Literature Review- Blog Post, Sheri Leblanc -Creative Dance for Young Children Means Creative Teaching Too

Creative Dance for Young Children Means Creative Teaching Too. 

Publisher: Blog post by Sheri Leblanc Tuesday 8th October 2013

I found this piece of Literature from one of my SIG groups on Facebook. Clare Elizabeth posted this blog and I found it relevant to my Inquiry and very interesting. 

Sheri shares the information on her Blog from 4 early childhood dance specialists who gave advice on working with primary aged children and introducing dance to them.

Sheri starts by stating that although teaching young children to dance may sound like fun,there is also a serious side to early childhood dance development. And i couldn't agree more. This is exactly the point i am trying to look at in my Inquiry. The lessons are supposed to be fun but also must be educational as a child's development at this stage is crucial, and you as a teacher will have a massive input on the outcome. 

" It is important to know how children think " , says Rama Faber who developed the primary movers, a curriculum  for early movers. 

(Rima Faber - National Dance Education Organization Emerita, Joy of Motion Dance Center, Washington, DC) 

This is a fantastic point. As a new teacher i think the first thing you need to look at is how to understand who you are working with. I naturally understand adults better as that is who most of my time is spent with, and has been for the past few years of my life. Training with them, working, socializing, living etc so it is now essential for me to to study how children's brains work because of course, it is very different. 

Faber goes on to explain that children don't understand if you tell them to feel something and so you have to use images with them that they have experienced. 

Rachael Carnes says that the biggest mistake NEW teachers make with this age group is talking too much. 

(Candy Beers - Village Dance Studios, Richmond, Virginia)

"Over explaining, being unclear or muddled are great moments for kids to tune out, and you've lost them" 

This links well to my Inquiry as maybe this is one of the factors that motivates a child to misbehave in the first place. So if as a teacher you learn to say what you want, short and sweetly you can avoid a child getting bored/ loosing focus and then you wont have to deal with their misbehaving at all as the situation was resolved before it could even begin! 

"When I was first starting out, I really had to learn to teach to the positive, engaging and rewarding the behaviors you want to see. It’s hard for new teachers to see that by paying attention to the child who’s not participating, you throw everyone else off balance"

What Rachael says here is something i had never really thought about but makes so much sense.

People say in life how important it is to be positive. Be positive and positive things will happen. Well it looks like the same applies for in a classroom. Focusing on a disruptive child is simply just  bringing more negativity to class and just wasting your time and all the other children's time in the class. I admit that i often keep telling a child of in class which now from reading Rachael's comment has made me realize that this did not have any effect. 

I am really glad i have found this Blog. I feel like it has influenced be to come across to my students with a more positive approach when i am disciplining a child and not to focus too much of my time on them or this will effect the whole class. Also that understanding how children's brains work will make your life easier when teaching them and could avoid disruption in the classroom if you have a better understanding of the children. 

Link to Blog Post: 

http://reflectionsinverse.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/creative-dance-for-young-children-means.html

Phone call with Paula- Review of Inquiry Propsal and changes.

Before speaking to Paula I felt very lost. I was re-reading over my Inquiry Proposal and almost felt a little confused by what I was trying to achieve. I felt like I wasn't quite getting to a point with what I was asking.

Like Paula said, how can you ask people questions and try and get an answer when you don't really know what it is you want to be answered yourself. It is important for me when carrying out my Inquiry that I am clear with what I want to achieve by the end of it.

So firstly we looked at what my Inquiry Title was from module 2...

What makes a new dance teacher good? How can you develop the right balance of fun and discipline?

Looking back my question I knew something wasn't completely  correct . Firstly things have change slightly regarding my inquiry. Originally I was going to visit a dance school and observe an ex-teacher of mine teach her classes. Over the summer her job changed which meant she was now working with older children and in my proposal I had stated that I wanted to look closely and children aged 4-12. So then I had to think about were I was now going to collect my data from. I started to stress myself out a little and then I realised ( and even more so after talking to Paula) that the answer was right in front of me, and in fact it was a blessing that my ex-teacher had a new job because the more I thought about it, the more I realised she was never the right source for me anyway.
At the moment I teach for a company who teach dance, drama and singing to 4-12 year olds. Helllooooooooooooooooo, what more could I want. They employ a lot of people so there are a lot of teachers who I could interview and classes that I cold observe. And then I realised in fact it is not dance teaching I want to look at because I teach more than just dance. So my question needs to relate to teaching performing arts not dance.

