'The dance teacher is responsible for creating and teaching choreography to the dancers, staying current on the newest moves and styles being taught and will advise and guide the dancers in putting the steps they’ve learned together into proper dance formation'

This shows how important it is to be prepared for you're classes. You must keep up to date with the new styles that are around and current music.

Sheri has a number of bullet points that she regards as be important if you are a dance teacher,

As a dance teacher, you should:

* have good practical ability in dance and music
* have an understanding of health and safety to prevent injury
* have an interest in teaching children and adults of all abilities
* have patience and good communication skills
* be able to support and encourage others to succeed
* be observant and pay attention to detail
* feel able to control a group of pupils and have confidence to maintain order within the class
* have the ability to run a business, if self-employed.


I think these points are very useful. Having an interest to teach children and adults of all abilities is essential. For me,training at such a prestigious college were everybody in my school were at an excellent standard means that I may expect that when teaching my own students. This will not always be the case. Depending on the type of school, some children may only be taking classes as a hobby and therefore will not have the potential to becoming a professional dancer so their standard and understanding to picking things up and learning routines will not be high. As a teacher it is your duty to work with different levels of children and understand how they will progress at different stages.

Having an understanding to prevent injury and health and safety is imperative. Every venue that you teach in should be checked each time before any class to ensure that no risk can be harmed and it is your job as a teacher to stop the children from doing things that may cause them harm. This leads to how important it is to have patience and the ability to control a group of pupils. You need to be firm and confident with the students and if at any point the class gets out of hand you should be able to control the situation immediately.

Sheri Leblanc's blog was a helpful and interesting read that was short and to the point.

References.

Online, http://reflectionsinverse.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/what-makes-good-dance-teacher.html



Saturday 4 May 2013

Literature Review 1.

' Dance teaching methods and curriculum design- Gayle Kassing, Danielle.M.Jay'

I have been reading this very helpful book online about dance teaching. There was an extract in there talking specifically about new dance teachers and how important it is for them to set there rules from day one.

In just the first paragraph a strong statement is made,

' Effective teaching depends on a teachers ability to organise and manage the dance class'

I feel this is an important point as being a teacher involves a lot of preparation before the class has even began. To have an effect on the children/ students, the way the class is planned out and handled during the time of the lesson will result in it being successful or not.

The extract explains that a positive atmosphere should be given in the class and that appropriate feedback is given to students. I agree with this, as if the teacher is being very negative or bringing his/her problems they might be having outside of the class into the room, then this will have a massive effect on the children. Also giving the correct type of feedback is imperative as you don't want to discourage a child with constant negative comments but if you praise them all the time they are never going to have any room for improvement.

The author states that as the teacher of a dance class it is you that 'sets the freedom for the class. '
I think this is a fantastic statement as from the moment you first take a class you have made an impression and the children have made a judgment on what they can do in the class.

 ' It is easier to set boundaries in advance than trying to in-corporate or adjust them later. '

As a new teacher it is essential to be strong and firm with the class from the beginning rather than trying to be their best friends and then wonder why they wont listen to you and having no control over them at all.

Another extract from the book explains how your the way you speak to you're students can have an effect on their reactions.

' Does your volume and tone encourage or frighten students? Think before you speak. What you say and how you say it set the tone of your class. '

I feel that this is a really important point that author has made. Generally, I am a very loud person. People often tell me to stop shouting. (even though I think I am not) In some situations in a class this would be a positive point that I was loud and energetic, it would be encouraging for the students and would keep them alert but sometimes I have to remember to tone my loud voice down. At times it can be very intimidating to a child if you are screaming around the room, especially if the child was new to the class or a shy person. I believe as a teacher it is your duty to asses the atmosphere in the class and choose carefully the tone of your voice.

I find many extracts from the book very helpful to read as I am starting out as dance teacher. At times in the book I find that the author repeats her self about the same topics which I don't think is needed if the subject has already been touched upon, but generally there is a lot of great information.

I look forward to developing my knowledge further using the help of other pieces of literature and research from my Inquiry.


References.

Online:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bTm-W4oX0HgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Pages 72 and 75.