Paula told me how important it was to have the correct Inquiry question as this relates massively to what you are going to ask people in interviews and what you are going to be watching for when observing etc.

I also decided when looking at my question from my Inquiry proposal that it doesn't actually state what age group I would be looking at. As Paula said, 'Teaching' could be talking about nursery age up to university level. So it is imperative that I include that in my question. I have decided that my age group is not going to be so broad. The children I mainly teach and want to teach for my future are 4-8 so this will be who I base my inquiry on.

I will need to now get a new employer consent form as this has changed. It is all organised who this will be and I understand the ethics I need to consider and who I will need to get to sign consent forms.

Structure

This is something Paula made a huge point about. It is vital to have a good structure and plan for my Inquiry. We only have a certain time to collect the data and to analyse it so although in my Inquiry proposal I talked about my structure this is now happening for real so I need an actual plan.  I am going make myself a timetable and stick with it. This work-based learning course requires  a lot of self motivation and personally, if I say to myself that I am going to get up the next day and do some work, I know It actually wont happen so that is why I am going to make myself a time table and stick to it!!! I also am off to panto in November so I discussed with Paula that I will need to have collected all my data before I go, so this gives me a good starting point  to structuring my time.

Now along side planning when I am going to be collecting my data etc., the main thing I need to be focusing on now is looking at Literature. I asked Paula to explain to me in more detail what exactly this meant of me and why we had to do it. She said to look at between 10-20 different pieces of literature that relates to your Inquiry question. The whole point is to look at the ideas that other people have already researched to help you think more about what you want to gain from your inquiry.

Speaking to Paula has set me up to head in the right direction with my Inquiry. I now don't feel confused as to what I want my outcome to be at the end of the module and have a clear path in my mind as to what steps I need to take in order to get there!!

And were BACKK!!

So Finally I am sitting down with my laptop and blogging. HOOORAYY!! A little later than I should have made my first post but better late than never! I must say, I thought I was going to use that big long summer we had of to prepare myself for this final module a lot more but am sure most of you agree its so easy to get caught up in other things and then all of a sudden were back to uni!

But anyway am ON IT now!!!!! I am ready and raring to go. By the end of this module we will have a degree, wheyyyyyy... So all the work will be worth it :)

Unfortunately I couldn't make the first campus session but I have been reading people's Blogs and also spoke to my friend who was able to attend the session and have been able to see and hear about what was involved.  Then I arranged a Phone call with Paula who is my new advisor this term. It was what I would like to call an ' Epic ' call. Hahah. I can't tell you how much speaking to Paula has made me feel so much better about this final module.

So my next blog is going to be all about my phone call with Paula !!

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

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.

Delicious!

Follow me on Delicious guys... @chelsiej12. xx

6B-Pilot interview.

I found this tool very helpful as it was one-to-one based. Although unlike in the focus group there were many different opinions and in the interview only the one voice, sometimes this can be more beneficial. I think it depends entirely on who you use for the inquiry but if someone was quite shy and didn't like speaking out in large groups it would be a better idea to interview this person alone to hear there answers, as they may be more open and honest in that environment.

I think like any of the tools you are going to be using, it is important to plan what you want to gain from what you are doing, (survey, observation interview etc. ) With the interview although I had a set of questions I wanted to ask, as long as I made sure I got them questions answered I did not mind at all that the interview at some points went slightly of track. In fact, as long as you have the time and the person you are interviewing does too, I think it is a good thing as more answers and further research could be discovered. Although I only had time to interview one person for my pilot interview, I believe that interviewing at least 3 people would be more beneficial to get a range of answers that you can then analyse.

As long as the interviewee was ok with a recording device being present I would like to record the interview next time as I found it hard to write down everything they were saying.

6B-Observations

Observing for my Inquiry I feel is going to be extremely beneficial. As I am new to teaching, I am very enthusiastic in watching as many classes as possible. I believe the best way to learn something is to see it with your own eyes. Actually, before even seeing I believe doing, but this is definitely the second best thing and something you must do before you can have a go at it yourself.

I have recently started working for a drama/dance school and as part of my training to work for the company I had to observe many classes which has come in very handy for my inquiry. As a new teacher I feel like there is so much to take in but I also imagine for any teacher who may take a step back and observe a class every once in while would be extremely helpful.

I also have been into a dance school were I have taught before and observed some of these classes. It is interesting to watch a class you have once taught from a different view.

Although I feel you can learn an awful lot from observing there can also be a downfall that there is a lot of information be taken in all at once. I will need to select carefully the information that I choose to use.

It is also imperative to consider the ethics here as I will be observing children under the age of 18. I already had to speak with the head of the school and get permission to observe the classes before hand. Something I didn't do but understand I must in my actual inquiry is to get permission of each child's parent/guardian.

In my recent observations I have been talking a pad and pen and noting everything down, sometimes I am trying to write so many notes my handwriting can become un-readable and I might have missed events in the class I should have seen because my head was down at the piece of paper. I think a good idea to help over come this problem would be to also video record some of the classes I will observe.

Observations for me are going to be a key point in my Inquiry but can take up a lot of time having to observe many different  classes/different  teaches etc and then reflecting on the event afterwards so this is something I will have to consider when planning my time. Also getting back parent consent forms! I will need to give these out way in advance to ensure I have them back before trying to watch the class.

6B- Focus Groups

I got together with a group of friends who all teach or have taught before.
It was great to be surrounded by a group of people all with the same interests and willing to share there thoughts and opinions.

I found that within the focus group everybody really bounced of each others conversations. When an idea was brought up to be discussed, once one person started to speak, everyone else got involved and really got into it. Everyone was really honest with what they were saying and I think that was because they felt comfortable and confident because there were other voices around them joining in, agreeing/ disagreeing. This obviously had a major negative point as well because there were times when there was too many people speaking at the same time which made it harder to hear what people were saying and to get an answer to the question being asked.

It would be quite difficult to record this sort of event as it is very easy for people to talk over one another, so although I wouldn't want people to think they were back at school, I think it would be important that they put there hands up before speaking to avoid a collision of conversation's.

If I could get a group of people together all at the same time like I did for my pilot focus group that would be great but I already had one person un able to make it, letting me know just a day before the meeting. This is understandable as work came up that she could not turn down but I think I would consider the time that I  choose to undertake the meeting more carefully next time and plan in advance.  If this happened in the real Inquiry and it was more than the one person un-able to attend this would be a big problem.

The focus group is a great way to collect qualitative data, and I will certainly consider using this tool in my inquiry.

6B- Pilot Survey

Like I said in my previous blog, I had already made a survey a while ago. I noticed that everybody in my SIG groups had been using the online survey creator, ' Survey Monkey' . I had completed a few peoples surveys before I made my own and most of them seemed very straight forward and easy to answer. They also gave me an idea of the sort off questions I should and maybe shouldn't ask when making my own survey.
 I think Survey Monkey is a great way to make a survey as it explains very well how to put the survey together, gives you a variety of ways to choose you would like the questions to be answered (for example, multiple choose, yes/no etc.) and also analyses all the results for you. One of the cons of Survey Monkey is that without upgrading (to where you are required to pay), you can only ask 10 questions. Now, this could be a problem as you might want to ask more than just 10 questions so maybe you would want to think about upgrading for the actual inquiry although something to think about is surveys shouldn't really be too long as people will not take there time to complete if there is pages and pages of questions so depending on how in depth you want to go with the survey, having a limit of questions could actually be a good thing.

I found discussing with members of my SIG  group that the surveys that were more to the point and simple questions were the ones that we actually completed. Some surveys asked far too many in depth questions and with just one look at I didn't even bother to complete the survey because it required too much time that I didn't have. The survey needs to be user friendly but still a good length with valuable questions In order to provide you with the correct data.

When Melanie Brown was completing my survey she said that one of the questions that only allowed for one answer needed to be changed. The question was, ' What do you think is more important in a teacher? ' and the answers were Qualifications or Experience. Mel believed both were important and I can see now that my answer box should have been different to just being able to choose one answer.

The good things about Surveys are they are quick and easy ways for people to get involved and you can analyse and see certain patterns emerging. Although sending a survey to someone to complete doesn't always guarantee you a response. Talking to Hannah Stewart, and she also mentions this on her blog, was that she come across a journal discussing the difference between online and paper surveys. I hadn't thought about this until Hannah brought it up but its really interesting. With a paper survey you probably have more chance of receiving a completed survey back if you hand it to them as they will complete it straight away were as online you have to pester people more. Also if you send a group message out to people asking to complete your survey I think many of them will ignore it. I experienced this when I posted a notice on a Facebook group, about 2 people responded, were as when I emailed them directly asking them to take some time to complete my survey I got a lot more responses.

One other thing I am going to think about is who I aim my survey towards. The pilot survey I made was to be completed by students, reflecting on there past experiences from teachers they have been taught by but I think making a survey to be completed by teachers as well  would also be very beneficial as it is coming from a different side.

Overall I like the idea  of a survey as if enough people take part  in completing it you can gather a lot of information.

6a- Tools of Professional Inquiry.

Surveys, Interviews, Observations and Focus Groups are all ways in which we can collect data in order to help us complete our Inquiry.

We have to plan pilot Interviews etc, as part of the next set of tasks.

I began part of this task quite a while ago as a lot of people in my SIG group were posting surveys on the Facebook page that was set up for BAAP students, so I decided to make one myself.

Here is a link to it in case any body hasn't seen it. If you haven't completed it I would be very grateful if you could take some time to do this.

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

I feel like for my Inquiry of what makes a good teacher, all of the above tools will be relevant and helpful to me.

5C- Ethics in a professional context.

5D- Ethical Dimensions for my proposed Inquiry.

When carrying out an Inquiry there are many ethical issues that you have to be aware of. It is essential when humans are involved that you apply and adhere to ethical standards.

Below are the ways I plan to be ethical when conducting my inquiry.

• It is critical for my Inquiry that I get a consent form and permission for every child under the age of 18 from their parent/guardian. Any one who is over the age of 18 must sign the form themselves.

• The data collected for the Inquiry must only be used for that purpose only and then should be destroyed afterwards as it is of no use.

• Questions asked must be relevant to the Inquiry. It must be valid and reliable.

• In some cases the participants may want to be kept anonymous so it is Imperative that if you agree with this there names remain unknown.

• All data should be kept safe so that only you can access it. So for example if the information is kept on a computer it should be password protected.

• Everyone involved should know the objections and purpose of the Inquiry.

• At all times during the inquiry the environment should be safe so that no harm is caused to any one taking part.

• My results must be thoroughly researched and not biased.

5B!

Task 5b requires you to look at the codes of practice which steer the ethical framework in the work place this time using research from professional sources .

I went onto the C.D.E.T website which I found from looking at students Blogs who were basing there inquiry on a similar subject to me. I had never been on this site before and I found it so helpful and interesting.
They have a recommend Code of Professional Conduct and Practice that is to guide teachers on issues of good practice.
Here is a link to the page http://www.cdet.org.uk/teaching-and-qualifications/code-of-conduct/

It is all very interesting and extremely important to read if you are a teacher or looking to become a teacher but there are a few things that stood out to me.

' Not accept a teaching post or undertake work for which he or she is not competent or qualified.'

The reason I have highlighted this is because a couple of weeks ago I was approached by a friend who was offering me work for some children's Zumba parties. It was very good pay and regular work. They told me the work was there for me if I wanted it. What they did not understand or think about was how ethically wrong it would be if I was to accept this job as I have never taught a Zumba class in my life. They assumed as I was a dancer I would have enough experience to take on this roll but you have to have a certificate to say you are a qualified Zumba teacher in order to teach a class. I know am looking into taking the course so that in the future I can get this work but it would have been ethically wrong for me to have accepted this work at this present time.

'Ensure that students are not discriminated against on the grounds of sex, race, colour, religion, age, disability, national or social origin or other status. '

I mentioned race and discrimination in my previous blog and I think this is  a very serious subject to be aware of.

One thing that is mentioned on the C.D.E.T  website is a teachers teaching name. I never would have thought that this was an issue that should be raised but now I see why this must be. The name must not be misleading or a name that they are not entitled to.

Also something I never mentioned was the use of copy right. As a teacher you must be in accordance to the law with regards to copyright and recordings.

The C.D.E.T  explains in detail health and safety issues to consider.

• heating levels and ventilation
• suitable flooring appropriate to the technique taught
• secure area for changing
• understand his/her responsibility in case of medical emergency
• ensure that all fire regulations are adhered to

As a teacher it is essential that you are a role model to your students. It is a Teachers job to demonstrate the correct behaviour, teach the importance of punctuality, implement self-discipline into their pupils and ensure each child's needs are met through rigorous planning.

The RAD website also has a code of conduct which I found very helpful. There are four main points they talk about.

Integrity- Respecting the confidentially of students. You must respect anything that a student/parent confides in you. It is also imperative to deal honestly with money/information somebody shares with you and to make sure private and personal interests do not conflict with professional duties.

Competence- As a teacher you must maintain up to date knowledge in what you are teaching. Lessons must be planned and not just put together during the class.

Professionalism- You must work in a positive and co-operative manner. It is also important to engage in reflective practice.

Compliance- Health and safety of every child is essential. Any body working with children must have an up to date CRB and must be aware of  child protection and data protection.


This task has enabled me to have a much better understanding, ethically, of what is required from me as a professional teacher.

5A- Ethics in your work place.

5a- Ethics in your work place/ Professional community which is familiar to you.

In this task we are asked to consider the ethics that might apply in our community of practice relying on our own thoughts wholly.

I am looking at what makes a good teacher so my place of practice will be a class room/studio.
There are many codes of practice in a teaching environment, here are the thoughts that came to my mind without reference to any documents or discussion.

• I am responsible for the health and safety of each individual child. I must be completely aware of all the hazards in the room and report any problems that may arise.

• I must be aware were all the fire exits are located and what the procedure is in case of an emergency.

• Must have a valid CRB check.

• It is important to treat every child with respect. The language used with the children must be chosen very carefully.

• I must not share any information about a child with anybody else in/out of the environment I am in. Addresses/ telephone numbers and even information a child/parent may have spoken to me about individually must be kept private.

• You must not be racist or discriminating towards any child.

• I must have the correct knowledge and qualifications in the subject area I am teaching.

• It is important to be dressed appropriately for the classroom and look professional as I will be representing either myself or the company I work for.

4D- My Award Title Proposal.

4d! My Award Title Proposal.

As well as still hoping to perform I am slowly looking towards becoming a teacher. Not having much experience in this but having a drive and passion to becoming a teacher I think an Inquiry to what makes a good teacher will benefit my future career and also help others improve there teaching skills

I have decided that my Award Title should be either.

Ba Honours Professional Practice In Dance

OR

Ba Honours Professional Practice In Performing Arts

Both of these reflect my previous training, reflect the learning process of this course and will be relevant to my future career.

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

Ideas for Inquriy topics!

Task 4a!

So all though I haven't blogged at all yet in this module, I have been reading through the reader and thinking a lot about my Inquiry Topic. I want to choose something that interests me as it is a topic that I will be spending a lot of time researching.
I have a few ideas that I would like to share with you all and would really appreciate your opinions to help me in deciding which Inquiry Topic to choose.

• Health and Nutrition of a Dancer

• How to cope with rejection in this industry

• Self Motivation

• The importance of having a good teacher. What makes a good teacher?

The two topics that I am being drawn to the most are the top two, Health and Nutrition of a Dancer and How to cope with rejection in this industry.

Health and Nutrition

Being a dancer your body is your tool and looking after yourself, eating well and exercising is a vital part in succeeding in the industry. I was thinking of looking into what a healthy diet is and also how many performers can become obsessed with food and exercise to have the body they desire instead of going about it the healthy way.

Dealing with Rejection in the Industry

This topic I also feel very drawn to. As most of you know this industry comes with more rejection than good news unfortunately and I think this subject is very interesting. How do people keep going when they face so much rejection? How far can people be pushed before they give up? How do you keep motivated?


Is anybody else looking at any of these topics?

Has anybody got any thoughts and ideas of which would be a good topic for the Inquiry?

Would love some feedback guys!!